When you suffer from chronic pain, it’s hard to focus on anything else. All the areas of your life feel the impact of pain that never ends. From your sleep to your ability to work to relationships with your loved ones…pain colors all of it with a broad brush.
Chronic pain can be the result of trauma, disease, or have a completely unknown source. Experts estimate that approximately 100 million adults suffer from chronic pain in the United States alone. Half of them feel they have no control over their pain.
Seeking natural pain relievers is critical – even if you’re currently under a doctor’s care.
The hard truth is that pharmaceutical pain killers are highly addictive and their effectiveness gradually fades. That means you’re either taking more (for the same or less result) or getting new prescriptions every few months in an effort to minimize the pain in your daily life.
Currently, there’s an official epidemic of prescription drug abuse according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Opioid analgesics (such as codeine and morphine as well as synthetic versions like OxyContin) are the class of pharmaceutical drugs used to treat pain. As of 2012, there were more than 17,000 deaths due to overdose in the U.S. and all the major organizations believe the addiction and death toll will continue to rise.
When prescription opiates stop working (and it is a horrific fact that they ultimately do) or when doctors believe you’re passing an addiction threshold and stop prescribing, many patients seek out illegal options.
Heroin is a dangerous opiate that provides a similar effect and this street drug is making a major comeback. Young people and women are the demographic falling into the trap of heroin.
While law enforcement was seeing a dramatic decrease in the use of heroin, things took a turn for the worse in 2007. Over a four year span, heroin use jumped by a staggering 75% with many new users.
Prescription drug overdoses in women have increased more than 400% in the last 17 years. According to the Drug Abuse Warning Network, in 2010, a woman went to the emergency room every 3 minutes for prescription misuse or overdose.
Considering the millions suffering from relentless pain, it surprises me that men and women in the medical and law enforcement community didn’t see this coming years ago.
Natural Pain Relievers Can Help
Anything that eases pain and doesn’t get you addicted or hospitalized should be seriously considered. The following are herbs and spices you can find in your market (which I highly recommend) or through your favorite brand of supplements (possibly better in the case of peppers).
I always suggest adding something to your daily habits one at a time to determine if your body can handle it. When it comes to diet and supplementation, never bombard your system with too much at one time.
1. Cloves: This natural spice has shown excellent results in the treatment of headaches, mouth pain, and the agony of arthritis. Cloves are naturally anti-inflammatory and analgesic due to the compound they contain called eugenol. Used in many over-the-counter medications and topical creams, eugenol can be found in its natural state with this ancient spice that’s been used for millennia in medicinal applications.
2. Black Pepper: The piperin found in black pepper is outstanding in the treatment the pain associated with various forms of arthritis. It’s a natural pain reliever with a powerful anti-inflammatory component. Combining black pepper with turmeric ramps up the effectiveness of turmeric. It can be found in an essential oil for topical application (with a carrier oil like coconut or almond oil).
3. Chili Peppers: The capsaicin found in several varieties of hot peppers are one of the best anti-inflammatory agents in the food realm. It actually works to re-train the way your brain perceives pain by lowering a compound in your nerves called substance P. The outcome is lowering pain receptors and giving you a moment to breathe.
4. Coriander (Cilantro): Naturally anti-inflammatory and anti-parasitic, coriander seeds can help lower the heat in your joints, muscles, and organs to give you natural pain relief. Many users find it particularly effective in treating headaches, stiffness in the joints, muscle pain, and stomachaches.
5. Turmeric: There’s no doubt about the far-reaching effects of this spice that gives curry dishes its unique color. It’s highly nutritious and the primary compound curcumin is being studied in the treatment of many serious diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes. One area that turmeric excels is as a natural pain reliever. Studies to date have found it effective treating the chronic pain of autoimmune disease, arthritis, and tendonitis.
There are many holistic techniques that include acupuncture or heat/cold therapy, which have proven incredibly helpful to those who suffer with chronic pain.
For more information about methods you can use to ease the pain in your life, read my book “Natural Pain Relief” right now.
You don’t have to suffer needlessly. You can take steps to force pain to take a backseat. Some therapies are so effective, it could ease your pain once and for all. Don’t give up.