How to Alleviate Pain Without Taking Pain Killers?
No one desires to live with pain. It’s an uncomfortable feeling that can affect the quality of your life to a great extent. Sometimes the pain that you feel goes away in a week or two, but other times it lasts long enough, and you desperately search for ways to get rid of it. Our first instinct, when faced with debilitating pain, is to pop over-the-counter painkillers. While doing this, we don’t realize that it can have long term side-effects too. Some of them are upset stomach, drowsiness, and hormone imbalances. In such cases, many Pain Management Clermont specialists recommend alternative pain management techniques and natural pain management techniques / remedies to help you tackle the pain that refuses to leave your body.
The Best Natural Pain Relief Techniques You Can Try
Caption: Man with closed eyes., Credits: Pixabay
Natural pain management techniques have been in use since ancient times. Recently WHO has recognized the potential risks of regular medications and drugs for pain relief like an overdose, addiction, etc. Its pain management guidelines have also reinforced the need to look at alternate techniques that do not rely on strong drugs and medicines. Let’s take a look at some of them.
Alternative Pain Management Techniques to Alleviate that never-ending pain
Daily exercise
Physical or occupational therapy
Stress management
Cold and heat methods
1. Daily Exercise
Caption: a person walking, Credits: Pixabay
Gentle exercises like walking, swimming, or biking can greatly improve the blood flow throughout your body and provide pain relief. It can also enhance mobility and give relief from the pain experienced in conditions like fibromyalgia and arthritis. Other forms of exercise, like yoga and tai-chi, incorporate movements to strengthen and stretch muscles. They have been shown to help people effectively manage pain in their bodies.
2. Physical or Occupational Therapy
Caption: Physical therapist with patient, Credits: Pixabay
Physical therapists help you perform several exercises that improve your mobility and strength. Occupational therapists guide you through a range of exercises that minimize the pain that you experience. Both these therapies can alleviate your pain and give you relief.
3. Stress Management
Caption: Woman meditating, Credits: Pixabay
Sometimes, lots of stress is the route cause of body pain. It can also aggravate the existing pain. Your brain usually equates stress with pain. Effective management of stress can lead to remarkable improvement in the current intensity of your pain.
4. Cold and Heat Methods
They are widely used to treat pains stemming from various injuries. Homemade cold and the hot pack can greatly relieve the ache that you feel in your muscle and tissue.
What are Natural Pain Relief Home Remedies?
You can manage aches and pains using some natural pain relievers. They are not expensive and can be found easily in and around your home. They are:
Peppermint, lavender, or rosemary essential oils.
Willow bark
Spices like cloves, turmeric, and ginger
Acupuncture
1. Peppermint, Ginger, or Rosemary Essential Oils
Caption: Essential oils, Credits: Pixabay
These essential oils are very commonly used for pain relief. Inhaling lavender oil alleviates chronic migraine headaches. Rosemary’s anti-inflammatory properties help soothe tense muscles in your body. Peppermint can help relieve painful spasms that are felt in conditions like arthritis. These essential oils should be diluted with a carrier oil like olive or coconut oil before their application.
2. Willow Bark
Caption: Willow tree bark in spoon, Credits: Pixabay
Earlier, people used to chew the willow trees’ bark to soothe their pain and bring down their fever. But these days, willow bark is found as a dried herb in the market. It can be brewed and consumed as a tea. It helps relieve headaches and low back pain. However, it should only be taken under medical supervision. If consumed in large quantities, it can harm your stomach and kidney.
3. Spices Like Cloves, Turmeric, and Ginger
Caption: Spices and herbs, Credits: Pixabay
These spices work as an antioxidant and have anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties. Cloves are used to get relief from toothaches. Turmeric is found to be as effective as an over-the-counter pain killer for treating the pain experienced in conditions like knee osteoarthritis. It can be added to curries and smoothies also. Raw ginger used in teas and smoothies is also effective to relieve a wide range of muscle pains.
4. Acupuncture
Caption: Acupuncture process, Credits: Pixabay
Acupuncture is a therapy that can help relieve low back pain, neck, and knee pain. This medical practice is done to balance the body’s natural flow of energy. It enables the body to release a serotonin hormone, which gives a feel-good sensation throughout the body.
The above-mentioned herbal remedies, as well as other pain management techniques, not only help in providing real time pain relief. They also keep your body healthy by providing a plethora of other health benefits. Use these techniques, and you won’t have to rely on an expensive medication or treatment to rid yourself of achy joints and muscles.