Natural remedy for pain (e.g. headache, sore muscles)

When I have pain, it is far too easy to reach for a commercial product in an orange package or red package. What could I use to replace those for pain for headaches or sore muscles or similar?

obviously the cause of your pain may have a lot to do with the remedy.

I work at a computer and every so often I get a 'tweak' in my shoulders, lower back, or sometimes mouse wrist.
I have an essential oil blend that is like tiger balm (very heavily aromatic, to the point that you don't want it near any mucous membranes) but stronger, way stronger.
Between that and physical manipulation (stretching, using a foam roller when lying on my wood floor) I take care of most of my pain. The oil is HOT and a quick massage into the muscles loosens things up and the notion that my skin is on fire certainly distracts me from what was bothering me before.....

When I have a headache I drink mint tea, often brewed strong and dumped over ice. I also may put mint oil on my wrists and rub a bit (again, watch where the hand goes later, mint can burn). I used to get migraines and painkillers don't do much, so a hit of coffee and a cold washcloth over my eyes and a quick lay-down in a dark room was my go-to.

for headaches I like a strong passionflower vine infusion.
My headaches are almost exclusively from over lifting and the pain is at the base of my skull.
I found p. flower works way better than ibuprofen.

As mentioned, the cause differs.

I usually find honeysuckle tea to be beneficial. One review lists them as “neuroprotective” along with a lot of lovely other things. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0944711321004293 I have even found that pains in worrying places tend to go away with honeysuckle tea (Lonicera tatarica usually, but it’s possibly Lonicera x bella). However I wouldn’t recommend acting on that statement in faith as it may just be my body.

I think I once heard a doctor say most of what helps your headache when you take Tylenol is the glass of water. So, if I feel pain and I can't directly link it to some kind of injury, I first drink water. Just to eliminate the possibility that I'm simply experiencing dehydration (unlikely since I typically drink 100+oz per day, but hey).

Judith Browning wrote:for headaches I like a strong passionflower vine infusion.

Judith, I'm overrun with passionfruit!! it's commonly used here for insomnia (root and leaves), how do you make yours for headache?

Tereza, We dry leaves and make a strong tea.
I've read that leaves, stems, fruit and all are good so sometimes dry all three.
are we talking about the same passionflower? passiflora incarnata?

I like it as a relaxing tea also.

I think my headaches are from tight neck muscles so that might explain why it works for me.

I almost assuredly don't have the same kind of passiflora that you do (maypop type?) we literally have hundreds of kinds. But at least one (p. alata) is commonly used in medical applications alongside P incarnata here, and that's the kind I have growing in my yard. People often get confused about what parts are good for insomnia, often they'll drink the juice (which I'm pretty sure if more psychosomatic, but if it works....)

There are a lot of different kinds on pain.  Sounds like this thread is about headaches and general aches and pains.

I use magnesium for my pain.  There are three kinds on magnesium.  One for sleep, one for constipation and one for pain, which is called Malate.

For muscle and joint pain, hops lineament works well.  Just pour rubbing alcohol over an ounce or so of hops bud and let it steep for a a month - works better then help oil.

I had a horrible global headache this morning. The kind that sends one to upchuck. Carla's DEEP Intense is awesome! I put some on my neck, on my skin above and behind my collar bones, and very lightly on my temples and sinus cavities. I recovered well enough to comfortably work a ten hour shuft. I'll find her recipe and link it here.

....Found it! Carla's recipe.

If you need cheeper, for muscle aches, I take a 1/4 cup hot pepper flakes, from the grocery store, and infuse it 2 cups of rubbing alcohol for a couple weeks. Strain out the pepper flakes and discard them. Mix the rubbing alcohol equal parts with DMSO. Rub it on achy muscles. It does end up feeling like a heating pad, just shy of too hot. But man! It's wonderful! And, um, don't use it on thin skin, because, peppers!!!

Thanks, Joylynn! (Now I don't have to track it down, lol).

So, I'll echo what the others have said about the cure depending on the pain. Muscle (including tension & sinus headaches), joint pain, strains, sprains, breaks, and bruises are all well served, by my DEEP. It helps all those deep tissue issues - just don't ingest it, or use it on open wounds. This might sound odd, but gently massaging a bit into your outer ears (not inside - only your elbow goes in there), the lobes, ridges, and vallies, is a very quick way to ease muscle tension and bring relaxation, too.

To keep migraines at bay (best as a preventative) a cup of strong feverfew tea per day can cut migraine occurrences drastically, and my son has told me that (when he finally listened to his mama🙄) and started taking it, his migraines have decreased by about 80% and aren't nearly as intense, and are much shorter duration.

If it's too late, and you already have a headache, I swear by willowbark powder. I'm not a fan of super bitter stuff, so I don't drink it as a tea/decoction, but prefer it as an electuary (made into a loose paste with raw honey). Don't that way, I can just add hot water to make it thin enough to drink or even just take a teaspoonful. If you're on blood thinners, be careful with this willowbark, as it is also a blood thinner.

If it's the all over achy yuck that comes with the flu or a cold, a 20 minute soak in a very warm Epsom salts bath with a few drops of eucalyptus, or lemon eucalyptus essential oil will do wonders.

For me, I try to get at the heart of the pain and not use something else to relieve the symptoms. For me anyway, the human body has pressure points that can alleviate a lot of medicine taking whether herbal or commercial.

For a headache press on the web of your thumb for 30 seconds

Congested? Rub your temples.

I hike between 7-10 miles a day so my feet get very sore but my heel pain is actually from taunt calf muscles. I have spent a ton of money on special shoes, insoles, chiropractors and medicine , but found I can fix it in 5 minutes by myself for free. Two pressure points relieve that tension and pain. But almost all muscles have pressure points and a simple YouTube search will bring you too to the massage therapists who know where these points are.

Commercial medicines and essential oils just mask the real issue. Find out what is causing the discomfort and eliminate it at the source.

Steve Zoma wrote:For me, I try to get at the heart of the pain and not use something else to relieve the symptoms. For me anyway, the human body has pressure points that can alleviate a lot of medicine taking whether herbal or commercial.

I second this approach.  

I recommend trying Qigong.  Here's one video demonstrating some basic movements to stimulate pressure points to help alleviate a variety of ailments.
Not sure if any of these will help, but it's worth a shot.

Another excellent headache and pain remedy is fresh air and sleep.