Reading Time: 6 minutes Natural Ways To Relieve Pain At Home
This is a collaborative health post by Ellie Jo.
Pain is a common issue for many people worldwide. Whether it’s acute pain, severe pain, short-term pain, or long-term pain, most people will likely deal with it during their lifetime. Pain can occur from various medical issues from injury and stress to migraines and insomnia. Regardless, you will likely want to treat or help manage the pain. Medication is not always safe for everyone to take or easy to get ahold of. Thus, using natural remedies to treat the pain can be just as effective.
According to ARS 13-408, having narcotics that claim to relieve chronic pain is a felony. Thus, you must always ensure to buy certified medication from legitimate sellers. Or, using natural ingredients can help relieve pain and you will never need to worry about them being illegal.
If you are looking for the best natural at-home pain relievers, here’s more.
Drink more water
Water can be the solution to many medical concerns and complications. Pain can often increase due to a lack of hydration in the body, especially pain that is the result of a headache. Water can easily relieve the symptoms of a headache in less than two hours and is ideal for overall health.
Changes in your diet
Creating healthier diet choices can benefit your pain. Similar swaps or eliminations of certain foods can help reduce inflammation, which is a common cause or influence of pain. Eliminating excess alcohol and sugar are great places to start, as these are common choices that can increase inflammation and therefore slow down the recovery from the medical issue you are dealing with. Here are some ideas for anti-inflammatory foods that you can add to your diet that may help treat or manage pain.
- Ginger
- Fatty fish – salmon, tuna, sardines
- Pumpkin seeds
- Berries – cherries, blueberries, cranberries
- Other fruits – bananas, apples
- Turmeric
- Mint
- Olive oil
- Red chili peppers
- Legumes – black beans, kidney beans, butter beans, chickpeas
You can add these to your healthy breakfast recipes, quick lunches, or hearty dinners and enjoy them every day to reap the health and pain-relieving benefits.
Use magnesium
Magnesium is an essential mineral to help with nerve transmission, which can reduce pain. Magnesium can be consumed as capsules as part of your daily routine.
It is suggested that magnesium deficiency can lead to constant pain, especially headaches. Thus, adding a magnesium orotate supplement to your diet may reduce the risk of pain.
Get enough sleep
Plenty of sleep contributes to a healthy mind and body. Seven to eight hours a night is recommended for fighting fatigue, as well as keeping medical issues at bay.
A lack of sleep can often cause frequent headaches and increase the risk of a poor pain threshold. When your body is tired it can likely feel weak, which can mean the pain is harder to deal with. Thus, getting enough sleep will help you feel stronger and combat frequent pain.
Hot and cold compresses
Compresses are a great way for relieving frequent or short-term pain. If you are suffering from pain as the result of an injury, you can soothe it with a compress.
A cold compress is ideal for swelling. While a hot compress is ideal for soothing pain.
Cold compresses are more common and effective as they will reduce inflammation, which will benefit the person suffering from swelling in the long term.
B-Complex vitamins
An essential and effective vitamin for reducing pain is B-complex. B vitamins are micronutrients. When taken collectively, as a complex vitamin, you will consume the group of the most essential B vitamins.
B vitamins contribute to many bodily functions, with pain relief and control being one of them. It plays a vital role in maintaining good nerve and neurotransmitter functioning. Without B vitamins, your body will be more vulnerable to pain.
A lack of B vitamins often results in frequent headaches or pain in the legs. If you witness this, it might be a sign that you are lacking B vitamins.
Essential oil rubs
Rubbing essential oils, especially peppermint and lavender, on your affected area is a great way of reducing pain.
Their aromatic compounds work to calm pain and work with the peripheral cannabinoid receptors, which can reduce inflammation and help manage pain signals.
For instance, if you have a migraine then you can rub a small amount of lavender oil into the temples to relieve pain and fight the symptoms.
Drink caffeinated drinks
Many assume that caffeine is bad for your health. But, caffeine is great at constricting blood vessels, which is good for pain relief.
Not only can it restrict blood vessels, but caffeine can boost your mood and energy levels, which can help manage the pain symptoms.
Opt for healthy caffeine drinks such as tea and coffee. Carbonated caffeine drinks may result in a reverse effect.
Stretching and yoga
Gentle stretching through yoga is great if you are suffering from body pain. It can loosen the muscles and reduce inflammation.
Yoga increases the flow of oxygen to the brain, which can also benefit pain from headaches. Moreover, the increased flow of oxygen is ideal for replenishing the muscle tissues, which can help relieve pain from onset muscle soreness due to exercise or injury.
You do not have to partake in long yoga sessions to reap the benefits. A simple ten minutes in the morning or evening is enough for increasing the flow of oxygen.
Saltwater
There are two ways that you can use salt and water to relieve pain.
First, warm saltwater in the warm can help relax the muscles, which can lead to pain management. Swirling Epsom or Himalayan salts in your bath is great for the mind and the body.
You can also use salt water to rid your teeth and gums of bacteria if you are dealing with ulcers or swelling in the mouth. If you are suffering from ulcers, rinse your mouth with salt water regularly to reduce the build-up of bacteria.
Aloe vera
Aloe vera is a plant that has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties. To treat pain, you can rub it on the affected area to relieve the symptoms.
You can use store-bought aloe vera gel or the natural plant. Both will offer the same benefits. The higher concentration of aloe vera in the product, the more effective the results will be.
Manage your stress levels
Stress can trigger pain, especially headaches. Instead of allowing stress to build up, let it out. Stress management techniques and their efficacy will vary from person to person. Yet, there are some stress management techniques that will likely work for everyone. These include:
- Journaling: writing down your thoughts can help alleviate stress on the mind. Journaling once a day to write notes or schedule your week will help reduce stress on the mind, which can help reduce your vulnerability to stress.
- Walking: getting out and getting fresh air is great for the mind and the body. Walking 30 minutes a day can help reduce stress and give you a clearer mind.
- Exercise: exercise is a great way to release tension and stress, from the mind and body. Regular exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle. Three to four exercise sessions (of around 30 minutes) per week are easily achievable and ideal to reduce pain.
- Reading: reading is a great technique for calming the mind and allowing you to focus on the present. It is a mindful practice that allows you to switch off and de-stress from the day.
- Sleeping: de-stressing your mind and body through sleep is ideal, but only when you have a restful and long enough sleep. Getting to sleep at a reasonable time and achieving around seven to eight hours will help fight fatigue and combat stress.
Rachel is an Austin blogger, educator, mom, wife, young breast cancer survivor writing about health, saving money, and living a happy life in Austin, Texas.
Rachel has written for HuffPost and Hometalk and has been featured on KXAN, Studio 512, Fox 7 Austin, and CBS Austin.