When it comes to pain relief, over-the-counter medicines or prescription drugs may not be the only option you have.
What follows is a list of 15 top natural painkillers that are readily available and produced in plenty by mother nature.
There’s no reason to take harmful drugs. But chronic pain makes life harder than it should be. You can take a natural approach to get relief and heal your body without the danger of addiction or death.
These 5 painkillers will get you back in action:
1. 5-Hydroxytryptophan: 5-HTP is what makes serotonin, the hormone that regulates mood and sleep. That’s why 5-HTP is used to treat depression, anxiety, insomnia, and even panic attacks. But 5-HTP is also great at treating headaches and migraines.1 In fact, it’s better than any drug you could take…
One study shows that taking 5-HTP can even replace painkillers to treat headaches. But unlike any painkiller on the market…it also keeps headaches from returning.2
Eating foods rich in tryptophan like turkey, walnuts, and tomatoes will help naturally boost 5-HTP. But that may not be enough. If you want to see the full benefits, start by taking 50 mg before a meal. Eventually you can build up to 300 mg a day. That is the ideal dosage for relieving headaches.
2. Ginger
Ginger has potent anti-inflammatory properties. Health Benefits of Ginger the root herb used to flavor food items, is known to ease joint and muscle pain. The phytochemicals present in the ginger prevent the production and release of pain-triggering hormones. It reduces inflammation and therefore the related pain also.
One study shows ginger relieves arthritis pain. In the study, 63 percent of subjects taking a ginger supplement saw a decrease in osteoarthritic knee pain.3 The group taking ginger extract also saw an improvement in their overall pain.
Just be careful not to overdo it when using fresh ginger. Some people are very sensitive. Start small and build your way up to avoid digestive issues.
3. Krill Oil: You already know the health benefits of fish oil. But krill oil is an even more effective way to get omega-3 fatty acids. That’s because it contains liposomes that drive the fatty acids directly into your cells. This is key to quickly feeling the benefits of taking a fish oil supplement.
One study shows that 300 mg each day lowers inflammation by 20 percent in just seven days. After 30 days, inflammation had decreased by over 30 percent.4 If you suffer from inflammatory pain, krill oil is your fastest path to natural healing.
4. Capsaicin – Capsaicin is an active ingredient found in chilli peppers like capsicum. It is known to be a natural remedy for neuropathic pain and diminish soreness.
Capsaicin works by desensitizing nerve receptors that cause the pain response. Cluster headache can be treated by applying capsaicin cream into the nasal passages and direct application for neuropathic pain can alleviate the pain for as long as 10 to 12 weeks. Capsaicin is also consumed as a dietary supplement and capsaicin patches are used as topical treatment for wounds and preventing bacterial infections.
Arthritic patients in one study had an 80 percent decrease in their pain after just two weeks of topical capsaicin use.5 The compound greatly lowered pain even in people already taking arthritis medications.
It’s easy to see why capsaicin is the active ingredient in a variety of ointments that help ease arthritis pain.
5. Cissus Quadrangularis: The name may sound silly, but this vine comes with serious benefits. Cissus quadrangularis (CQ) promotes bone health and reduces pain.10This is why CQ is gaining popularity among elite athletes. But you don’t have to be an athlete to experience its benefits.
One study followed 29 healthy men. It shows that taking 3 mg daily for eight weeks reduced joint pain from exercise by 31 percent.11 CQ is easy to find in pill form online and in many health stores.
If you suffer from chronic pain, you aren’t alone. But that doesn’t mean you have to rely on dangerous and potentially addictive painkillers to make it through the day.
You can experience safe, natural pain relief without any risk or costly prescriptions. And that’s not all…
References:
1 http://naturalstandard.com/index-abstract.asp?create-abstract=5-htp.asp&title=5-HTP#undefined
2 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10849040″>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10849040
3 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11710709
4 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17353582
5 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1954640
