7 Natural Techniques Of Pain Relief That Actually Work

2. Epsom Salt

An Epsom salt bath can be one of the best ways to relieve pain that stems from arthritis, bumps, bruises, skin abrasions, or muscle strains. It’s not all pseudoscience either, as there is a medical explanation for why it works.

Epsom salt breaks down into magnesium and sulfate when dissolved, and each of these aid in pain relief. Magnesium helps normalize muscle contractions and even discharge symptoms of depression since it plays a major role in regulating the way in which pain signals are passed on from the brain to the rest of your body.

Apart from this, the mental benefits of an Epsom salt bath – or any bath – cannot be ignored either. Who doesn’t love to have a nice, long soak in warm water? It gives you some time for calmness and meditation, which can be incredibly healing.

3. Massage

Tensed muscles can cause all sorts of pains and aches all over the body, even in places that seem unrelated to the original area of discomfort. Injuries may also cause chronic inflammation around the affected area and stiff joints, which then hinders blood flow, resulting in pain.

A massage is one of the best ways to loosen stiffness in muscles and joints, as well as stimulate blood flow. This is why even doctors recommend getting massages along with prescribed medication. Regular massages also have the added benefit of improving your mental well being. People with conditions like anxiety and depression have reported an improvement of their mood afterward. Regular massages have even helped reduce the frequency of headaches in sufferers of migraines.

It’s important to choose a massage therapist that you’re comfortable with, and always let them know if the pressure is too much for you. A massage is supposed to feel good – not hurt you even more!

4. Cloves

You might find this sweet/spicy herb in your Indian takeout, or even advertised as the active ingredient in some toothpaste. The latter of those is because of the many medical properties that cloves are known for, including pain relief. In fact, many over-the-counter pain medications sold for pain relief contain an ingredient called eugenol, which is the active compound in cloves.

Clove oil is also pretty handy when it comes to fighting against headaches, toothaches, muscle pain, inflammation, etc. It can even be taken internally and is sold in powdered form as well! However, it’s important to note that overuse of clove oil can cause some skin damage, and it’s best avoided if you already take blood thinners. However, clove is an ideal pain reliever for common aches like those that we’ve mentioned above.