From pills and ointments to creams and sprays, your local pharmacy is probably stocked with all types of pain relief products.
What if you could literally grow pain relief in your own garden?
It’s possible, and you don’t have to have a backyard, either. You can grow certain anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving products in the ground or in a container. It may sound too good to be true, but there is something to those tried-and-true plants and herbs. For example, hot peppers are known to help with natural pain relief. That’s why there are topical pain relief creams on the market that contain capsaicin.
Of course, we all know that capsaicin is found naturally in hot peppers. As for those peppers, the heat level can go from close to the bottom of the heat scale to earth-scorching hot! Capsaicin creams are common relief for muscle pain, arthritis, and even backaches. If you grow the hot peppers yourself, you know they’re ready when they’re fully colored. You may also be able to pick some up from your local farmer’s market. Like hot peppers, you can grow herbs at home, too, and it’s really easy. Sage grows year-round, and you can simply harvest it as you need it. Mix in the leaves to hot water and brew it up to relieve a scratchy, sore throat.
Ginger plants can be grown on an inside windowsill, or in an outdoor pot. You probably already know that drinking ginger ale sometimes helps with things like motion sickness and nausea, but ginger also helps reduce inflammation, muscle pain and arthritis, and it’s even been known to help with migraines. Another thing to try growing is mint. The herb helps with aches and pains, as well as headaches. It does well in a container in a sunny spot, so it’s a good bet if you don’t have yard space. To use mint, try it out in some ice water or prepare some mint-infused tea. It’s just another way to add some flavor, and possibly get some pain relief, without spending a lot of money.