Supplements for Pain and Mood: What Does Science Say?
Discover how muscle tension and repressed emotions may be fueling chronic pain—and what you can do to break free.
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Can the Right Supplements Heal Emotional and Physical Pain?
In the journey to reduce chronic pain, your brain needs every advantage it can get. While lifestyle changes like diet, exercise, and stress management are essential, sometimes your brain requires an extra boost.
That’s where targeted supplements and nutraceuticals come in. In his new book, Change Your Brain, Change Your Pain, Dr. Daniel Amen shares research-backed recommendations for natural supplements that can enhance brain health and help calm the brain’s suffering pathways.
Certain mood-enhancing supplements have been shown to help both emotional and physical pain. They can work like antidepressants—with dramatically fewer side effects than most prescription medications.
How Do Supplements Help Reduce Chronic Pain?
We know that the brain, mind, and body are strongly connected. That’s why certain mood-enhancing nutraceuticals (supplements with pharmaceutical actions) have been shown to help both emotional and physical pain. They can work like antidepressants—with dramatically fewer side effects than most prescription medications.
These supplements work, in part, by boosting both serotonin and GABA, which have a calming effect on the medial pain “suffering” pathway. By targeting this pathway, you can manage physical and emotional pain more effectively.
Related: Try These 9 Natural Serotonin Boosters
In addition, when your brain is functioning at its best, it becomes more resilient to pain. Supplements help by supporting the brain’s ability to repair itself, reducing inflammation, and balancing neurotransmitters. All these benefits can have a profound impact on pain levels.
What Are The Best Supplements For Pain And Mood?
Here are a few of Dr. Amen’s top recommendations for targeted supplements and nutraceuticals:
1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids:
Known for their powerful anti-inflammatory properties, omega-3s are critical for brain health and can help reduce pain by calming the brain’s inflammatory pathways.
You can get omega-3s from fish, such as salmon, or you can take a high-quality fish oil supplement. The recommended dosage is 1,000-3,000 mg per day.
2. Curcumin:
The active compound in turmeric, curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. It helps protect the brain from damage, reduce pain caused by inflammation, and prevent the spread of pain.
Taking curcumin as a supplement is an easy way to harness its pain-relieving benefits. The recommended dosage is 500-2,000 mg per day, often divided into multiple doses.
3. Magnesium:
This essential mineral is known for its ability to relax muscles and calm the nervous system. Magnesium can be especially helpful for reducing muscle tension and improving sleep, both of which are key factors in managing chronic pain. The typical dosage is 200-400 mg per day.
4. GABA:
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a neurotransmitter that helps calm the brain. GABA supplements can reduce anxiety and stress, helping to quiet the brain’s suffering circuits and lower pain levels. An appropriate dosage ranges from 250-1,500 mg per day.
5. Saffron:
This spice is not only a mood enhancer but also has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. Studies have shown that saffron can help lift mood and reduce pain sensitivity.
Think of saffron as a gardener who tends to your emotional weeds, allowing the flowers of well-being to bloom. The usual dosage is 30 mg per day.
6. Vitamin D:
Adequate levels of vitamin D are crucial for brain and immune health. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to increased pain sensitivity and mood disorders.
Conversely, supplementing with vitamin D can help support overall brain function and reduce pain. The recommended dosage is 1,000-2,000 IU per day, with higher doses often required for those with significant deficiency.
7. 5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan):
5-HTP helps boost serotonin levels, which can improve mood and reduce the perception of pain. It’s particularly helpful for emotional pain and the anxiety that often accompanies chronic physical pain. The usual dosage is 100-300 mg per day.
How Do I Use Supplements For Pain Management?
Supplements aren’t a cure-all. But, when used alongside brain-healthy habits, they can significantly enhance your body’s ability to heal and reduce pain. The numerous benefits of nutraceuticals, partnered with their minimal risks, make them useful additions to your well-being toolbox.
Dr. Amen emphasizes the importance of choosing high-quality, evidence-based supplements and consulting with a healthcare professional before starting any new regimen. It’s always crucial to use the least toxic, most effective, science-based treatments for optimal results.
In Change Your Brain, Change Your Pain, you’ll find more detailed guidance on which supplements might work best for your specific needs. You can then take an empowered, proactive role in managing your pain and boosting your brain health.
Amen Clinics
Founded in 1989 by double-board certified psychiatrist and neuroscientist Daniel G. Amen, MD, Amen Clinics Inc. (ACI) is known as the best brain and mental health company in the world. Our clinical staff includes over 50 healthcare specialists, including adult and child psychiatrists, integrative (functional) medicine physicians, naturopaths, addiction specialists, forensic psychiatrists, geriatric psychiatrists, nutritionists, licensed therapists, and more. Our clinicians have all been hand-selected and personally trained by Dr. Amen, whose mission is to end mental illness by creating a revolution in brain health. Over the last 35-plus years, ACI has built the world’s largest database of functional brain scans—over 250,000 SPECT scans on patients from 155 countries—related to how people think, feel, and behave.
References
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- Sullivan MJ, Martel MO, Tripp DA, Savard A, Crombez G. Catastrophic thinking and heightened perception of pain in others. Pain. 2006 Jul;123(1-2):37-44. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2006.02.007. Epub 2006 Mar 24. PMID: 16563630.
