How to ease pain naturally without drugs

Unless you have a genetic trait that keeps you from sensing pain, you know what it is like to feel discomfort. Everyone experiences pain differently; there are certain parts of your body that are especially prone to aches. The back, neck, shoulders, knees, joints, and head are all common areas where people experience pain.

However, drugs can help, but they are by no means a complete solution. Most studies findthat medications offer only a 20 to 30 per cent reductioninpain.

Natural remedies for relief

Lower back: Back pain can interfere with everything from your job to your sex life. Getting it under control can improve your productivity as well as your relationships. Research shows that massage therapy may be more effective than commonly used treatments such as drugs. A recent study showed that massage is not only helpful in relieving lower-back pain, but you can get the same benefits with the more commonly available relaxing massage as you can witha more targeted massage.

Knees: While there are many reasons for knee pain, a common trigger is plain old wear and tear from arthritis. To ease the aches, keep moving. Though it may seem counterintuitive, doing regular exercise such as walking can actually help soothe the pain because it strengthens muscles and tendons that support the joint and improves blood flow to the area for faster healing. Try using a heating pad on your knees for 10 minutes before walking to help muscles relax. If you find walking too uncomfortable, another good option is swimming because it doesn’t put as much pressure onyour knees.

Joints: To ease the ache, take vitamins. Pills can offer some relief, but it is best to go for the natural kind. To ease aches naturally, experts suggest trying a combination of two cartilage-building nutrients known as glucosamine sulfate and methylsulfonylmethane.

Shoulder: To ease the pain, stretch yourself. If your shoulder is aching from overuse, some mild stretching may help relax the tightness in those muscles to relieve some of the soreness. The easiest way to stretch your shoulders is to stand two to three feet from the corner of a room, and raise your arms out next to you shoulder height, one palm pressing against each wall. Lean into the corner with your head dropped so that your shoulders get stretched back behind you. Hold the stretch for a count of five, relax for a count of five, and repeat five times.

Head and Neck: To ease aches, just breathe. Stress can signal the body to release adrenaline, which can cause shallow breathing and those neck muscles to tighten that result in headache. Putting a hot compress on your neck muscles relaxes them to help relieve your headache. Practicing relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, can also help signal your body to release less adrenaline and alleviate tense muscles.