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Different Types of Pain Relievers
There is quite a bit of controversy about just what pain relievers are good and effective, versus what kinds may have possible harmful side effects. Common spices right in your kitchen may sometimes help, without the side effects of chemical drugs
So, drilling down into this, we can say that there is more than one level in the realm of pain relief medicines, natural remedies or otherwise.
The First Level is a Purely Chemical Approach.
The purely chemical approach would be using something like Ibuprofen, which you can take as a capsule or tablet, or applied topically, that is, directly on the affected area. Possibly the most well known Ipuprofen type cream is called Voltaren. I actually used this on a burn I received, but I used it for only a short time.
Experts differ on whether it is useful for knee pain, though it is at least according to this article.
At the total opposite end of the spectrum, is the use of solid, as opposed to liquid, Di hydrogen monoxide. Di hydrogen monoxide is fairly common in liquid form, and it appears in solid form if cooled. What is Di hydrogen monoxide? (This is a trick question, so be forewarned:))
That right, good old H2O–Water!! I just wanted to make sure I have your attention. And of course, Di Hydrogen Monoxide in its solid form is ice.
So if you have pain, which is often a form of inflammation, putting ice on the affected area helps, and is obviously at the opposite end of the treatment and medicinal spectrum. It is probably the most natural thing you can do.
But seriously, there are a number of completely natural herbs and foods that can stop inflammation and pain. Better yet, they are consumed as food or spices or at least related to food. So let’s dive in, and look at 4 examples, though there are numerous others.
The Most Common ‘Nature’s Medicines’
First, there is Turmeric
A bright orange spice related to Ginger. Turmeric, like ginger is a root, and it can be ground up and dried, then stored and used as a powder.
However, recent research shows that turmeric does not get absorbed so well, unless you take it with black pepper, or its extract. That’s why, if you scramble your eggs, you put both turmeric and black pepper in with them.
Just about any common dish tastes great with the turmeric/black pepper combination. Not only does your food taste good, but it also helps with pain and inflammation. LIkewise, if you prefer, you can get supplements where the main ingredients of both are concentrated and made as bio-available as possible.
Next is Ginger
Ginger is very common in Oriental foods, for example in dishes served along with garlic. In the West, we often also use it in powdered form, such as in gingerbread.
Both Turmeric and Ginger are basic commodity items. By that, I mean that they are essentially unprocessed, and can be relatively inexpensive if bought generically. Here is an example of Turmeric and Ginger sold on Amazon.com
and here is powdered ginger. I personally try to avoid buying the name brands like McCormick since you are paying brand name prices for a very basic commodity.
Here is an example of an organic spice product that I would recommend.
Cloves and nutmeg, both common spices also have anti inflammatory properties
The 4 Great Things I Like about All These Spices
- They are not chemicals, which, as I have discussed in other articles, are often not always carefully tested for safety
- They are not ‘drugs’ that have been ‘monetized’ to make some drug company enormous profits
- They have been in use for thousands of years, and stood the biggest test of all—the test of time
- Unlike your mom’s admonition to “Take the bitter pill” or take your medicine, these things actually make food test good!
No, they are gifts of Mother Nature, where we as humans, if we act in harmony, find that we can be healthy simply by living well and consciously, using what comes naturally.
