5 Natural Pain Relievers I Found Helpful

One thing you should know about me is I absolutely hate pain killers, especially prescription medication . . . more specifically narcotics. After my first surgery, I was on the hard stuff for the first year or two. And during the first year, I developed GERD, also known as Acid Reflux, so of course I had to get on acid reflux medication. For all the medications I took, I would build a tolerance to them and they’d immediately become ineffective. I’d either have to switch brands or pain meds or up the dosage. Luckily for me, I never did become addicted to pain meds. I was always very cautious about the side effects. I forgot when I decided to stop cold turkey, but I did. The fear of running the risk of creating future health conditions to my internal organs outweighed the will to take medication. I only took pain meds as needed, then sometime after my second surgery, I refused prescription drugs altogether and I only took Tylenol as needed.

I just dealt with it. Even when my parent’s would pressure me into taking pain meds because it was so high, I wouldn’t. Here and there, I’d give in and take some Tylenol, but most of the time, I just forced myself to push through or resort to spending days on bed rest. I pushed through a lot over the years. I honestly don’t know how I did it. It’s possible that my pain increased with each passing year to the point where I could no longer just push through like what I did in the past. I did try a lot of different techniques over the years, though I haven’t tried them all, I lost faith in putting my money in outside care. I’ve tried acupuncture – hated it, they used baby needles on me and I still couldn’t take it. I had those cortisone shots a few times, but the relief only lasted less than an hour, so not worth the money for me. I went to a pain specialist, but most of the time they just prescribed me with more pain meds. The only thing that helped me was physical therapy, but there’s usually an end date and a re-evaluation if you want to keep going, and it could get costly and annoying to have to deal with insurance on top of that, especially if you find yourself in between insurances.

2020 was one of the hardest years I had to face with my chronic pain. I think it was the WORST it’s ever been, which led to a major turning point for me and the hunt for some natural pain relievers arose. I needed something that worked and I wanted it to be as natural as possible. Most importantly, I did not want a reenactment of 2020’s bed rest days.

So, without further ado, here are a few of my favorite natural pain relievers . . . so far:

Disclosure: I am not affiliated with the products below. These are products I bought myself, tried, and liked. My intention with this post is to share my findings with all of you.

CBD

It took me awhile to jump on the CBD train. I have heard of it’s benefits for possible pain relief. I know for sure CBD is good for uplifting moods and people with depression and anxiety. But I had no idea where to begin, let alone what was good. CBD has been growing in popularity, which is great, but also confusing. There’s so many CBD brands popping up left and right, in your face, trying to say they’re the best and whatnot, but I didn’t know what was going to help me and I really didn’t want to spend countless of dollars trying to figure it out. Quality CBD isn’t exactly wallet-friendly.

Charlotte’s Web CBD Tincture

I confided in my cousin about my pain and she had heard about Charlotte’s Web being reputable. She actually gifted me with 17mg of 30mL CBD Tincture for my 30th birthday last July. And I fell in love with Charlotte’s Web. So, I just had to try more. I bought the Summer Sampler, which is pictured below.

My personal favorite flavor is the lemon twist. If you’re a fan of Starburst, this tastes exactly like the yellow one. Mmm lemon . . . My second go-to is olive oil, it doesn’t seem the most appealing, but is the most basic introductory flavor. I’m not a fan of orange flavored anything, same goes for bananas for some reason – if you’re gonna go for an orange or a banana, might as well eat the real thing, not some artificial flavor of it, you know what I mean? Also, I was disappointed in the mint chocolate. I love mint and I love chocolate and I love them together, but this flavor as a CBD tincture. . . not my cup of tea.

I’ve been using these CBD Tinctures for almost 8 months now and they continue to surprise me each time I take it. So far, this has been consistent in its’ benefits. I instantly feel more calm, relaxed, lighter, focused, alert, and present. It even helps me sleep better.

I’m no expert in CBD oils, but from my understanding, it’s best to start out small and go from there. You can easily adjust and take more depending on what works for you. When in doubt, do what is recommended. I have tried the 7mg, 17mg, and all the way up to 60mg, but I wished I had done more research. There really was no need for me to jump around like that, especially for me being a new CBD user and all. I’ve learned my lesson and for now I will stick to 7mg until I need to level up.

