When Painkillers Won’t be Available, Try This

Oh, nothing is as painful as having a headache or back pain and no pain reliever. What is one to do? Well, these herbs below can help relieve your pain. Keep in mind though that while these remedies are natural, they can still have some negative effects. If you use any of these remedies and feel odd or breakout in a rash, stop the use immediately.

White Willow Bark

Many people think that pain is a new symptom, which it really is not. Native Americans have used white willow bark to treat all sorts of pain. This plant was so popular that it became the source of aspirin, which is made in chemical laboratories today.

Related: How To Make Willow Bark Aspirin

The recipe for white willow tea will be based on purchased dried bark.

Tea: To make white willow tea, you will need to start with two cups of water. Place two full tablespoons of white willow bark in the water and bring to a boil. Keep the water boiling for 10 minutes and then take the pot off the heat. Let the water and white willow bark steep for 30 minutes. Once this time period has passed, strain the bark out of the water and enjoy.

Tincture:  This does require fresh white willow that is harvested in the spring. What you will need to do is to harvest enough fresh bark so that it fills a jar 2/3 full of the bark. Then, cover the bark with vodka making sure that you leave one inch from the top of the jar. Screw the lid on and shake the jar so that the vodka and bark mix. Allow it to set for several months and shake often. After the vodka/white willow bark has steeped to your liking, strain the bark out and store your tincture in amber bottles with droppers. When you need some pain relief, simply add a few drops of your DIY white willow tincture to the water and drink. Keep in mind when using this technique, only start with one or two drops and adjust as needed.

As with commercial aspirin, white willow bark is considered a blood thinner. If you are taking a medication that thins your blood and using white willow bark for pain you may discover that it takes more time to stop bleeding and may bruise more easily.

Ginger

Now, if you have pain associated with arthritis then you may want to consider using ginger in a tea. You may be wondering how this culinary herb works in relieving pain. Well, in a nutshell, ginger lowers the level of prostaglandin, which will ease the pain and inflammation of arthritis.

Ginger Tea: To get the relief you desire you do not necessarily have to eat a dish with ginger in it. Instead, simply enjoy a cup of ginger tea.

This beverage starts with four cups of water in a pot. To this pot, add a thumb-size piece of ginger to the water and bring to a boil. Once the liquid has started to boil, continue to boil for five minutes. Strain the liquid at this point and sweeten it with honey and lemon if you would like. At this point, your ginger tea is ready to enjoy.

Related: 

• How to Make A Ginger Tincture
• Anti-Inflammatory Ginger Gummies
• Homemade Ginger And Chickweed Poultice For Circulation And Sore Muscles

Lavender

When one thinks of lavender, one associates this plant with relaxation but did you know that it can help with pain? The answer is yes.

Inhaling lavender essential oil can help relieve many types of pain, such as migraines. If inhaled three days before your menstrual cycle, the stomach pain that is associated with the cycle is reduced. Now, if you have pain during your menstrual cycle, consider getting an aromatherapy massage that includes lavender oil. The combination of the massage and aroma help relieve cramps caused by the menstrual cycle.

When it comes to migraines, studies have shown that inhaling lavender essential oil for 15 minutes can reduce the pain associated with migraines.

Related: How To Make a Whipped Lavender Cream

Curcumin

You may not be familiar with curcumin but you may know the spice that this substance can be found in and that is turmeric. While curcumin does not relieve headache pain, it does provide some relief from pain linked with autoimmune disorders. How you may ask? Well, curcumin seems to take over pro-inflammatory proteins called cytokines, which cause inflammation and pain. When it comes to getting curcumin, start with turmeric-rich dishes such as curry and drinks like golden milk to get relief.

I know at this point you are scratching your head going, golden milk!

While you may have never heard of it, this beverage combines two ingredients that are known to treat pain. This includes ginger and turmeric. The recipe for this beverage is very simple. It starts off with a ½ cup of milk that is placed in a saucepan. To the milk add 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 small piece of fresh ginger or ½ teaspoon of ground, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 pinch of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup to taste. Heat the combined ingredients on the stove and bring to a boil. Once a boil has been reached, turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes. At this point, remove the pot from the heat and strain the liquid. To add more flavor, sprinkle the top of the milk with cinnamon before serving.

Bromelain

This may surprise you but did you know that pineapple can relieve all sorts of pain, which ranges from arthritis to trauma-related inflammation. The connection between eating a pineapple and pain relief is simple. It reduces the amount of prostaglandin, which reduces inflammation and pain.

Now the downside of eating pineapple for pain relief is the amount you need to eat. Simply put, you will need to consume a whole pineapple every day to get pain relief but there is another choice. There is an extract that can be mixed with a liquid that can give you the relief you desire without the chore of eating a whole pineapple every day.

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