Natural Pain Relievers

If you live with pain on a daily or recurring basis, life can get difficult. Sure, you can take a pain reliever for it. For those who are concerned about long term use of pain relievers, these tips for natural pain relief may help.

If you can manage the activity, try aerobic exercise. This, or anything else that gets your blood pumping will release endorphins. Endorphins are handy to have because they prevent your brain from receiving pain signals. Massage will also increase blood flow and get your endorphins going.

Eat, or at least bake some sweet treats. Eating sweets (like cookies or ice cream) may help reduce your painful sensations. Smelling sweets may help reduce perception of pain.

Applying ice can help relieve pain as well. It reduces inflammation and can slow nerve impulses, which affects how the nerves react in the affected area (pain-spasm reactions are interrupted).

A dose of heat can help with pain too. It suppresses the pain signals that are traveling to your brain. Heat also helps relieve pain by increasing the flow of nutrients and oxygen to the area.

Gently stretching can help with back pain. Limited motion can make back pain worse. Stretching the soft tissues around your spine can loosen things up a little, making movement easier.

For an extra dose of pain relief, catch a little sun. Only fifteen minutes per day will ensure you're getting the proper amount of Vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential because it may directly affect pain. This vitamin also helps your body absorb calcium, which in turn aids bone repair and growth. Those who struggle with osteoarthritis may benefit most from this.

A study of 28 women who had osteoarthritis pain showed that guided imagery may help. A ten to fifteen minute tape that guided individuals through muscle relaxation helped ease pain and increase mobility. Meditation may help as well.

Herbal supplements also help many people manage pain. However, it is a good idea to research and even consult a doctor before taking herbal supplements on a long term basis. Supplements that may help include flax seed oil, devil's claw, boswella, licorice, turmeric, bromeline, black haw, cramp bark and glucosamine.

Additionally, chili peppers may help. A new animal study has shown that an anesthetic made with chili peppers offers relief of pain, especially due to surgery or childbirth. The anesthetic blocks nerve cells that sense pain. The study has not been done on humans yet.

Sources:
http://blog.spine-health.com
http://www.mountvernonnews.com
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories