13 Secrets to Pill-Free Pain Relief

From headaches to sore feet and everything in between, these all-natural pain relievers will have you feeling your best without ever spending a dime.

Headaches

1. Hit the Spot
That pain in your head might actually start in your neck. Use your thumbs, index, and middle fingers to squeeze just below the large muscle that runs from the high point of both shoulders and joins your neck. Or even better, have a partner do it for you. Hold for 30 to 45 seconds.

2. Migraine? Give Yourself a Brain Freeze
Okay, so it sounds crazy! But tons of migraine sufferers and even medical experts highly recommend this strategy. Here’s how to bring on a brain freeze to stop a migraine in its tracks: Simply drink ice-cold water or slurp a slushy drink through a straw held against your upper palate. Eating ice cream or a Popsicle can work, too—aim for the roof of your mouth.

3. Prevent a Brain Freeze
If your headaches aren’t migraines but are actually brought on by that infamous ice-cream effect, turn the science around. You can prevent brain freeze by pressing your tongue flat against the roof of your mouth, covering as much surface area as possible. Brain freeze (also known as ice-cream headache) happens because the nerves in the roof of your mouth get extremely cold, so your brain thinks your whole body is cold. It compensates by overheating, which causes your head to hurt. By warming up the roof of your mouth, you’ll chill your brain and feel better.

4. Spice Up Your Cure
Dab a cream containing capsaicin, the active ingredient in hot peppers, inside the nostril on the side of your head where pain is concentrated. Studies show it can help block the pain of cluster and migraine headaches!

Muscle and Joint Pain

5. Ease with Arnica
Old-time remedies for muscle soreness often included arnica. Now it’s easy to find this herbal healer in lotions available at health food stores. Rub on for relief!

6. Natural Recovery Drink
Tart cherry juice serves up anthocyanins, natural anti-inflammatory compounds that can reduce muscle pain and swelling. Just make sure you choose unsweetened juice to get the most benefit. Don’t like cherries? Raspberries also contain anthocyanins to bring you relief from soreness.

7. Arthritis Relief Rub
Massage can feel great and help both your pain and your mood. Researchers in Korea found that bringing in aromatherapy has amazing benefits for people suffering with arthritis. Here’s the blend they used:

• 1 ounce almond oil
• 1 ounce apricot oil
• 2 teaspoons jojoba oil
• 8 drops lavender essential oil
• 4 drops marjoram essential oil
• 8 drops eucalyptus essential oil
• 4 drops rosemary essential oil
• 4 drops peppermint essential oil

Simply combine and rub on any joints affected by arthritis.

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8. DIY Capsaicin Cream
Capsaicin is a timeless remedy for arthritis pain relief. It works by reducing levels of a compound called substance P, which transmits pain signals to the brain. You can buy over-the-counter capsaicin creams for arthritis and back pain at any drugstore. But it’s simple enough to make your own. All you need to do is mix a few dashes of ground cayenne with 2 or 3 teaspoons olive oil. Apply it to unbroken skin at the painful joints several times a day. You may feel a mild burning sensation at first, but that will fade with use. Watch your hands after application to avoid getting the salve in your eyes or mouth.

Common Aches and Pains

9. Get Tooth Relief from Your Hand
You can relieve a toothache by rubbing the back of your hand between your thumb and index finger (the V zone where the bones of the two fingers meet) with an ice cube. Rubbing the hand on the side of the body where the toothache is located may reduce pain intensity by as much as half, according to the results of a small study. What’s going on? Researchers believe this little trick can block pain impulses traveling to the brain. It can’t hurt—and might take away the hurt—when you give it a try.

10. Stay Comfortable with Clove
If you have an achy tooth or gum and your dentist’s first opening is in a week or two, a dab of clove oil can offer some temporary relief while you’re waiting to get it looked at by a professional. Just dab on with a cotton swab on the tooth or area that hurts; after a few minutes, it’ll be good and numb.

11. Roll Away Achy Feet
Stretch, relax, and find relief by rolling your bare feet over a tennis ball, lacrosse ball, or soup can. For cooling relief, try a frozen water bottle.

12. Treat Feet to Tea
Steep four peppermint tea bags in 2 cups boiling water. In a basin, add that tea to 1 gallon comfortably hot water. Let your feet enjoy a soothing soak.

13. The Secret to No-Tears Shots
I wish I’d know this trick when the boys were little: Simply cough as the needle is going in! The full science: Coughing brings on a short and quick rise in chest pressure, which blocks pain-signal conducting work by the spinal cord. The bottom line: pain-free injections.