To help you get started on your own road to pain relief, here are our favorite natural remedies.

Watching Your Diet

The food you eat likely isn't the first thing you consider when looking for the cause of your chronic pain. However, many types of food can increase inflammation. Systemic inflammation is swelling that affects the entire body and can raise your risk of developing pain and pain-causing conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes and heart disease.

The worst dietary offenders for pain are already well-known for being unhealthy, including:

• Sugar
• Salt
• Trans fats
• Processed meats
• Deep-fried foods

Avoiding these ingredients takes practice and determination. You'll need to read labels carefully and learn to recognize hidden ingredients. For example, sugar may be disguised as dextrose or cane crystals, and trans fat may be listed as partially hydrogenated oil. The internet is an excellent resource for looking up ingredient names you don't know. A good rule of thumb is to eat as many natural foods as possible, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. These can be easy to keep on hand in your assisted living apartment for when you want a snack.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is one of the best remedies for chronic pain, which is why we provide on-site rehabilitation to our residents here at Bethesda Gardens Fort Worth. When seniors begin physical therapy, their therapists look for the source of their discomfort and develop a plan to relieve it. It usually takes time to achieve results. Stretching the treatment over multiple sessions is beneficial, however, because you can go slowly and gently treat your pain without pushing too hard and becoming overwhelmed.

Therapists use stretching, guided exercises and low-impact aerobics to strengthen weakened muscles and loosen joints to relieve stress and tension in the affected areas. They may also instruct you on exercises to do in your home, even after you finish your treatments, to help prevent the pain from coming back.

Ice and Heat

Applying ice and heat to aches and pains is a time-tested method. Whether to cool or warm an area depends on the cause of your pain. Cold reduces swelling and constricts blood vessels, which helps numb pain. Heat relaxes muscle tissues and improves blood flow to soothe aches away.

If you're struggling with tendinitis or gout, icing the area can help ease inflammation. A cool compress may also help relieve a migraine. For arthritis pain and tense muscles, heat is a better solution for the pain, and you may need to use warmth to loosen stiffness in your neck and shoulders during a tension headache.

Just be careful not to place ice directly on the skin or use a heat source warm enough to burn. Don't apply the temperature-based treatment for longer than 15 minutes, and talk with your caregivers first. Your doctor and care team can give you personalized guidance on the best ways to use temperature to reduce your pain.

The key to success in your journey to being pain-free lies in knowledge and self-advocacy. If pain is disrupting your schedule and draining your energy, talk with your doctor. Together, you can work towards a holistic solution that suits you and your preferred lifestyle. Some solutions may surprise you, such as gardening, which, when done correctly, can be fun and pain-relieving.