With painkillers being removed from the market one by one, what is a person to do who has chronic pain? Do not despair. You can do exactly what I've been doing.

I have numerous allergies to food, the environment, and to medicines. I have many allergic and adverse reactions. Years ago, I finally realized that the only pain medication I could safely take was Tylenol. It didn't help much, of course. I used it mostly if I had a fever. I desperately realized that I had to find a natural, safe, alternative relief for pain. What I did was to alter my diet and also take certain supplements including homeopathic sublingual supplements.

Why the change of diet? Because certain foods make the symptoms of many diseases much worse. For conditions resulting in muscle or joint pain, back pain or headaches, the following list of foods cause the most problems with increased pain. Whole wheat, refined white wheat flour, refined white sugar, high-fructose corn syrup and most all additives, harmful fats which include trans fatty acids, hydrogenated oils and too much saturated fat, white potatoes in moderate to large amounts, tomatoes in moderate to large amounts, cheddar cheese, processed cheeses and processed meats. These foods seriously increase pain and inflammation in joints and muscles. They adversely affect the digestive system causing pain, and causing headaches.

I eliminated these foods and additives from my diet 90% of the time. I created healthy, natural recipes using alternative ingredients easily found in supermarkets. I improved enormously in a short time. My muscle and joint pain, and my digestive pain were greatly reduced. My headaches disappeared. To reduce or eliminate the rest of my pain, I began taking the following supplements. I take omega 3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil softgels. These work as an anti-inflammatory and actually reduce my pain better than harmful prescription meds. The best quality brand I have found is "Enzymatic Therapy" and the label reads "Eskimo-3 Naturally Stable Fish Oil". Three small softgels are one dose, but because of my joint and muscle pain, I take two doses daily. I will take three doses on occasion if needed. This is safe. Also very helpful is "grape seed extract". I use the brand "Solgar" and the label reads "Advanced Proanthocyanidin Complex". Two capsules daily is one dose and I take two doses daily. These two brands are not expensive and can be purchased in health food stores or on the Internet. Using other brands, or cheaper brands, do not work nearly as well for me.

I've discovered that if I veer off my natural diet, or forget to take my two supplements, I become much worse and have a lot of pain. As long as I follow this natural regimen daily, I have minimal to zero pain or symptoms. Glucosamine can also be helpful for joint pain.

The weather, cold, rain and barometric pressure adversely affects my joints and muscles. When this happens, or I overdo myself physically, I keep homeopathic meds on hand. They are natural tablets that dissolve under your tongue. They are inexpensive, and there is something for every ailment, ranging from different diseases that cause pains, to headaches and more. You can only find these in health food stores. You must keep trying one after another until you find the one that works for you.

You really don't need those costly, side effect causing prescription drugs. My condition was severe, and a natural diet that avoids symptom-causing foods, plus daily supplements with occasional use of a homeopathic, keeps me pain free or nearly so. Talk to a knowledgeable person at a health food store for something that will specifically help you. Natural supplements work well on most people.

When you're having pain caused by health problems such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, or other painful conditions, eating just any foods at random won't do at all. Most people never consider the fact that certain foods, ingredients or additives can actually make symptoms worse. There are wonderful books available in health food stores that explain what specific foods, vitamins or minerals that will improve your health problem and pain. Foods high in magnesium and omega 3's are just some examples.

When you're having pain, it's not because your body is lacking aspirin, Tylenol or the ingredients in prescription meds. Pain is a warning signal. You body is crying out that something has gone wrong and that it needs something! In this article I've explained some of the most important things a body in pain needs in order to heal, improve and reduce symptoms.

The fuel you put in your body must be the right fuel. Common sense tells us that we are what we eat, and what we eat very much affects us.

What kind of fuel are you putting in your body?