5 Natural Pain Killers You Have In Your Kitchen

It’s true that medicines that relieve pain are valuable tools for doctors and patients for the management of pain, inflammation, and swelling. However, their use on a daily basis only works to camouflage the symptoms of the underlying problem and does not address the root cause of it.

To add insult to injury, NSAIDs, like all pharmaceutical medications, tend to come with potential short-term side effects, such as rashes, heartburn, nausea, and stomach upset.

Worse yet, prolonged use of certain pain-killing medications can cause other life-threatening side effects in susceptible individuals, such as liver damage, kidney problems, stomach ulcers, and increased risk of a stroke and heart attack.

A study published in Postgraduate Medical Journal stated that people with a history of ulcer problem, smoking, underlying cardiovascular or respiratory disease, concomitant drug use with corticosteroids and anticoagulants, and high doses and use of multiple NSAIDs, those who are over 70 years old, and those who are H. pylori positive are more prone to gastrointestinal damage due to NSAIDs.

# Apply Ice Pack for Pain Relief

The ice pack is one of the most effective pain relief treatments available. The fact that it is so easy to fix makes it one of the first lines of treatment for a variety of injuries and aches, including jaw pain, back pain, and pain due to a sudden fall or other kinds of physical trauma.

In fact, an ice pack therapy has even shown promise for alleviating postpartum pain.There are many types of ice packs that can be used for pain relief. You can find reusable cold packs or ice packs in your local drugstore and grocery store, but you can always make one with ice cubes that you have in your freezer.

- Put some ice cubes in a plastic bag and wrap it in a towel.
- Apply it on the painful area for no more than 20 minutes at a time.
- Repeat several times a day, as needed.

# Hot Compress Works by Stimulating Blood Flow

Another very common home remedy for pain relief is applying heat directly on the painful areas.

A hot compress is effective for any kind of acute or chronic pain. The heat helps dilate blood vessels, making it easier for the blood to distribute nutrients throughout the body as well as flush out toxins. This, in turn, helps relieve pain.

For heat therapy, you can buy hot packs, but you can also make one at home.

- Soak a cotton cloth in hot water and wring out the excess water.
- Place the warm cloth on the affected body part for 15 to 20 minutes at a time.
- Repeat every 2 hours, as needed.

# Turmeric Has Significant Healing Potential

Turmeric, touted for being the crowning jewel of Indian cooking, is an all-natural anti-inflammatory agent and a potent pain reliever. Turmeric owes its bright-yellow color and its therapeutic goodness to a compound called curcumin, an antioxidant that helps protect the body from free radicals that cause cell and tissue damage.

In fact, turmeric can match or even outshine regular over-the-counter pain killers in treating body aches, joint pains, and internal body injuries that are often the cause of inflammation.

- One great way to use turmeric is to mix 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder in 1 cup of hot milk and drink it regularly throughout the day.

# Use Ginger as a Potent Anti-inflammatory Agent

If you love to drink ginger tea or use ginger in your cooking, you’ll love to use it even more knowing it’s a naturally occurring pain reliever.

Ginger has strong anti-inflammatory properties that can be traced back to the compound gingerol in it. This compound has been proposed as a potential remedy to treat pain associated with gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis, although more scientific research needs to be done to support these claims.

- For consumption, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of ground ginger to your meals daily.
- For topical application, apply a warm ginger paste mixed with a little turmeric on the affected area twice a day. However, this should not be applied to an open wound.
- Also, steep 1 tablespoon of ginger slices in 1 cup of hot water for 5 minutes, and then drink it 2 or 3 times a day to help relieve the pain.

# Olive Oil Helps Manage Body Inflammation

Besides being a gastronomic treasure popularly used in Mediterranean and Italian cooking or as salad dressing, olive oil has also emerged as a beneficial and safe alternative to traditional pain relievers and anti-inflammatories.

A study published in Nature reports that olive oil contains a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent that inhibits the activity of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, which cause inflammation in the body.

- For topical use, massage the painful area with warm olive oil to reduce the pain, swelling, and inflammation from arthritis and muscle cramps.
- For consumption, eat 1 to 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil on a daily basis to fight inflammation from within.