As you work to uncover the source of your pain, whether it is due to injury, stress or other illness, you don’t need to suffer unnecessarily. The following options may provide pain relief without any of the health hazards that typical pain relievers, even OTC varieties, carry:

Boswellia
Also known as boswellin or “Indian frankincense,” this herb contains specific active anti-inflammatory ingredients. Try it for arthritis.

Bromelain
This enzyme found in pineapples, is a natural anti-inflammatory. It can be taken in supplement form but eating fresh pineapple may also be helpful.

Cayenne Cream
Also called capsaicin cream, this spice comes from dried hot peppers. It alleviates pain by depleting the body’s supply of substance P, a chemical component of nerve cells that transmits pain signals to your brain.

Cetyl Myristoleate (CMO)
This oil, found in fish and dairy butter, acts as a “joint lubricant” and an anti-inflammatory. Use these to relieve ganglion cysts and a mild annoying carpal tunnel syndrome that pops up when you type too much on non-ergonomic keyboards. Use a topical preparation for this.

Cold
If the pain is localized, sometimes putting an icepack on the skin above the pain will help.

Cut out caffeine
Caffeine could be preventing your body’s natural pain fighters from doing their job.  It does this by lowering levels of “feel good” chemicals called endorphins and by boosting levels of epinephrine, a compound that can make your muscle nerves more sensitive to pain.

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)
which are currently being used by more than 15,000 psychologists, is a drug-free approach for pain management of all kinds. MTT borrows from the principles of acupuncture, in that it helps you balance out your subtle energy system.

EFT helps resolve underlying, often subconscious, negative emotions that may be exacerbating your physical pain. By stimulating (tapping) well-established acupuncture points with your fingertips, you re-balance your energy system, which tends to dissipate pain.

Evening Primrose, Black Currant and Borage Oils
These contain the essential fatty acid gamma linolenic acid (GLA), which is useful for treating arthritic pain. The author personally prefer the use of GLA supplements from evening primrose oil but borage oil contains a higher concentration of GLA, which means you need fewer capsules, and it tends to be less expensive.

Ginger
This herb is anti-inflammatory and offers pain relief and stomach-settling properties. Fresh ginger works well steeped in boiling water as a tea or grated into vegetable juice.

Ginger may reduce the pain associated with muscle injury after exercising. This could offer athletes a natural pain reliever. Both raw and heat-treated ginger reduced pain associated with muscle injury by about 24 percent.  According to NutraIngredients June 3, 2010:  The rhizome of the ginger plant is a rich source of antioxidants, that can reduce pain.

Methods such as yoga, acupuncture, and even holding hands can also result in astonishing pain relief without any drugs.

Mustard
The next time you’re working out, bring along a few packets of mustard.  When a cramp strikes, slurp down the contents of one package with some water.  Repeat every two minutes until the mustard turns the tide against your cramps.

Protein
Snack on a turkey sandwich. Turkey is rich in leucine an essential amino acids.  Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and leucine appears to be the one in charge of building muscles protein.  Alternatives are any lean meat or dairy foods that you consume right after your workout.

Tonic water
Tonic water containes quinine.  Take the edge off nighttime leg cramps with one cup – 8 ounces – of quinine, which could be enough to get the job done.  But be careful, too much quinine can cause serious side effects.  So if one cup of tonic doesn’t work, move on to another remedy.

Vitamin C
Your muscles might be crying out for vitamin C.  Try 500 mg of “C” four times a day when you have swollen or injured muscles.

Water
Drink more water.  Dehydration is probably the most common cause of muscle cramps, and the easiest to prevent.  Drink at least eight glasses of water each day to wash away painful cramps before they start, and after you have them.

Popularity: 2% [?]