When it comes to relieving back pain, it’s important to know that there are several plant based medicines that you can use to soothe your back. These plants can help to either reduce your intake of prescription medication, or provide a boost to your existing treatment solution. In this post, we’ll take a deeper look into the impact that certain plants have on the back and how they help to alleviate back pain.
Turmeric
Turmeric is a flowering plant which belongs to the ginger family. It is typically used in Asian cuisine as a spice to flavor mustards, cheeses, curry powders and butter. It also has strong medicinal value due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties. Research has demonstrated that tumeric can help to alleviate painful bouts in the lower and upper back. This is because it reduces your body’s exaggerated inflammatory responses, which in turn helps to alleviate pain. Additionally, turmeric can help to improve nutrient flow and oxygen, two critical aspects of the healing process.
Cloves
Cloves are commonly used as a spice for rice and meat based dishes. People also take cloves via herbal supplements as a result of the medicinal benefits it provides. Cloves can help to alleviate nausea, and help to relieve pain that’s associated with headaches, toothaches and arthritis inflammation. Cloves can also be used as a topical pain reliever. It’s pain relieving abilities come from a chemical within it that goes by the name of eugenol. Eugenol is used in a variety of OTC pain patches and is regarded by the medical community as being a natural pain reliever.
White Willow
The white willow plant has been used for centuries for back pain management. The bark of the white willow contains a chemical by the name of salicin. Salicin is akin to the main active ingredient in aspirin. As a result of its pain relieving properties, the bark of the willow plant is usually sold as a dry herb or extract. The bark can also be brewed to create a willow bark tea. However, it’s important to note that individuals who can’t take aspirin as a result of a health condition should speak to their doctors about the possibility of using it because just like aspirin consumption can lead to side effects such as prolonged bleeding time and an upset stomach.
Chili Pepper Plant
Chili peppers can be used as a topical treatment solution when it comes to alleviating back pain. Chili peppers are rich in capsaicin which is a substance that’s used in a wide variety of topical creams and patches that alleviate pain. While the medical community is unsure of the exact reasons why it alleviates pain, some experts believe it’s able to reduce pain by interacting with the nociceptive fibers. Nociceptive fibers can be best described as being a set of nerves that are responsible for carrying pain signals. As such, by applying chili peppers to your back, while it may cause a slight burning or tingling sensation, it can block nociceptive fibers from sending pain signals to the brain.
While some people are able to utilize pain medication like NSAIDS or acetaminophen with little to no problem, people who experience unwanted side effects should consider using an all-natural solution. As you can see, most of the plants on this list have chemicals that are used in many pain relieving products. As such, they can be just as effective as and much safer than a prescription or OTC pain reliever.