7 Natural Pain Relief Methods to Consider Before Prescription Drugs

natural pain relief options

Chronic pain is something that millions of Americans suffer from every year. Some people develop chronic pain over time, while others deal with it as a consequence of an accident, injury, or surgical procedure. Whatever the cause is behind your own chronic pain, finding the best methods of managing it can be difficult.

The medical community has shifted sharply in its approach to pain management in recent years. This is due to the fact that many of the more traditional pain management treatments that were once routinely offered to patients, such as opioids and harmful medications, are now known to do far more harm than good. For this reason, other alternatives to pain management are considered before turning to such medications in most cases.

Furthermore, society, in general, is far more concerned with finding natural solutions to pain management than synthetic ones. For many people, natural remedies prove to be more effective in the long run when it comes to promoting overall health and wellness.

If you are currently looking for the best manner in which to get a handle on your own chronic pain, here are a number of natural pain relief methods that you can consider. As always, it is important to clear any pain management options with your physician before trying them out.

1. CBD

One naturally-derived substance that many people are turning to for pain relief is that of CDB. This is the chemical component found in marijuana that can potentially help lead to ease the pain of either a chronic or acute nature.

Although once disparaged as a purely recreational substance, there are many in the medical community who have found through extensive research that CBD can be an option for better pain management alternatives when compared to harmful narcotics and opioids.

It is vital that you source your CBD from a reliable and certified manufacturer. It is also a good idea to consider some of the best weed vape pens for your purposes as they can greatly reduce the irritation that is caused by the inhalation of smoke that accompanies the standard methods of consuming marijuana.

2. Physical Therapy

Depending on the nature of your chronic pain, you might be advised to seek out treatment from a physical therapist. Through a series of strength-building and mobility-promoting exercises, it might be possible to take much of the load off of the area of your body that is causing you pain so that it doesn’t experience as much pressure and work throughout the day. This can lead to a significant reduction in the amount of pain that you experience from day to day.

3. Acupuncture

One of the more holistic natural pain management options that are available to you is that of acupuncture. Derived from Eastern medicine, acupuncture seeks to relieve pain in one area of the body by addressing the nerves in another area. Many people have found a great deal of pain relief via acupuncture and have appreciated the totally natural and un-addictive nature of this type of treatment.

4. Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender and its aroma have been used a lot more frequently in recent times to help people relax and unwind, but there’s although been an increased movement of people who believe that it can also help with mild pain relief. One of the main areas in which lavender can help a lot is with dealing with headaches and migraines, as studies have shown that it works better than a placebo. It also has the potential to be an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.

When using any form of essential oil, including lavender, it’s important never to ingest them, as they can be harmfully toxic and cause poisoning. Additionally, if you’re applying the oil directly to the skin, make sure to use a carrier oil to dilute the substance, as some oils can cause irritation in the forms of rashes or even burns.

5. Ginger

Ginger has been used for millennia as a form of pain relief in plenty of different and unrelated civilizations, which can potentially illustrate that ginger can be a great source of relief. Modern-day studies have shown that eating 2 grams of ginger per day for at least five days can help alleviate muscle pain from resistance exercises and running, making it really well suited to athletes. This is because ginger can reduce inflammation which helps accelerate recovery.

One of the best ways to get more ginger into your diet is by adding raw ginger into teas or smoothies. In addition to this, you can also get ginger supplements from herbal stores as well as online retailers, but it is believed that the natural variety could be more beneficial to you.

6. Turmeric

In addition to ginger, another flavourful food product that can help relieve pain is the spice turmeric. The reason that turmeric can be useful in dealing with pain is that it has the active ingredient Curcuma within it, which has pain-relieving qualities.

This ingredient is also pretty strong, as when compared to ibuprofen, it was found that it was just as effective at managing pain as this routine medicine. However, this was only for concentrated and isolated Curcuma, which means that the benefits of turmeric might be a bit milder. However, it can still help improve how you feel, meaning that adding it to curries and juices might be a good idea.

7. Yoga

Yoga is a form of exercise, but because of its nature of being one that’s focused on stretching, it can actually be very effective at elevating muscular pain, especially in the back and joints. This is because these stretches help to strengthen your muscles and stops them from being stiff.

In general, movement is very beneficial in helping to deal with mild pain, as too much inactivity can weaken muscles, making them hurt even more. In addition, yoga is great for self-care as it also puts an emphasis on breathing exercises and meditation, which can help keep you calm and relaxed.