If physically possible, move more. If you have a desk job, set an alarm on your phone every hour to get up and take a walk, stretch, or just stand for a bit. Additionally, you want to incorporate both cardio and strength training into your exercise routine. For example, strengthening your core can help protect your low back from further injury. Specific stretches and exercises can help rehabilitate muscles and body mechanics. A physical therapist or athletic trainer can be helpful in guiding you to the right moves.
So many people suffer from chronic pain. Often people believe that they have tried everything, and that there is no real hope for them to live pain-free. What are some things these individuals can do, to help reduce or even eliminate their pain? In this interview series, called “Becoming Pain-Free: How to Alleviate Chronic Pain” we are talking to medical professionals, pain management specialists and authors who can share their insights and strategies about how to alleviate chronic pain. As a part of this series we had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Candace Jania.
Dr. Candace Jania is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese medicine and has been in practice for 20 years. She has helped thousands of patients achieve their health and wellness goals. Her latest venture has been to become the CEO and founder of The Formula For, a line of topical herbal creams that help to relieve pain and provide all-natural, serious relief solutions.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
Sure! In my 20s, I worked in a different field and struggled with severe daily migraines. Medications from doctors either didn’t work or had too many side effects. Someone suggested trying acupuncture, and it transformed my life. I then returned to school for acupuncture and herbal medicine, and I’ve been practicing since 2005. Over these 20 years, I’ve seen firsthand how Chinese medicine can benefit everyone.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
Throughout my career, I have seen many patients that experience increased pain when it is cold, raining, or humid. In Chinese medicine, this suggests the presence of cold and/or dampness in the joints. Typically, this condition is treated with herbs or moxibustion, a warming herb that is burned on the skin. After studying Sa’am acupuncture, I can now utilize a specific technique to introduce warmth or remove dampness in the body using only needles. The efficacy of this method continues to impress me. The lesson here is that continuous learning is essential in any profession. Despite having 20 years of experience, I recognize there is always more to learn to improve patient care.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about a mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When I first established The Formula For, LLC, I developed many unsuccessful products. I was on the verge of giving up until I discovered inspiration in an old book, which led to the development of my first effective topical pain cream. As a perfectionist, owning a company can be disheartening due to potential setbacks. However, recognizing problems as opportunities is a challenging but worthwhile endeavor. I have gained so much knowledge from these experiences. Viewing challenges as opportunities to learn and improve rather than failures will enhance your leadership capabilities and make you more resilient.
When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
As a practitioner, one can only have a sphere of influence over those in your local geographical area. In 2021, I had the idea to develop a pain product that combined the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine and the modern application of full-spectrum CBD into one easy to use and highly effective cream. Now, I can extend my impact to a much larger audience, offering pain relief to people nationwide and in other countries.
Let’s jump to the main focus of this series. For the benefit of our readers, can you please tell us why you are an authority on the subject of chronic pain?
As an acupuncturist and herbalist, many patients who visit our clinic are seeking relief from pain. They often turn to us as a last resort after experiencing limited success with conventional medicine. Thousands of years ago, practitioners developed “Hit Medicine” for martial artists to aid in their recovery from pain and trauma sustained during combat. This involved soaking various herbs in alcohol to extract their medicinal properties, which were then applied to injured areas to facilitate rapid recovery and healing. Additionally, acupuncture was used to alleviate pain and promote faster healing. These ancient principles can be effectively utilized today to address both acute and chronic pain conditions.
Can you please share with us a few of the most common causes of chronic pain?
Chronic pain often has multiple contributing factors. The most common causes include:
- Lifestyle: Sedentary living, excessive sitting, poor posture, carrying extra weight on your body, and consumption of inflammatory foods can all contribute to chronic pain conditions.
- Past injuries: Injuries that are not managed properly can transition from acute to chronic conditions very easily.
- Internal disease: Pathologies such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, and autoimmune diseases can cause joint and muscle pain.
- Mental and emotional health: Depression, for instance, can lead to pain, which in turn can exacerbate the depression, creating an unending cycle.
- Idiopathic: In some cases, the medical community cannot identify the cause of chronic pain, which can result in frustration with modern medicine.
There are many different types of pain that people struggle with. Which specific form of pain would you like to focus on in this interview? Why that one?
I would like to focus on osteoarthritis, which affects around 500 million people around the world. This is my focus because lifestyle and diet can have a profound effect on the intensity of the pain symptoms.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey toward becoming pain-free?
1. Work on your posture! There are many exercises that you can do to improve how you sit and stand. Even technology can be employed to help you to straighten up. There are digital posture monitors, posture-enhancing bras, and even mechanical contraptions that you can wear to place your head, neck and shoulders in the correct position. In general, you want to make sure that you have your ears and shoulders aligned. Forward head posture puts undo strain on curvature of the cervical spine, which can cause chronic upper back, headaches, and neck pain. For example, be aware of the position of your head and neck when scrolling or texting on your phone. Also, when driving, be sure to connect the back of your head with the headrest. This is a simple way of making sure that your posture while driving is not contributing to your pain. Additionally, performing exercises that pinch the scapula together can be helpful in bringing the shoulders into alignment and chin tucks can re-align the cervical curve in your neck. These exercises can easily be looked up online.
2. If physically possible, move more. If you have a desk job, set an alarm on your phone every hour to get up and take a walk, stretch, or just stand for a bit. Additionally, you want to incorporate both cardio and strength training into your exercise routine. For example, strengthening your core can help protect your low back from further injury. Specific stretches and exercises can help rehabilitate muscles and body mechanics. A physical therapist or athletic trainer can be helpful in guiding you to the right moves.
3. Begin a meditation practice. Meditation has been scientifically proven to reduce inflammation and pain levels, and it can alter brain chemistry and neural wiring. A notable example is author and lecturer, Joe Dispenza. After a bicycle accident in his youth, he sustained a crushed spine. Despite recommendations from medical professionals for fusion surgery with the prognosis of never walking again without it, he declined the procedure. Instead, he used his mind and meditation techniques to heal his spine. Fully recovered, he now teaches these methods around the world.
4. Pay attention to your diet. Consumption of processed foods, fried foods, low-quality oils and meats, and sugar can lead to excessive inflammation in the body, which may contribute to increased pain levels. I have observed patients who experienced relief from joint pain after eliminating gluten from their diet. Similarly, chronic joint pain was alleviated when my patients stopped consuming sugar and alcohol. It is important to identify any hidden food allergies or sensitivities that may be contributing to inflammation which in turn may be causing your pain.
5. Consider acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. Numerous individuals have experienced pain relief through these ancient practices. The insertion of fine needles into muscles and joints can aid in reducing inflammation and alleviating tightness and discomfort. The needles do not contain any medication; rather, they stimulate the body’s natural healing processes and promote homeostasis. Additionally, topical creams, such as The Formula for Pain, can provide localized relief by decreasing pain, enhancing circulation, and reducing inflammation.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Offering acupuncture at pain, orthopedic, and cancer clinics worldwide could provide a credible and low-cost alternative to expensive procedures, injections, or surgeries. It may also be used alongside these treatments to aid in quicker healing and reduce post-surgery pain.
What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?
www.theformulafor.com , njacucenter.com or on Instagram @theformulafor and @acupuncture.center
Thank you for these fantastic insights! We wish you continued success and good health.
Becoming Pain-Free: Dr. Candace Jania of The Formula For On How to Alleviate Chronic Pain was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.