Natural Pain Relief: Herbal, Nutritional, and Holistic Options
A Companion to “Tylenol vs Ibuprofen vs Aleve vs Aspirin: All bad. But different kinds of bad. A holistic perspective”
⚠️ Note: The following lists are not exhaustive. They highlight some of the most effective, accessible, and well-studied natural remedies for pain, but many other herbs, minerals, and holistic supports may also be beneficial.
❗ Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. This information is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about medications, herbs, or supplements — especially in pregnancy, breastfeeding, or for children.
⚠️ Safety Reminder: Always check for prescription drug interactions and personal allergies before starting any new herb, mineral, or natural remedy. Even gentle remedies can react with medications or trigger sensitivities.
In our last post, we broke down the four big over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers: Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Aleve, and Aspirin. Each comes with its own risks — liver failure, gut damage, kidney injury, heart strain, bleeding disorders, and dangers during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or childhood.
So that leaves us with the obvious question:
👉 If those aren’t safe, what can we take for pain?
Nature has always offered options. Herbs, spices, mushrooms, minerals, and natural oils can provide targeted relief without taxing the liver, kidneys, and gut the way pharmaceuticals do. Below, we’ll look at safe options by life stage and type of pain, along with the best ways to prepare and use them.
🌱 Herbs, Minerals, and Natural Pain Relievers by Life Stage
Children
- Chamomile – Gentle nervine and anti-inflammatory. Best as tea, glycerite, or compress.
- Catnip – Calming herb for restlessness, gas pains, or teething. Weak tea or glycerite.
- Cloves – For teething or tooth pain. Best as diluted clove-infused oil (NOT essential oil) applied to gums, or glycerite (tiny doses).
- Fennel – Gas and cramping. Tea, glycerite, or lightly roasted seeds (older kids).
- Ginger – Tummy upset, nausea, mild muscle soreness. Tea or glycerite.
- Lemon Balm – Calming, gentle pain reliever for headaches and tummy tension. Tea or glycerite.
- Peppermint – Helpful for older children with headaches or digestive upset. Tea or diluted infused oil on temples/abdomen.
- Elderflower – Reduces fever discomfort and mild aches. Tea.
- Magnesium (epsom salt baths) – Relaxes muscles, eases growing pains. Topical soak, not internal.
- Sea Salt Baths – Soothe sore muscles and achy joints.
Pregnant Women
- Ginger – Safe for nausea, mild pain, and inflammation. Tea or capsules.
- Red Raspberry Leaf – Uterine tonic, eases cramping, back pain. Tea or infusion.
- Nettle Leaf – Nutritive, supports inflammation balance. Tea or infusion.
- Chamomile (mild use) – Calming, gentle pain relief. Tea or glycerite.
- Oat Straw – Nervine, helps soothe muscle tension and stress headaches. Tea or infusion.
- Lavender – Gentle nervine for stress-related pain. Tea or inhaled steam.
- Lemon Balm – Calming digestive and tension reliever. Tea or glycerite.
- Magnesium (topical or diet) – Eases muscle cramps, back pain, and tension. Magnesium lotion, spray, or epsom baths.
- Sea Salt Baths – Relieve swelling and soothe sore joints.
- Black Seed Oil (cautious internal use) – Mild anti-inflammatory; more often used externally as massage oil for sore muscles.
Breastfeeding Mothers
- Chamomile – Safe for mother and baby, eases digestive or tension pain.
- Ginger – Relieves postpartum cramping, muscle soreness, mild headaches.
- Turmeric – Anti-inflammatory, supports joint and muscle pain. Spice, tea, or capsules.
- Fenugreek (cautious use) – Relieves muscle aches but mainly used for lactation.
- Fennel – Calms gas pains in mother and baby. Tea or seeds.
- Holy Basil (Tulsi) – Relieves stress-related pain. Tea or tincture.
- Peppermint (cautious use) – Relieves headaches and digestive discomfort; may reduce milk supply in high doses.
- Magnesium – Topical spray or lotion for sore muscles and tension headaches.
- Castor Oil (external packs only) – For postpartum aches, cramping, and constipation support when applied as a pack (not ingested while nursing).
