I have been using kratom to manage pain from a car crash that left me with spinal injuries in my early thirties.

I had been on strong prescription opiate-based pain killers which I was becoming more dependent on over time, while they were seemingly less effective.

A friend of mine asked if I had ever tried a herb called kratom, which I had never heard of. It’s a not particularly well known member of the coffee family from South East Asia that is known for its therapeutic properties that has been traditionally used in that part of the world.

It’s generally ingested as a tea and is legal in most states of the USA. I was horrified last year when I read the DEA wanted to schedule kratom as a schedule one drug, which really scared me, as I use this as an effective medicine for both pain management, energy and even sleep.

Thank the Lord, the DEA has backed down on this decision, following a campaign to lobby Congress, so for now kratom remains legal in the majority of the USA.

It’s not the most pleasant tasting tea, it has a bitter taste to it, but it’s palatable and well worth it for the therapeutic benefits. I buy white strains of kratom, which I take in the morning, which reduces pain and also energizes me like a strong cup of coffee, but it doesn’t get you high or anything like that, it’s an analgesic.

The white maeng da kratom is my most favoured strains for energy and pain relief; it is known for its potency and effects. This is the one for stimulation and pain relieving effects. It’s also great for sex and keeps my girlfriend very happy.

For sleep at night I sometimes use the red strains of kratom, which are more sedating, my favourite being Red Borneo kratom. Red strains are known also for their pain killing properties but also for its uses as a sedative and it can help with anxiety.

To save money, I’ve been buying my kratom in bulk from buy-kratom.us, which is a US based company that specialises in high quality kratom at affordable wholesale prices. They have excellent customer support, discreet packaging and free shipping. Luckily, I live in a state where kratom is legal. Furthermore, my job involves mandatory drug testing and fortunately kratom does not show up in any drug tests.

If you don’t want to drink kratom as a tea, then you can also get extracts, which can also be effective, but I tend to generally opt for the teas; I’ve even grown to like the taste.

Overall, my experience of kratom has been very positive. I seldom take prescription pain killers these days, and I like kratom as it manages the back pain from my car crash, while still enabling me to lead a normal life, which I was finding increasingly difficult from usage of pharmaceutical opiate based medicines.