Pain, especially chronic pain, can make your life harder, reduce your productivity and impact numerous parts of your life.

While there are medications to help manage and relieve pain, they come with unwanted side effects such as dependency and withdrawal.

Natural pain relief options, on the other hand, are inexpensive, easy to try, and do not come with the side effects associated with pain medication.

To help reduce your pain, here are the six best natural pain relief options you could try.

6 Most Effective Natural Pain Relief Methods:

1. Exercise.

The body produces pain killers known as endorphins. These are hormones that increase the body’s pain threshold by interacting with brain receptors to change how the body perceives pain.

Exercise that gets the blood pumping hard for a long period causes the body to release these endorphins.

Endorphins are not only great at helping reduce pain, but they also help induce feelings of satisfaction and pleasure.

2. Massage Therapy.

Massage is the manipulation of various muscles in the body using different techniques.

Massages increase blood flow, reduce muscle tension, and help improve moods.

Massage therapy has been shown to reduce pain, although what works is different for everyone.

Because of this, it would be a good idea to try different types of massages to see which one works for your particular kind of pain.

3. Herbal Supplements.

Herbal supplements have been proven to be a great alternative to pain medication such as hydrocodone and oxycodone, with few to no side effects, while being very effective.

One such herbal supplement is kratom which is described as a natural pain relief alternative for those living with chronic pain.

Kratom works by binding to opioid receptors in the brain, helping reduce pain reception and thus acting as a great pain relief and management option.

Kratom also improves other effects caused by chronic pain by reducing anxiety, improving moods and productivity, and much more. This comprehensive guide to kratom explains everything you need to know about this pain relief option.

4. Foods with Anti inflammatory Properties.

Inflammation is a common cause of pain, and it therefore follows that reducing inflammation can help alleviate pain.

You can do so by including foods that have anti inflammatory properties in your diet.

Some of these foods include vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts, and foods that have a high omega 3 content, like fish.

Some diets like the Mediterranean diet contain many of the foods that have these properties, and this is why they have been linked to better health and the reduced risk of certain conditions like heart disease.

These anti inflammatory foods have also been linked to the reduction of pain in conditions like osteoarthritis.

5. Meditation.

There has been a lot of research carried out on the topic of meditation and studies have found that meditation has various positive effects such as reducing stress and depression, helping us sleep better, improving our moods, and reducing pain.

The best thing about using meditation to reduce pain is that there is no one right or wrong way to do it.

6. Heat and Cold Therapies.

Heat and cold therapies have been used for a long time to treat pain.

Hot baths infused with Epsom salts have been shown to relax the mind and change the way we perceive pain thus providing relief.

Ice can also provide relief, but it has to be used the right way. Place ice on acute injuries as soon as you can to reduce inflammation.

Using heat in this instance would increase blood flow and increase the swelling. Heat therapies are best for back spasms and chronic pain.

What you should remember?

The pain relief alternatives discussed above are great to consider whether you have acute or chronic pain.

If you do not find relief, talk to a doctor to find another pain relief option.