Body pain and aches are common experiences for everyone. Sudden pain also exemplifies some type of reaction in the nervous system that alerts the body for a potential injury. During an injury, the pain travels to the spinal cord and then to the brain. Pain also reduces as the injury heals. But, chronic pain is completely different from recovering pain. It continues to bother the person after the injury heals. It interferes with strength, flexibility, mobility, and endurance causing daily inconveniences in life. Chronic pain is anything that lasts more than 12 weeks. However, depending on where the pain is, there are various chronic pain treatment and herbal supplements for pain that can cause some relief.
Common examples of chronic pain:
- Post-trauma pain
- Headache
- Postsurgical pain
- Lower back
- arthritis pain
- cancer pain
- psychogenic pain
- neurogenic pain
Causes
The main cause of chronic pain is internal injury. It can be as simple as a pulled muscle or a sprain or something more serious. Chronic pain usually happens if the nerve is damaged. Chronic injury may also occur without an injury. The actual cause cannot always be diagnosed but it mostly occurs due to underlying health anomalies like:
- Intense cramping like Endometriosis
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- Interstitial cystitis
- TMJ or Temporomandibular joint dysfunction
Chronic pain remedy aims at reducing pain and also boosting mobility. The severity of chronic pain is different from person to person. Hence, pain management also depends on factors such as:
- Symptoms
- Pre-existing health conditions
- Medical treatments
- Remedies
- Preference of treatment
Let us dive into the various chronic pain relief herbs or natural chronic pain supplements that work wonders.
Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender oil helps significantly in pain relief, improve sleep, and control anxiety. It may work as a placebo effect and helps in reducing chronic headaches. It also has anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, and antioxidant effects.
Cloves
Cloves have been in use as a traditional, natural remedy since times immemorial. It has a significant contribution to relieving a toothache. It is as effective as benzocaine gel. Some researchers also say cloves has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, and antifungal properties.
Capsaicin
Capsaicin is present in hot peppers and is used as a natural pain reliever. Almost all pain-relieving products that are available in the market, contain capsaicin. Research is still ongoing regarding its actual effectiveness as a pain-relieving agent, but many believe that it helps in reducing skin sensitivity towards pain by numbing pain signaling nerves called nociceptor fiber.
Ginger
Ginger is also a natural pain reliever. Just 2 grams of daily intake of ginger helps in significantly reducing muscle pain. It also reduces inflammation and accelerates recovery caused due to exercising.
Feverfew
Bachelor’s buttons or feverfew is a herbal plant that treats fever, headaches, migraines, toothaches, rheumatoid arthritis, and stomach aches. It also helps in increasing the production of breast milk. The compounds in feverfew help reduce muscle spasms and inflammation. Its key active compounds are flavonoids and sesquiterpene lactones.
Turmeric
Turmeric is a spice that is used extensively in south-east Asia as a kitchen ingredient and as a medicinal plant across the globe. The active ingredient Curcuma has pain-relieving properties. Curcuma is as effective as ibuprofen, the over-the-counter drug used in pain management. Turmeric is also commonly known to reduce inflammation.
Conclusion
The biggest benefit of herbal remedies for chronic pain and other issues is that they have no side effects. Apart from offering pain-relieving benefits, natural remedies also have many other health benefits. Adapt to a healthy lifestyle by embracing the power of natural supplements and herbs for chronic pain.
Our blog post is a collaborative effort by the founders of More Natural Healing in conjunction with Editors of Renewed Health Alliance, and our board of advisors including doctors, herbalists, and experts in using natural herbs and supplements to enhance our daily lives. We only provide information that has been researched, validated, and vetted for our posts and includes validation from experts in the herbal community. A person of interest on our team is:Cindy Burrows, B.S., M.T., Herbalist, and Nutritional Health Consultant. Cindy helps individuals start health programs to improve their life, wellness, and happiness. She is a speaker, writer, and entrepreneur of several businesses. Cindy is a contributing writer and blogger for More Natural Healing & Renewed Health Alliance