Millions of people who grapple with pain rely upon over-the-counter painkillers or prescription medication in order to get by, yet many of these individuals ultimately become addicted to their medication. For others, the price of prescription medicine is simply too high for it to be a viable option for them to consider. Others still simply have health problems which may prevent them from taking popular medication that most people can rely upon for pain treatment.
That’s why natural painkillers are becoming increasingly popular, as they’re oftentimes affordable and usually not as powerful as certain risky medication like opioids. Here’s a review of 5 natural painkillers you might not have thought of, and what you should know about them before including them in your daily regimen.
- Cold and heat treatments
One of the oldest, simplest, and most effective methods for treating pain in the human body is to undergo cold and heat treatments. “Hotpacks” and “coldpacks” may simply be nothing more than a ziplock baggie filled with ice or hand towels soaked in hot water. Other over-the-counter solutions like IcyHot or related pain tonics, creams, and pads can be applied directly to your muscles and aching areas to relieve the pain you’re suffering from.
Far from a more serious medical solution like getting an Express MRI, natural cold and heat treatments which help you alleviate swelling and deal with immense pain are incredibly affordable, easy to apply at home, and impossible to mess up to the point where you further harm yourself or risk an overdose.
- Embrace exercise therapy
You may not like to exercise much, but it’s a matter of fact that exercise therapy can produce wonders in the human body when it comes to pain management. According to the CDC’s page on non-opioid pain management options, exercise therapy can take many forms, including walking, running, swimming, water therapy, and yoga, to name a few. It’s often used to prevent migraines from occurring, and those who have recently suffered from a physical injury have noted that exercise therapy has enabled them to regain their mobility and ability to tolerate injury-induced pain.
You should thus give serious thought to exercise therapy, as it’s quite affordable and doesn’t necessitate that you ingest anything. Furthermore, it’s entirely natural, as exercising your muscles and your mind has nothing to do with ingesting man-made chemicals or medication.
- Focus on yoga to fight chronic pain
You may think yoga is exclusively favored by hippies from days of old, but it’s actually an incredibly popular exercise form that produces wonderful health results. According to the Harvard Health Review, for instance, regularly practicing yoga is good for your body and mind alike. Those struggling with arthritis, lower back pain, or other forms of physical pain can find relief by slowly stretching their muscles and exercising often-underworked elements of their body.
Plus, it’s incredibly relaxing. Yoga sessions seldom take more than an hour or two, and can also help introduce you to new people who may be suffering from similar physical problems. You may have heard of yoga before, but unless you’ve tried it for pain management, you don’t understand its true potential.
- Get a therapeutic massage
Finally, an excellent natural remedy for pain is a therapeutic massage conducted by a professional with all the training needed to make your worries and stress melt away. According to a major report produced by the Harvard Medical School called Pain Relief, these massages can create “competing signals” in your brain that distract you from the pain you’ve been experiencing. By allowing you to focus on the relaxing sensation of somebody giving you a massage, these therapeutic exercises help you achieve levels of relief most people can only dream of.
These natural pain remedies can all work wonders for those who are unsure or incapable of accessing medically-prescribed painkillers. Some may produce more results than others, but every human body is different. When you’re struggling with pain, don’t hesitate to consult a medical professional for their advice, as they can give you specific recommendations which are contextualized to your circumstances.
