Toward a More Holistic Approach to Pain Management

December 11, 2024

Nearly 8 million Canadians live with chronic pain. As Canada’s population ages, that number is expected to grow to 9 million by 2030.

The associated health care costs, both direct (health care) and indirect (lost production), totalled close to $40 billion in 2019. The opioid crisis and the rise in opioid-related deaths have shown that changing how we manage pain and provide primary care is more critical than ever.

Pain: A Public Health Emergency?

In its 2021 report, the Canadian Pain Task Force stated that pain was a “public health emergency in need of action.” But what exactly should that action look like?

“There needs to be a more integrative approach to pain management,” states Ken Labelle, President of Canadian health product manufacturer Masdel, the parent company behind Magic Bag hot and cold compresses. “If we understand that people’s health is a balancing act between our physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and environmental health, then we can look at pain from a more holistic perspective. Health care should not just be about sick care—treating the pain or underlying condition—it should also be about prevention, education, awareness, and resilience building.”

With close to 6.5 million Canadians without a family doctor, a more holistic approach to pain management would be widely beneficial on multiple levels. According to the Task Force report, “the lack of specialized pain services, the lack of effective treatment for some chronically painful conditions, long wait times, barriers to access for care, and the scarcity of health professionals trained in pain management exacerbate hopelessness for people who live with pain.”

“It might seem trivial but giving people alternatives to modern medicine, the ability the soothe their pain and find comfort, even temporarily, can be empowering,” explains Masdel Marketing Director Jennifer Neveu. “Natural remedies and OTC products, something as simple and effective as heat therapy from a Magic Bag compress for example, shouldn’t be overlooked in the pain management ecosystem.”

Hot and Cold Pain Treatments

Hot and cold therapies to treat illness and pain have been around for millennia. The ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans all used heat for a wide range of medical conditions. Everything from respiratory illnesses to arthritis, digestive issues, inflammation, gout, and skin conditions were treated with different types of hot and cold therapies. Similarly, traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine use heat to promote blood flow and dispel coldness from the body.

Heat reduces pain in different ways. By stimulating blood circulation, it brings more nutrients and oxygen to muscles and joints, which alleviates stiffness, soreness, and muscles spasms. But heat also activates the receptors in our brains that are thought to reduce pain. Cold therapy, on the other hand, is effective at reducing swelling and inflammation, particularly from acute injuries.

Pain Management and Prevention

Fast forward to the 21st century and hot and cold therapies are still widely used. Masdel’s award-winning Magic Bag compresses, for example, are effective at soothing pain and discomfort from various sources: headaches, menstrual cramps, fibromyalgia, arthritis, bursitis, sore muscles, inflammation, sciatic nerve, colic, and many more.

For Masdel, the goal is clear: to provide all-natural and effective pain relief alternatives or ways to complement modern medicine interventions. But solving the pain equation also means shifting strategies to prevention and knowledge sharing. Better nutrition, improved sleep, increased physical activity, a healthier environment, and mental health support can all help build greater resilience and reduce the occurrence and severity of chronic pain.

“We are proud to offer a wide range of products that promote optimal health and well-being,” explained Labelle.

“Products like our Magic Bag aromatherapy compresses help relieve stress, anxiety, and tension leading to improved rest cycles. The addition of aromatherapy adds another element to pain management and better overall health. For weekend warriors, we offer the Sport Gel line designed specifically to provide targeted relief for post-workout soreness to encourage people to stay active.”

If knowledge is power, then the more we know about pain and pain management, the better equipped we will be to prevent and treat it. Magic Bag’s blog and website provide useful information and tips that raise awareness about how to improve your health and manage and treat your pain better.