From Arthritis To Diabetes: Relieving Chronic Pain With Natural Ingredients
Everybody hurts, sometimes – and when you chronically hurt, it's tempting to turn again and again to over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen for some quick relief. However, if you're a little cautious about ingesting a lot of medication, especially for any type of chronic pain, you may feel like you'd rather try something a little more natural for your pain relief. If you're interested in applying natural pain relief to your life, then here are some ideas to get you pain- (and chemical-) free.
Willow Bark
If your pain's coming from inflammation – and let's face it, the majority of chronic pain at least has a finger in the inflammation pie – then willow bark is a great idea. Sold as a dry herb, which is easily turned into a delicious tea, willow bark fights inflammation and headaches due to its concentration of salicin, which is a compound relatively similar to (though more natural than) the active ingredients in most aspirins. Though it shouldn't be consumed by children, willow bark tea is an effective pain reliever for adults, giving you a rest from the painful (and sometimes debilitating) effects of inflammation.
Devil's Claw Root
For arthritic and lower back pain, you can't go wrong with (the somewhat ominously named) devil's claw root. Devil's claw root primarily gets its pain relieving powers from its status as an anti-inflammatory ingredient, which kills the kind of pain that normally comes from arthritis, or that can settle itself into your lower back. It also holds a place of prominence in the natural health world, with its pain-relieving properties having been the subject of very successful clinical tests. Making tea out of this root is easy; 4 to 5 grams of the root should do it, and you can sweeten the slightly bitter brew with honey or natural sugar.
Gamma-Linolenic Acid
For diabetics, it's not just the monitoring of sugar levels that can get in the way of everyday life – it's also the chronic nerve pain that can come with the condition. Luckily, utilizing gamma-linolenic acid (or GLA, for short) can help to relieve that pain and make each day that much sweeter. GLA can reduce the sometimes debilitating nerve pain associated with diabetes (though it's more effective in diabetics with good, as opposed to poor, control over their blood sugar), and is plentiful in many common foods, such as canola and linseed oils, walnuts, and soybeans.
Health and medical institutions, like Icon Health can provide more information.
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