We all have different pain thresholds but one thing we have in common is that when pain strikes, we just want it to be gone.
I am no different when I have pain I want a quick fix. But the more I research healthy living, the more I realise the very real side effects of commercial pain killers. There are many different formulations of commercial pain killers but they all basically work on the nerve endings that send messages back to the brain to tell us we are injured. Pain killers interfere or block those messages and this changes the way your body responds to the inflammation.
As effective as many of these are in dealing with the symptoms, many people have a sensitivity to them, which may not be obviously apparent but can cause serious issues. Also, pain killers take anywhere from 24 hours to three weeks to clear your system and really do we want to be trying to eliminate a build-up of chemicals in our system?
As we once again turn to food for a solution let’s look at what nature has provided in the way of natural painkillers.
Hot and spicy foods are top of the list. Some would say that just eating them is painful but the properties of things like wasabi, Japanese horseradish and cayenne pepper can actually alleviate serious post-operative pain.
Wasabi works on blocking inflammation receptors and the capsaicin in Cayenne pepper works both internally on infections and externally on muscle soreness. You will see it as an active ingredient in many painkilling creams.
Many women know how effective Evening Primrose is in alleviating premenstrual pain and symptoms and in balancing hormones.
Arnica oil, if you haven’t heard of it, belongs in every medicine cabinet. It eases inflammatory pain, insect bites, bruises and even arthritis pain.
Soaking in a bath of magnesium-rich Epsom salts is excellent for easing bone, joint and muscle pain and oils such as lavender and peppermint also provide relief for muscle pain and headaches. Apply them topically or pop some drops in an oil burner.
In another Tweaklet we’ll talk about pain-relieving hands-on techniques that you can seek out for further pain relief.
For now, let’s turn to food and see what we can find to ease any painful suffering before we pop a pill.
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