It’s all too easy to reach for that Advil or Tylenol when you start to feel even the slightest headache or muscle ache. These medications are easy to overuse, but these pain relievers have detrimental effects on vital organs, making it easy for the pain to go away, but make your risk for other health conditions increase.
According to Harvard Medical School’s website, NSAID’s like Aspirin, Advil, Motrin, and Aleve can cause stomach, bleeding, and kidney problems. Though Tylenol isn’t an NSAID, it can cause liver failure. Though large doses of this typically cause immediate liver damage, small doses over a long period of time have been reported to cause just as much damage. Things like alcohol also affect how your body reacts to these drugs.
These simple medicines seem like magical drugs, but constant use wears your body down and increases risk of heart attacks, liver failure, kidney damage, and blood clots.
Luckily, there are such things as natural pain relievers. Alternative medicine has been used for thousands of years and actually works.
1. Ginger:
Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory, relieving any type of muscle pain. It’s also commonly known to relieve nausea. Ginger is easy to add to any food, and also comes in capsules, making it easy to consume when the pain comes on. Including ginger in your everyday meals with help prevent pain over time. Taking ginger also relieves arthritis and menstrual cramps.
2. Turmeric:
According to Greatist, this root has been used for thousands of years to treat inflammatory conditions, like arthritis and muscle conditions, like tendonitis. It relieves pain and swelling, and may even fight infections and treat digestive problems. Though this root is very spicy, it is available in capsule form and can be taken on a daily basis.
3. Fish oil:
Fish oil contains Omega-3 fatty acids, which naturally work as pain relievers. Taking fish oil in capsule form on a daily basis can help prevent heart disease, Lupus, Alzheimer’s, hypertension and cancer, in addition to relieving pain. Fish oil works to relieve pain by acting on the same biochemical pathways as pain-relieving medication.
4. Arnica:
Arnica is a plant found in the United States, Canada and parts of Europe. The flowers and roots of the plant are generally used for pain relief in the form of a cream of gel. Arnica is good for bruises, soreness, swelling, and join pain. Arnica is solely a topical medicine, but is great for immediate pain from any type of exercise-induced injury, or other chronic pain.
5. Capsaicin:
This comes in a cream that you apply to back and muscles for relief. Though you may experience a burning sensation, it is great for chronic pain. When you have a tension headache, relieving your neck and upper back of pain is the simplest solution to quick recovery. Apply a few times a day for maximum pain relief.
Natural pain relief will not only save the vital organs in your body, it will reduce stomach problems and prevent your body from becoming dependent on chemicals. Incorporating the right natural herbs or roots into your daily routine will eliminate the need for these hard drugs in the future.
What do you use for pain relief?
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I’ll use ibprofen for headaches, but I use an arnica cream for sore muscles, and used it for my back when I was dealing with sciatica, it works really well! Also, hot baths are pretty magical for sore muscles:) And gargling with salt water for sore throats. Sometimes simple cures work best.