By the way, in case you were wondering, these CBD products are THC free; in other words, these products don’t have any psychoactive effects. It says to release the drops under your tongue and leave it there before swallowing for about 20 seconds or so. I like to leave it for about a minute or two and wash it down with water, just so it absorbs into my body more, rather than directly into my stomach. I read somewhere the benefits of leaving it under the tongue longer than the minimum recommended seconds. Also, I’ve seen some people close their mouths, touching the dropper, but in that same thing I read – gosh I’m bad at remembering my references, I’ll try better in the future – it’s not recommended to do that. I get it. Even if you’re the only one using it, you’re still putting the dropper back into the bottle, meaning whatever bacteria you have in your mouth at the time also goes back into the remaining liquid. You don’t eat Cheetos, take a swig of water, then spit it out in the same cup, do you? *shudder* Ok- I might have taken the Cheeto comment a bit too far . . . sorry for the image guys! But STILL!!

I’m very grateful my cousin introduced me to Charlotte’s Web. If it weren’t for her gift, I would probably still be on bed rest right now wondering what it would be like. My cousin found this at a health store a few towns away from us, but I actually find it more affordable on the website, sure it’s less accessible, unless you live in Colorado or the nearby states for shipping purposes, but if you sign up to become a member and receive emails, Charlotte’s Web is almost ALWAYS offering discounts, which comes in handy and easy to buy in bulk and well worth the price and shipping cost.

Trying this opened the door for me. It was the initial jump I knew I needed to take in order to improve my quality of life. Sometimes all it takes is that first step, even it’s a baby step, it’s a start. You never know where that first step will lead you – and I’m not just talking about pain.

Hemp Infused Roll-on with CBD

I like the CBD tinctures, but it’s not exactly travel-friendly. I wanted a topical to use as spot treatment and I found this because it was $15. Roll-ons are easy to use and you don’t really get your hands dirty by sticking your hands in a tin or jar. Besides, with this pandemic? When I’m out and about, I really don’t want to be transferring whatever I touched into my personal products. In fact, the less I touch in public, the better. So the fact that this has a roll-on feature makes it perfect for on-the-go.

The metal ball adds a nice cooling effect upon application too. Once you get the roller working, it’s easy to glide on too much, so I feel like it’s more beneficial when massaging it into the skin. Again, I’m not an expert. But the way I see it, a simple roll-on letting it sit at the top of the skin doesn’t absorb well versus massaging or rubbing it in.

The only downside it leaks. It’s an oil, so the chances of leaks are higher, especially if you don’t close it properly. I make a mindful effort to make sure it’s sitting upright in my purse. It’s not like there’s major spillage, so that’s good. If you’re not one to rub or massage in, it could be a downside too, like I said it is an oil, so it may be oily and runny if you don’t massage it in.

It comes in two different scents: peppermint (which is pictured above) and lavender. I use the peppermint one in the day time. I got the lavender one because I wanted to try it. It’s good before bed because you know . . . lavender scent is known to promote sleep. But I’m a peppermint girl for sure. I like how the peppermint adds a little boost in mood and in energy too, though, that could be the CBD working it’s magic.

I’ve been using this for about 8 months as well and found that it’s particularly useful for my headaches. I, thankfully, don’t suffer from migraines anymore, but I do have headaches every now and then, depending on my usual pain. I have a friend who suffers from costochondritis and LOVES this stuff because it’s the only thing that works for her. I mostly use this when I’m out and about and need a quick pain release, but sometimes I use it at home when I don’t feel like opening up my CBD balm.

Hemp Infused Balm with CBD

This is the recent one I’ve tried out of Charlotte’s Web’s CBD products and quickly became one of my favorites, even more so than the roll-on. This covers more area, but you do get your hands dirty . . -er – not necessarily in a bad way though.

I used to apply this to the back of my neck and shoulders every morning, but I realized it’s more of an as needed topical. I noticed it begins to lose it’s effectiveness after some time. Like medication, when you get used to something, you have to up the dosage. This may be the reason for me. Don’t get me wrong though, this is still a favorite, I just won’t use it as often as I did when I first got it.