- Fulvic Acid Minerals – Restore mineral balance, support tissue recovery and inflammation balance.
Elderly
- Willow Bark – Natural source of salicylates, supports arthritis/joint pain. Decoction or tincture.
- Turmeric & Black Pepper – Anti-inflammatory for arthritis and chronic pain. Capsules, tea, or food spice.
- Ginger – Circulatory stimulant, helps arthritis, stiffness, digestive discomfort.
- Ashwagandha – Adaptogen for nervous tension, stress-related pain. Capsule or tea.
- Lion’s Mane Mushroom – Supports nerve pain and regeneration. Capsules or powder.
- Devil’s Claw – Arthritis and chronic back pain. Capsule or decoction.
- Boswellia (Frankincense Resin) – Anti-inflammatory for arthritis and joint stiffness. Capsules, tincture, or resin infusion.
- Skullcap – Nervine that calms spasms and nerve pain. Tea or tincture.
- Magnesium – Essential for muscle and nerve function. Topical lotions, sprays, or epsom salt baths.
- Fulvic Acid Minerals – Restore mineral balance, improve energy, ease chronic pain by reducing inflammation.
- Black Seed Oil – Taken internally (capsules or oil) for chronic inflammation, or rubbed externally on sore joints.
- Castor Oil Packs – Applied externally over painful joints or abdomen to reduce inflammation and stiffness.
🌿 Herbs, Minerals, and Oils by Type of Pain (Body System)
Musculoskeletal Pain (joints, muscles, arthritis, injuries)
- Turmeric + Black Pepper – Anti-inflammatory. Capsules, teas, or food.
- Willow Bark – Natural aspirin alternative. Decoction or tincture.
- Arnica – Topically as salve or infused oil (not for open wounds).
- Cayenne Pepper – Warming salves/liniments for joint and muscle pain.
- Ginger – Warming poultices, teas, or capsules.
- Devil’s Claw – Arthritis/back pain. Capsule or decoction.
- Boswellia – Reduces swelling and stiffness. Capsule/tincture.
- Comfrey – External poultices or infused oils for sprains and strains.
- Magnesium (epsom salt bath/lotion) – Relaxes stiff, sore muscles.
- Black Seed Oil – External massage oil for aching joints.
- Castor Oil Packs – Reduce inflammation and stiffness when applied externally.
Headaches / Migraines
- Feverfew – Prevents migraines. Tea or tincture.
- Peppermint – Cooling relief. Tea, steam, or diluted infused oil on temples.
- Lavender – Nervine for stress-related pain. Tea, tincture, steam.
- Skullcap – Relaxes tension. Tea or tincture.
- Butterbur (PA-free extract) – Prevents migraines. Capsule.
- Rosemary – Improves circulation, steam or tea.
- Magnesium – Often low in migraine sufferers; topical spray, lotion, or bath.
- Sea Salt – Restores electrolytes in dehydration-related headaches. Dissolved in warm water.
- Fulvic Acid Minerals – Restore trace minerals, support nervous system balance.
Digestive Pain (cramps, bloating, indigestion)
- Chamomile – Antispasmodic, reduces gas. Tea/glycerite.
- Fennel – Eases bloating/cramps. Tea or seeds.
- Peppermint – Relieves indigestion/cramping. Tea or infused oil.
- Catnip – Gentle option for kids’ tummy aches. Tea/glycerite.
- Ginger – Warms, reduces nausea. Tea/capsule.
- Caraway Seed – Relieves gas/bloating. Chewed or tea.
- Dandelion Root – Supports liver-related digestive pain. Decoction/tincture.
- Magnesium (internal food sources) – Helps regulate bowel movements and cramping.
- Castor Oil (external pack) – Soothes abdominal cramps, constipation pain.
Menstrual Pain / Reproductive
- Cramp Bark – Relieves uterine spasm. Tincture/decoction.
- Red Raspberry Leaf – Uterine tonic, eases cramps and back pain. Tea.
- Motherwort – Relieves tension-related cramps. Tincture/tea.
- Ginger – Reduces nausea, cramping, back pain. Tea/capsule.
- Yarrow – Eases heavy bleeding and cramps. Tea/tincture.
