Natural Remedies vs Over-the-Counter Pills
Long ago when life was simpler, pain relievers were nothing close to modern medicine. Infections were even fewer because we lived a healthier life of eating natural healthy foods and enjoying life with little stressful situations.
But that has since changed, since human development that has taken over the world to date. If it is not a noisy bar playing loud music, it is a loud neighbour denying you peace of mind or a stressful situation weighing you down back at the office or your body constantly in pain that you do not understand. All these situations can be a sauce of some form of pain in your body that needs a painkiller.
Many of us rely on over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen for pain relief. We quickly reach out for them whenever we experience a toothache, backache, headache, or other forms of pain. Though over the counter pills are effective pain relievers, their regular use can cause long term side effects such as drug interactions and addiction. They could also cause more adverse effects like intestinal damage or liver failure.
There are a variety of equally effective natural painkillers that you can use. These painkillers are referred to as alternative medicine and can be used to treat inflammation and other pain-related conditions. They are categorized into three.
Plants and herbs
Essential oils
Alternative therapies
Plants and Herbs
1. Cloves
Cloves can be used to treat a wide range of conditions. They help relieve pain associated with headaches, toothaches, and arthritic inflammation. They also help ease nausea and the common cold. The active ingredient found in cloves is called Eugenol. Some prescription medicines contain pieces of Eugenol because of strength to cure pain.
2. Turmeric
This spice contains the compound curcumin which is an antioxidant that relieves inflammation and cell damage from your body. Turmeric is also used to treat other conditions such as ulcers, indigestion, and stomach upsets.
3. Capsaicin
Capsaicin is found in chilli peppers and can cause mild burning or tingling sensation when used. It is topically applied and relieves nerve, muscle, and joint pains. It works by reducing skin sensitivity to pain by stopping the transmission of pain signals to the brain.
4. Ginger
Ginger is a herbal root that can be used to treat muscle pain and exercise-related inflammation. It also has antioxidant effects that can break down any existing inflammation within your joints.
5. Valerian Root
The valerian root is also known as the natural tranquilizer. Drinking a cup of valerian root tea helps relieve pain and body aches.
6. Boswellia
The active component of Boswellia is resin. The resin helps alleviate inflammation and pain. Boswellia can either be taken as a supplement or topically applied.
Essential Oils
Essential oils are another natural way to relieve pain. You are, however, cautioned not to ingest these oils as they can be toxic. You are also advised to dilute them before use.
1. Lavender Essential Oil
Inhaling lavender oil relieves pain associate with headaches and anxiety.
2. Rosemary Essential Oil
You can use rosemary essential oil to treat headaches, bone, and muscle pains. This essential oil also helps relieve pain by reducing inflammation and relaxing muscles.
3. Peppermint Essential Oils
Research shows that peppermint oil has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. This oil can be used topically in diluted form to reduce itchiness, painful spasms, and arthritis-related problems. Applying this oil to the temples and forehead helps relieve tension headache pain.
However, you are advised not to apply peppermint oil on broken skin as it can cause allergic reactions.
4. Eucalyptus Essential Oil
This essential oil when inhaled or applied topically helps reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation.
Alternative Therapies
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an effective natural way to manage chronic pain, tension headache, migraine headaches, and other normal bodily pains like recurring lower back pain, the occasional neck pain, and rare knee pain.
Practicing Yoga
Yoga is a physical exercise that uses stretching, breathing, and relaxation techniques. This practice helps to relieve low back pain and any pain related to stress and anxiety.
Meditation
Pain is sometimes just in the mind. Meditation can help you lower the intensity of the pain you are felling. It can also lower the negative emotional response that you have towards the same.
Benefits of Using Natural Painkillers
There are several benefits that you can get for ditching the prescription medicine for natural remedies
- The regular use of over the counter or prescription medicine may expose you to long term side effects such as drug interactions and drug addiction. There can also be more adverse effects such as intestinal damage or liver failure.
- The practice of alternative therapies like acupuncture, yoga, and meditation, has a positive impact on both your mental and physical health.
- Apart from pain-relieving benefits that you get from the using plants and herbs, you also get to experience other health benefits such as clear, soft, and healthy skin.
Sources of Pain in the Body
When you feel pain it is an obvious sign that something is wrong. It could be a temporary feeling like a strained muscle or an injury or it could be a prolonged pain from a terminal illness. Regardless of the situation, seek the professional opinion of a medic to get a precise medical evaluation for your condition.
It might not come as a surprise if the medic recommends that you use natural remedies to manage your pain. It might be a reasonable solution worth trying before indulging in modern pharmaceuticals solutions if natural medicine fails to deliver.
Conclusion
We used to rely on nature before modern medicine took center-stage. The latter has been quite effective and most are quite reliable and even contain some natural elements. Natural painkillers are not to be used on all types of pain. They may not be effective especially when the pain is very severe. In the case of pain due to a pre-existing health condition, you need to speak to your doctor before trying out the natural painkillers.