Compared to the roll-on, the balm is thicker in texture, but goes on more discreetly, despite the natural green as found in plants. Whereas the roll-on is more oil-based and takes a bit longer to absorb into the skin fully – maybe that’s why I like to really massage these bad boys onto my skin until it absorbs into my skin. I have yet to discover which is better, balm or roll-on oil. And you’ll be the first to know, once I learn more about CBD.

There’s something very comforting about the smell. It’s a nostalgic feeling for me, like tiger balm, but I haven’t used tiger balm in so long, I feel like I’ve forgotten about it. Tiger balm is next on my list to try again. I’d love to compare this CBD balm to something I used as a kid – tiger balm.

That’s about the last of the CBD products I’ve tried for pain relief. I do want to try a few more Charlotte’s Web products someday. As I was researching on how to join Charlotte’s Web’s affiliate program, I noticed they don’t specifically want their marketers to promote their CBD oils as pain relievers and you will find on their website that the CBD products aren’t promoting pain relief either, unless you’re looking at the CBDMEDIC Pain Relief section. I think that’s what deterred me from moving forward. The very reason I started using CBD was for pain, and the CBD tincture, the roll-on, and the balm all helped me in regards to pain. It’s not as a significant relief as I once started, but the point of this natural pain relieving journey for me is to not only help with pain management, but also help me regain better quality of life. I acknowledge the fact that I may never be pain-free again, but I sure as heck will try any methods to keep the pain at bay. CBD is definitely great for everything that it promotes: focus, calm, sleep, etc., but also pain even though it’s not advertised on Charlotte’s Web’s website.

Lil Little So Zen Magnesium Butter

I came across this by chance. I posted about another product from Lil Little on Instagram stories about supporting local small businesses and black-owned businesses. A friend of mine replied saying she loves this stuff. I looked it up and was sold the moment I saw it targets pain.

As soon as I received this, I massaged it onto my neck and instantly got a burning sensation, which is normal for those deficient in magnesium and apparently I was. The very moment I put it on, the relief was immediate. All my pain completely disappeared. It was like magic! But thinking back on it now, it could’ve been one of those scenarios of pinching yourself to localize a new pain to distract yourself from the current soul-sucking pain. Like the balm, it became less and less effective the more I used it, so I use this as needed too. It worked marvelously for a time. Maybe now that you know what happened to me, and if you decide to give it a try, you’ll use this more as needed than daily.

It’s best to use this at night. I applied this in the daytime once and I was groggy. So sleepy I had to take a nap. Aside from my neck, shoulder, upper back, and arms, I like to apply this on my legs and feet in the evening. It’s the little things that go the extra mile for calm and for sleep, not necessarily for pain. And the smell is lovely as well. However, if you’re sensitive to scents, I would not recommend this.

I’ve never been a lotion person. I hated the way lotion applied and felt, the greasy oily feeling of lotion. It wasn’t until I found Cetaphil that I fell in love with the idea of lotion. Especially, as you age, our skin simply isn’t as it once was. So, when this magnesium butter came into the picture, I was so glad that this wasn’t oily and greasy as most lotions are. If you hate lotion as much as I do, and you want something for pain, this is worth a try, but if you’re magnesium deficient – beware, there’s a chance you’ll feel some tingling. But it only stings for the first few uses. I’ve been using this for 8 months, and the burning is no longer. I don’t use it as often anymore because of the whole it-loses-it’s-effectiveness-after-some-time-during-daily-use bit, but I still like it and use it when I really need it.

Verano Pain Relief Balm (THC:CBD)

Now this does have 100mg of THC to 100mg of CBD. On one particularly cold February day, I was feeling so desperate I was willing to do anything for relief. And out of desperation, I tried my sister’s vape pen. FYI, it is legal in Illinois, but I’ve tried my very best to not resort to anything with THC in it. As much as I hate to admit it, it’s helped a lot, more than I could have ever imagined. I started to vape a little here and there and then I stopped because I really really didn’t want to go from pain meds to weed, so I tried the next best thing – another CBD topical, but this time with THC.

A few years back, another friend of mine who also suffers from chronic pain has talked about the best pain relieving balms are ones that not only have CBD, but also have THC in it. The dispensary my sister goes to has a product like this and of course, I had to try it.  It’s on the pricier side from the ones above at $45 at Zen Leaf in Naperville, IL.  I’ve actually seen this going for $65!  If you end up wanting to try this, do some research, you may find one lower than $45.