- Cinnamon – Warming, reduces uterine cramping. Tea/spice.
- Black Cohosh (not for pregnancy) – Strong uterine relaxant. Tincture.
- Castor Oil Packs – Excellent for cramping, clotting, or congestion-related pain.
- Magnesium – Relieves cramps when applied topically or taken in food.
Nerve Pain
- St. John’s Wort – Nerve pain and injuries. Tincture/oil.
- Lion’s Mane Mushroom – Nerve regeneration. Capsules/food powder.
- Skullcap – Calms nerve spasms. Tea/tincture.
- Valerian Root – Nervous system and spasm-related pain. Tincture/capsule.
- California Poppy – Gentle nervine for nerve pain. Tincture/glycerite.
- Magnesium – Calms nerve firing, reduces tingling/burning. Topical or bath.
- Fulvic Acid Minerals – Trace minerals support nerve conduction and repair.
Topical Pain Relief
- Arnica – Bruises, sprains, sore muscles. Salve/cream.
- Cayenne – Warming liniment/salve for stiff joints.
- Ginger Compress – Menstrual or muscle cramps.
- Calendula – Gentle topical anti-inflammatory. Salve/oil.
- Comfrey – Poultices and infused oils for sprains and fractures.
- Plantain Leaf – Draws out inflammation from bites/stings. Poultice/salve.
- Black Drawing Salve – For boils, splinters, painful abscesses.
- Castor Oil Packs – Applied to inflamed areas for deep pain relief.
- Black Seed Oil – Rubbed into sore joints and muscles.
🌸 Final Thoughts
OTC meds offer quick relief at a high cost — liver damage, kidney stress, gut erosion, heart strain, and risks in pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Herbs, spices, mushrooms, minerals, and oils, on the other hand, support the body’s natural healing without masking symptoms or causing long-term damage. The key is knowing what to use, when, and how to prepare it safely.
- For kids: think gentle nervines, tummy teas, and mineral baths.
- For pregnancy: nutritive tonics, minerals, and mild supports.
- For breastfeeding: anti-inflammatory kitchen herbs, minerals, and topical oils.
- For the elderly: joint and nerve supportive herbs, mushrooms, and oils.
- 🌿 Remember: with natural remedies, the goal isn’t just to get relief — it’s to heal the root cause of the pain. Because they’re working with your body, not against it, natural approaches may take longer than OTC drugs. They don’t just block pain receptors or trick the body into thinking nothing is wrong — they help bring true balance and lasting wellness.
With thoughtful preparation, natural pain relief empowers the body to heal — not just silence symptoms.
📚 References
- Srivastava JK, Shankar E, Gupta S. Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with a bright future (molecular mechanisms and clinical applications). Mol Med Rep. 2010.
- Ernst E, Pittler MH, Stevinson C. Complementary/alternative therapies for headache: an overview of randomized clinical trials. Cephalalgia. 2001.
- Daily JW, Yang M, Park S. Efficacy of turmeric extracts and curcumin for alleviating the symptoms of joint arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. J Med Food. 2016.
- Vlachojannis J, Magora F, Chrubasik S. Willow species and aspirin: different mechanism of actions. Phytother Res. 2011.
- Yarnell E. Botanical medicines for the urinary tract. World J Urol. 2002.
- Houghton PJ. Herbal products for the treatment of cough, cold and influenza. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1999.
- Dey L, Attele AS, Yuan CS. Alternative therapies for type 2 diabetes. Altern Med Rev. 2002. (includes Devil’s Claw & Boswellia for inflammation).
- Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. Neuroprotective potential of Lion’s Mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus). 2021.
- Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride. National Academies Press, 1997.
- Schepetkin IA, Khlebnikov AI. Black cumin (Nigella sativa) seed oil: chemistry, pharmacology, and therapeutic potential. Front Pharmacol. 2022.
- Vieira C, Evangelista S, Cirillo R, Lippi A, Maggi CA, Manzini S. Effect of ginger and its major components on pain. Eur J Pharmacol. 2003.
- Singh R, Singh S, Singh G. Castor oil: A novel approach for the treatment of pain and inflammation. Int J Phytomed. 2011.