14 Home Remedies for Natural Pain Relief

If you suffer from chronic pain or have recently had an injury, you may be looking for ways to relieve that pain. While there are many different types of medication that claim to do just that, some people prefer more natural pain-relieving methods.

You can make your own at home with ingredients you can find in your own pantry or at your local pharmacy. Natural pain relievers can offer the same results as many medications, but without the side effects. They are also a good option for people who can’t tolerate certain medications. 

If you are looking for a natural way to relieve pain caused by arthritis, an injury, or a chronic pain disorder, these are some great options. Keep in mind that although these are all-natural pain relievers, they still may not be suitable for all types of pain or certain people. Talk to your doctor if you have questions or concerns. 

1. Turmeric and Ginger Tea

Both turmeric and ginger have anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce swelling in the body and relieve pain. You can combine the ingredients to create a drink that makes a great natural pain reliever. If you don’t like to drink tea and would prefer a capsule, you can usually find both turmeric and ginger in the supplement aisle of your local pharmacy or department store. If you want to make the tea, follow this recipe.

Bring the water to a boil and add the ground ginger and turmeric. Reduce the heat and allow the ingredients to simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the mixture to remove any clumps and thick particles. Add some honey to sweeten the drink. You do not have to add the honey, but many people prefer it for flavor. You can drink this drink daily until the swelling goes away, and the pain subsides. 

2. Epsom Salt Soak

Epsom salt is often used to reduce swelling and pain and treat minor injuries. It can be added to water to create a soak. The sore or injured body part is soaked in the mixture, and the inflammation goes away quickly.

Some people even add it to their baths to treat the whole body and to help them relax.  You can buy Epsom salt at most pharmacies and department stores. Just add a small amount to a bowl of warm water or sprinkle it into the bathtub under the running water. It should dissolve quickly. Soak in the salt and water until the water gets cold or as long as desired.

This process can be repeated each day until the pain and swelling go away. If you have an injury such as a sprained ankle, you may be able to soak more often to help the injury heal faster and reduce discomfort. 

3. Magnesium

Magnesium is an important nutrient that everyone needs to stay healthy and function properly. While we get magnesium in many foods and drinks, sometimes our bodies don’t absorb it properly.  Magnesium helps reduce pain and swelling and allows the muscles to relax and repair themselves. It’s also important for bone health.

If you do not have enough magnesium in your body, you are more likely to suffer from chronic pain, and it can take your body longer to heal from injuries. If you suffer from arthritis, pain, magnesium can help.

You can get more magnesium in a variety of ways. You can find magnesium capsules at your local pharmacy or apply magnesium oil directly to the painful areas of the body. You can also eat foods that are rich in magnesium.  Some of these food options include nuts, dark leafy greens, legumes, beans, and many different types of fish and seafood.

4. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Olive is a great way to lubricate the body and the joints. It can help make movement easier, and it reduces the pain associated with arthritis and some injuries. Olive oil has many of the same properties as some pharmaceutical medications such as Advil or Tylenol, but it is all-natural. It’s also easy to find and easy to apply to the body.

You should choose organic olive oil when possible. You can find it at most grocery stores and health food stores. To apply the olive oil, just drizzle some out onto your hands and then massage it all over the body.

If you have chronic pain caused by arthritis or another health problem, you can apply it all over. If you prefer to apply it to the area of the body that is injured or hurts, you can do so.  It can be a bit messy, so it’s wise to only apply a small amount each time. 

5. Dandelion Leaves

You probably have dandelions growing in your own yard, and you may just think of them as weeds. The truth is, they are very beneficial and healthy. They can help fight pain and speed up the healing process. They contain a lot of vitamin A and C and help with tissue repair. It can also help strengthen the immune system.  The best way to get the effects of dandelions is to make them into a salad. Here’s how.

Clean the dandelions properly and make sure there are no bugs or dirt on them. You should rinse them in cool water several times to clean them. This is especially important if you are picking them from the wild. Place the dandelion leave sin a bowl and toss with olive oil. Season as desired and eat. You can eat them as often as desired. 

6. Blackstrap Molasses Drink

Blackstrap molasses is packed with nutrients that can help the body heal faster and reduce pain and inflammation.  It’s been used to treat arthritis pain for many years, and it’s still effective. It has the ability to regular muscle and nerve function and can even help strengthen bones. Blackstrap molasses can be very sweet, and many people prefer to consume it as a drink because they don’t mind the taste. If you are suffering from pain or an injury, you can make a simple recipe for relief.  Here’s how.

Boil the water and allow it to cool until it is just warm but not too hot to drink. Add the molasses and stir well until it dissolves.  Drink while still warm. If storing, keep in a cool place. You may need to reheat again before stirring. This drink can also work as a laxative so drink with caution. 

7. White Willow Tea

White willow tea has been used to treat pain for centuries. Even before pain medications were invented, this drink was being used with success. The same ingredient used in Aspirin occurs naturally in white willow tea. This drink was so popular that even Hippocrates wrote about it. You can find white willow capsules at many pharmacies and health food stores, but most people prefer to make it as a tea. Here’s how to do it yourself at home.

Bring the water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add the white willow bar and allow it to dissolve into the hot water. Add honey and lemon for flavor and sip. You can enjoy this drink as often as you like until the pain subsides. Many people prefer to drink it twice a day for the best results. 