I have only been using this for about two weeks and from what I learned about my other topicals, I try to only use this when the pain is really high. At first I didn’t like the smell, I thought it was too weed-like, but now that I’ve been using it more, there’s a subtle mint scent, which you know me with peppermint! I still prefer the scent of the CBD balm best, but this balm is a better relief. It goes on a smidge smoother than the CBD balm and has more of a cooling effect too. It feels a little greasy upon application, but it fades when massaged in and the skin feels a lot softer as well. I do have to admit that I find this more effective than the magnesium butter, however, I’ve been using the magnesium butter for nearly a year now vs. this THC:CBD balm not even three weeks. I’ll have to be sure to take notes and update you about this product at a later date for sure. So far, I’m liking the cooling sensation – even though being cold tenses me up and increases pain, this is not like that. It’s a subtle cooling effect which soothes, comforts, and calms. By the way, even though the pain relieving balm has THC in it, I’ve noticed there is no high feeling, which is good if you’re only looking to have pain relief and not any of the THC side effects.

---

As you can see, I’ve mostly tried CBD products, particularly Charlotte’s Web brand, but I am also open to trying a variety of new things. All natural of course. As for vaping, I still have some major reservations about it, but have seen and felt the benefits firsthand, especially pain relief. I stopped vaping because I got really sick in the middle of the night, but it could also be food poisoning from a yummy, but filthy Indian fast food joint – the dude at the register wasn’t even wearing a mask! First red flag that my husband and I ignored. My husband didn’t get food poisoning, so I thought maybe it was the vape pen? Anyways, I’m stopping that for now, because currently I’m trying this new thing – I’m still skeptical it’ll even work, but has to do with adhesions or something. I just had my third session, so I’ll definitely blog about it in detail at a later date, but for now, my takeaways.

TAKEAWAY

From my experience, I’ve been trying these new products and it’s been giving me relief almost immediately and for a longer duration than an hour, but after some time, the relief is not the same as when I first tried the product. I’ve also noticed that the balms I have tried doesn’t necessarily take all the pain away, but they do help make the pain more manageable. Which is a bonus, considering if using these products steer me away from bed rest, I think that’s a winner.

When it comes down to it, it all depends on preference. Do you want a balm or a roll-on? Do you want to try a THC:CBD ratio one or the magnesium one? Would you rather have something you can use on-the-go or just at home?

Moving forward, I will definitely continue to have all the CBD products I have: the tinctures, the peppermint roll-on (love the fact that I can discreetly have it in my purse when I’m out and about), and even the balm. We’ll see, though, depending on how I like the THC:CBD one, I might not need to get Charlotte’s Web balm – though, I should really try the larger sized CBD balm at 1.5oz of 450mg. I currently use the 150mg at .5oz. So, there’s still things I want to keep testing out before coming to a conclusion. I have a subscription to the magnesium butter, but I think I will space my orders to 5-6 months instead of two months.

I’m running low on my CBD tinctures, so next order I’ll get some gummies to try from Charlotte’s Web. I still want to try the capsules and the topical pain relief ointments, but maybe at a much later date.

I really want to try and compare these next:

• The Good Patch – As far as patches go, I used to have a prescription to Lidoderm patches and they were effective from what I remember. It’s obviously been some time since I last used it, so I’ve been using Salonpas, an over the counter pain relieving patch and probably the least bit natural out of all the products on this post. Salonpas are super affordable and easily accessible you can find at any grocery store or drug store, whereas these good patches are found online and are a lot pricier for the amount in a pack. That’s the price you pay for natural, I guess.
• Tiger Balm – I’ve used it before as a kid, but I’ve forgotten what it’s like and I really would like to compare and contrast the CBD balm, pain relieving balm, and tiger balm.

Disclaimer: I am not a health care professional and by no means am I authorized to diagnose or treat you. Please consult with your doctor about any health problems you may be experiencing. This post is by no means a replacement to your current medication, if any. Please consult with your doctor. The following products above are what has worked for me. I shall not be held responsible for any misuse of any of the products I recommended.