Over the counter pain medication can irritate your stomach, interfere with the balance of your gut flora and, if used excessively, can cause lasting damage to your organs. Prescription options carry their own risks, including drowsiness and possible addiction. For these reasons, many people turn to natural alternatives. Whether you are living with chronic pain on a daily basis or you have suffered an injury that is causing temporary discomfort, there are plenty of natural pain remedies that have been shown to work.
1. Mindful Meditation
Chronic pain often leads to a negative feedback loop. Mindful meditation can help break that cycle by improving perception about pain and increasing your body awareness. There are lots of ways to integrate meditation and mindfulness into your daily routine. Many people find that a simple breath meditation or progressive relaxation technique is a good place to delve in. Start with short sessions lasting about five minutes and build up from there.
2. Herbal Supplements
People have been using plants to reduce pain and inflammation for thousands of years. Modern science supports the use of many herbal derivatives for pain. In fact, many pain relievers are based on compounds found in nature. If you want to go directly to the source instead of reaching for a bottle of pills, you might want to try one of these herbal supplements:
- Curcumin root
- CBD tincture
- Kratom powder
3. Massage and Bodywork
Therapeutic massage can relieve pain in several ways. It helps to reduce stress, which allows your body to heal itself better. That also promotes a healthier gut, which can reduce inflammation and irritation. Your massage therapist will also work to break up knots, relaxes soft tissues and disrupts pain signals to your brain.
When you live with pain, it is easy to reach for a bottle of acetaminophen for quick relief. However, it isn’t your only choice. Using natural alternatives like massage, herbal supplements, and meditation can produce the same results without the negative side effects.
