Magnesium For Chronic Pain: Does it Help?

Chronic pain can be delibilitating and difficult to treat safely, effectively, and without side-effects that can be worse than the condition. Magnesium could be a natural alternative or complement to pharmaceutical treatment of chronic pain. Just how effective is magnesium at relieving pain, and how does it work?

Magnesium downgrades pain in the brain

Pain is a result of an excessive stimulation of a chemical in the brain called “NMDA.” Magnesium works to settle NMDA without the toxicity of over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications. It has been found to lessen pain caused by severe pancreatic cancer and chronic pain problems such as fibromyalgia.

Magnesium eases pain from tension and spasm

Magnesium also helps to dramatically reduce pain by relaxing muscles and driving excess calcium out of the cells. It is essential to maintain balanced levels of calcium and magnesium, as too much calcium may cause pain, as will too little magnesium.

In it’s role as a relaxing mineral, magnesium helps by reducing spasms and relaxing blood vessels in the extremities that are often associated with Raynaud’s Syndrome.

There are so many syndromes today that can be described as tension-based. Magnesium’s job in the body is to calm and relax the cells, easing stress at the cellular level and reducing tension.

Magnesium works for migraines, fibromyalgia, and other forms of chronic pain

Dr. Linda Rapson, who specializes in treating chronic pain and has a focus on nutrition as it relates to pain, believes that the majority of her patients who complain of muscle pain, cramps and fatigue have signs of magnesium deficiency.

“Virtually all of them improve when I put them on magnesium,” says Rapson, who runs a busy Toronto pain clinic.

Dr. Rapson has been treating patients for more than 30 years and has seen magnesium work in those with migraines, and fibromyalgia. “The scientific community should take a good hard look at this.”