8. Exercise

If you are hurt or suffering from pain, the last thing you probably feel like doing is exercising. Even though it might be difficult, exercise can help treat and prevent chronic pain. When you exercise, your body released endorphins that ease the pain. It also helps relieve arthritis pain by reducing swelling and inflammation around the joints.

Exercise is good for weight loss, which can help relieve pressure from the joints and reduce pain. Exercise also helps injuries heal faster. While you should rest your injuries for a while, you should also exercise the injured area to help increase blood flow and help the injury heal faster.

It’s important to start out slow and don’t overdo it. This can make injuries and pain worse. You want to gently move around as much as possible without doing movements that cause more pain. As you heal, you can do more exercise and reduce the pain more. 

9. Peppermint Eucalyptus Oil Blend

Both peppermint and eucalyptus have pain-relieving properties that make them great natural pain relievers. Both also have cooling abilities that make them good topical pain relievers too. You can combine the oils of both to make an oil blend that is perfect for treating minor pain and injuries at home.  Here’s how to make the blend

Mix the peppermint and eucalyptus oils with the carrier oil and add the mixture to the glass bottle. Shake to mix thoroughly. Store the oil blend out of direct sunlight and in a place that is not too cold or too hot. Apply it to the joints as needed for pain.  This natural oil can be applied to the body as often as desired. Massage it into the skin gently. It can be messy, so only apply a small amount at a time. 

10. Juniper Berry Tea

Juniper berries have a component that helps suppress white blood cells and allows the body to heal faster. It’s also great for treating arthritis pain.  This tea can help reduce inflammation and swelling around the joints and other areas of the body. While this tea is a natural pain remedy, pregnant women should not drink it as it can lead to complications.  You can make this tea at home very easily following these directions.

Bring the water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Pour it into a mug and add the dried juniper berries. Allow them to dissolve into the drink for at least 20 minutes.  Add honey to make the drink more flavorful. You can drink it twice a day or as desired to treat and relieve pain. Many people prefer to drink it in the morning with breakfast and at night before going to bed.

11. Apple Cider Vinegar

If you’re dealing with any symptoms of digestive pain, then try drinking some apple cider vinegar to help curb your symptoms. ACV has natural analgesic properties that reduce pain, and it also acts as a natural anti-inflammatory as well. Apple cider vinegar gets its health benefits from the presence of probiotic bacteria and enzymes found in the unfiltered versions of the product.

The probiotic bacteria found in ACV occurs as a dark brown suspension in the liquid. Hold a bottle of apple cider vinegar up to the light, and you’ll notice the presence of this brown suspension. Also known as “the mother,” this probiotic complex only exists in the raw form of the vinegar. The filtering process removes the mother, rendering the vinegar useless as a healthy natural remedy.

ACV has a sharp taste, and you may find it very challenging to drink the vinegar without diluting. We recommend that you add 2-tablespoons of ACV to 4-oz of purified water, and drink it this way to reduce the sharp taste.

12. Breath Control

One of the most effective natural remedies for relieving pain is learning how to control your breath. The next time that you’re feeling the onset of a headache or another painful disorder try activating the lymphatic system through breath control.

Breathe in deeply and fill your lungs, then exhale for twice as long as you inhale. It’s best to try and exhale for 7-seconds and inhale for 3-seconds. This breathing strategy helps to activate the lymphatic system, which is one of the critical systems in the body responsible for managing the pain response.

It’s for this reason that medical professionals recommend for you to control your breathing after experiencing an accident. Controlling your breath helps to reduce the symptoms of shock involved with a traumatic event. Repeating this breathing strategy for 5 to 10-minutes will help to clear any signs of the headache and reduce any symptoms of physical trauma, that is causing you pain.

13. Lavender

Lavender essential oil is an excellent natural analgesic compound that helps to mitigate symptoms of pain while soothing the nervous system. To take advantage of the pain-relieving effects of lavender essential oil, dab a few drops of the oil onto a cotton ball, and press it into the temples. This topical administration is an excellent strategy to mitigate the effects of a headache and tension on the nervous system.

You can also try diffusing with lavender essential oil as well. Add 10 to 20-drops of the oil to your diffuser, and let it run overnight in your bedroom. As you sleep, you breathe in the medicated steam, and the lungs absorb the pain-relieving properties of the oil. You will wake up in the morning feeling restored and refreshed. Lavender oil also helps to relieve any anxiety and tension in the body that may be responsible for causing your pain symptoms.

It’s vital that you never ingest lavender essential oil, as it may have a toxic response in the digestive system. Use the essential oil for topical or diffusing applications only.

14. Stretching and Yoga

The next time you start to feel the effects of a headache or other mild pain symptoms involving the nervous system, try doing some stretching, or attend a yoga class. Yoga helps you get the best out of the breathing exercises we described earlier. It also enables you to gain relief by increasing your oxygen flow throughout the muscles and brain.

Yoga is a form of moving meditation, incorporating postures and stretches to help drive more oxygen into the bloodstream. The practice also involves the activation of the lymphatic system, which is essential in regulating your pain response. All it takes is 5 to 15-minutes of stretching or yoga postures to feel relief from the effects of a headache. 

To learn more about yoga and stretching, search YouTube videos for directional instructions on how to perform the postures and stretches correctly. Never hold your breath while stretching, always to breathe deeply, exhaling for longer than you inhale.