Chronic pain can make life difficult to manage, render activities you used to enjoy impossible to partake in and hinder your physical exercise routines. Common prescription medication to treat pain, like opioid painkillers and other narcotics, pose serious health risks like overdose and dependence. They can even be life-threatening. Naturally, many people battling pain are interested in alternatives to prescription drugs. Here are a few science-backed natural compounds that can help to alleviate pain safely.
Boswellia Serrata (Indian frankincense)
Boswellia Serrata is a staple treatment for pain management in the ancient Ayuverdic tradition which originated in India. According to the Arthritis Foundation, it works by stopping the accumulation of inflammation-causing substances called leukotrienes in the joints. Boswellia is particularly effective for treating arthritis but has also been used to successfully treat pain associated with inflammatory bowel disease, asthma and possibly cancer. It has impressively high success rates in treating pain. In one study, all 30 participants who had undergone knee replacement reported lower pain levels after supplementation.
CBD
People say that they experience relief from a number of ailments when they take CBD, including chronic pain such as arthritis, according to Dolman Law Group. CBD oil is extracted from the cannabis plant but does not contain significant amounts of THC, the compound in the marijuana plant which causes the “high” associated with smoking or edibles. There is no danger of overdose or physical dependence with CBD oil, and users can escalate their doses freely without fear of serious adverse health effects. CBD products come in two forms, isolate and full-spectrum. CBD isolate contains concentrated amounts of CBD. Full-spectrum CBD oil contains all of the hundreds of unique compounds found in the plant, many of which have potential pain-killing properties.
Ginger
Ginger offers many positive health benefits, including pain reduction. Athletes routinely incorporate ginger into their recovery programs because it repairs damage to muscle tissue and aids recovery, according to the International Sports Science Association. In addition to treating muscle pain, ginger alleviates pain originating in the gastrointestinal tract. It can help reduce pain associated with digestive disorders like Crohn’s disease and irritable bowel syndrome. The ginger plant is closely related to the turmeric plant, another popular natural pain remedy. One of the advantages of using ginger for pain relief is its impressive versatility. You can use ginger as a recipe in many ingredients, make ginger tea, consume ginger extracts or throw it into your juicer as an addition to your smoothie.
Consider the benefits of natural pain treatment over more conventional pharmaceutical drugs. Even if you make use of prescription medication, these natural supplements could provide additional comfort.
