10+ Best Homemade Natural Painkillers

7. Heat And Ice

Often used in conjunction with other medications, you may want to try the process of alternating heat and ice before popping any pills. Used together, this is one of the very oldest and most effective ways of knocking out pain caused by an injury or chronic inflammation. However, it needs to be done in the correct order to work.

First, apply ice to the site of your pain. This not only reduces swelling and inflammation, it numbs the area. Make sure to keep a towel between your skin and the ice to prevent ice burn. Then, after no more than 30 minutes, remove the ice, let the affected area return to room temperature, and apply heat. Once the inflammation has been reduced by cold, heat relieves stiffness and relaxes muscles that have contracted around the painful area.