Magnesium is the fourth most prevalent mineral in your body and is used in over 300 different reactions that keep you healthy. Magnesium is involved in nerve and muscle activity, regulates your heart rhythm and contributes to strong bones. Some forms of pain respond well to magnesium supplementation. Consult your doctor about using magnesium to treat a medical condition.
Ineffective
Magnesium did not decrease post-operative pain following abdominal surgery, according to a study published in the May 2010 issue of the journal "La Tunisie Medicale." In the study, doctors gave patients undergoing abdominal surgery intravenous infusions of 50 mg per kg body weight of magnesium sulfate over a 24-hour period immediately following surgery. Results showed that the magnesium group and the control group used the same amount of morphine to control pain during the 24 hours following surgery. Initial reports of pain levels by patients was also the same between the two groups.
Frequency of Episodes
Magnesium blocks a receptor on cells that may serve to decrease pain messages in the brain, according to a study published in the June 2011 issue of "Magnesium Research." The double-blind study failed to show a measurable difference in pain levels in patients with nerve pain. In the study, participants took six 419 mg doses of magnesium per day for one month. Pain levels, as evaluated by a questionnaire and numerical pain scale, were unchanged with magnesium supplementation; however, the frequency of painful episodes and the emotional aspects of the pain, two important components of chronic pain, were diminished in the magnesium group.
Post-Surgery
Magnesium decreased the dosage of pain medications needed following chest surgery in a study published in the January 2011 issue of the "Saudi Journal of Anesthesia." In the study, participants received intravenous magnesium immediately after surgery in 30 mg per kg body weight doses followed by an infusion of 10 mg per kg per hour for up to 24 hours after surgery. The magnesium group experienced prolonged effects from the surgical pain medicines, along with decreased nausea, itching and drowsiness.
Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia
Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia often show deficient levels of magnesium, according to Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D., author of the book "The Miracle of Magnesium." Additionally, pain medications deplete magnesium, reducing their effectiveness in chronic fatigue patients. Restoring adequate magnesium levels can decrease the chronic pain associated with these conditions. Magnesium is also required to clear out lactic acid buildup from overexercising. When magnesium levels are low, lactic acid accumulates in your muscles for longer periods of time, increasing the pain and discomfort of sore muscles.
References
- "La Tunisie Medicale"; Effectiveness of Intravenous Magnesium on Postoperative Pain After Abdominal Surgery Versus Placebo: Double Blind Randomized Controlled Trial; H. Jaoua, et al.; May 2010
- "Magnesium Research"; Oral Magnesium Treatment in Patients with Neuropathic Pain: a Randomized Clinical Trial; G. Pickering, et al.; June 2011
- "Saudi Journal of Anesthesiaology"; Effect of Magnesium Infusion on Thoracic Epidural Analgesia; S. Gupta, et al.; January 2011
- "The Miracle of Magnesium"; Carolyn Dean; 2003
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