Did you know that according to a report published in the August 2005 edition of The American Journal of Gastroenterology, nearly one-third of hospitalizations caused by gastro tract bleeding and deaths are caused by taking aspirin, ibuprofen and other types of pain-killing drugs? You may argue here that you are on low-dose aspirins, which the doctor has recommended to keep your heart in good condition. It would surprise you to note that about one-third of those gastro bleeding deaths are associated with intake on low dose aspirin. To understand these figures better study this example: if there are 100,000 people taking aspirin, ibuprofen and other pain killing drugs, it is possible that 15 would die. So is there a way out of the situation? What should one consume, in case of pain? If the usual painkillers are so hazardous, what is the alternative? The answer to all these questions is one: try natural alternative painkillers.

One of the highly recommended ‘natural painkillers’ is acupuncture and the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). Before you approach the natural remedy option, you must remember that the available pain killers simply alleviate the pain for a short duration of time. But if you believe in natural remedies like the one cited above, you might expect long term benefits.  Natural remedies go to the root of the problem and eradicate the basic cause which is responsible for the pain. EFT technique which involves tapping on the meridian points of the body using acupuncture method, can be learnt and used as a self medication. Of course, you would have to learn the technique first, practice it, and then do it completely by yourself. Back pain, low back pain, migraines, gut spasm, joint pain, etc., are some of the pains which can be cured using EFT.

Yet another natural painkiller is the bark of the white willow tree, which incidentally is the origin of aspirin. This item was in use by Native American Indians who used its extract with tea to get relief from pain. While willow bark was also used by ancient Chinese physicians for treating painful conditions as well as an anti-pyretic. The active ingredient of white willow bark is salicin, which is now made synthetically. It works by restricting the prostaglandin production, a hormone which causes inflammation. This is also a good remedy for fever and painful muscle contraction conditions. It is available in capsule for which could be simply swallowed or the powder of the capsule mixed with cocoa butter.  This natural remedy is century-old and no adverse events have so far been reported. It is considered safer than aspirin and other pain killers of synthetic origin. The only word of caution is that white willow bark should never be taken along with aspirin or if you are allergic to salicylates which are found in foods like berries, currants, prunes and raisings. You should also avoid this if you are suffering from gastritis or ulcers.  Children below 16 should not have this therapy for health reasons.