Pain is an inevitable part of our life’s journey. It is sometimes a nature’s signal that it's time to give your body the much-deserved rest and care that was somewhat missing!

Keeping pain at bay is not always an easy task. Even a slightly hectic routine or mental stress can cause throbbing headaches or frustrating back pain. At times, activities done to keep oneself physically fit (running, gymming, etc.) can also result in body aches and muscle sprains. However, discouragement from pain shouldn’t be allowed to hamper our daily work. Instead, we must find an apt pain relief to help combat such pains & always start a new day with a big smile!

Natural Pain Relief

Instead of always relying on synthetic drugs and cures for your pain, what if you relied on natural pain relievers to soothe your pain and aches? 

Let’s take time to understand some of the most common and effective natural pain relievers.

Essential Oils

Essential oils are highly recommended for their therapeutic properties. They have pain-relieving and soothing effects. Their fragrance also calms your mind and helps improve your mental health. 

• Peppermint essential oil
• With pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties, peppermint oil helps in various conditions, including headaches, sore muscles, and joint pain. 
• Eucalyptus essential oil
• Eucalyptus oil is especially helpful in healing joint discomfort. It is an essential herb with antioxidant properties. 
• Lavender essential oil
• Another essential oil with an anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effect, lavender oil has a very pleasant fragrance that helps with pain and anxiety. 
• Rosemary essential oil 
• Rosemary oil interacts with the brain’s opioid receptors to reduce the sensation of pain. It also helps with memory and preventing or reducing swelling. Its analgesic property is quite beneficial during headaches, muscle aches, seizures, and bone pains.

Hot & Cold

Both heat and cold therapy have come to become trusted and effective natural pain relievers. It is good to apply both heat and ice to the aching site. Once you feel a strained muscle, applying ice would help reduce the inflammation. When the inflammation subsides, applying heat would help relieve the pain.

Exercising

There is no substitute for exercising and staying physically fit. It is one of the best options for pain management and must always be part of our daily routine. The reason behind this is that exercise releases endorphins, which are the natural pain relievers of our bodies. Hence, it keeps the body fresh and always on the go!

If you are following an exercising pattern as a particular pain-relieving measure or therapy, it is always good to consult your doctor or physiotherapist to get a personalised exercising program, customised per your problem. A therapist would also suggest activities based on your physical abilities so that you do not overexert yourself. 

Mind-Body Calming & Soothing Techniques

Half of your problems are solved when your mind is relaxed. Similar is the case with body pains. You need to often calm your mind and relax your body. Some of such effective methods include:

• Deep Breathing Exercises
• These are simple exercises involving slow and deep breathing. This helps relieve any tension and alleviate pain. 
• Meditation
• Meditation enables you to focus on the present while leaving everything else behind. This helps relax your body and reduce stress. 
• Yoga
• Yoga is a holistic approach to dealing with mental stress and body pain. It uses physical postures, meditation and breathing activities to connect body, mind, and breath.
• Aromatherapy 
• Aromatherapy is nothing but the use of essential oils (as discussed above). In this, you either apply the essential oils topically or inhale them. It plays a significant role in stress reduction and enhancing overall well-being. 

These simple techniques can provide long-lasting relief by improving your mental health, enhancing the quality of sleep, reducing stress, and promoting overall well-being. 

Some Natural Pain Relief Ingredients 

• Vitex Negundo - It’s a herbal plant that when used in pain-relieving medicines acts as an excellent anti-oxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. It is exceptionally useful for those suffering from arthritis.
• Nature’s Aspirin - Willow bark also called nature’s aspirin is one of the best natural pain relievers in use for ages. It helps relieve mild & moderate pains, especially headaches. 
• Turmeric - Dard hai to haldi ka doodh pi le… This dialogue isn’t just a casual sentence coming from mothers, rather it carries a meaning, as haldi (turmeric) is known to relieve pain, inflammation, and soreness. It is a yellow-coloured powder and a common ingredient in many Indian dishes. It contains a compound curcumin that has beneficial pain-relieving effects. 
• Cloves - Another spice used in dishes, cloves also help in alleviating pains. They can be found in powdered or capsule form or can also be applied topically. 

To Summarise…

Everybody is different and hence everybody needs a unique pain management plan. However, it’s always better to go for natural pain relief methods. Firstly, they carry minimal risk of side effects, and secondly, they provide soothing and long-lasting relief even from chronic pains. These are better than constant exposure of your body to strong drugs and steroids. A few lifestyle changes with the intake of natural herbs, diet, and analgesics can go a long way!

However, it is always advisable to consult a healthcare professional before going for any pain reliever. You might not know how an ingredient might interact with the other diet or medication you might be taking, or how a method or exercise might work for you.