The experience known as pain is a natural process. It’s what helps us recognize when something about our bodies is wrong and drives us to take action. Without pain, injuries and illness would consume our flesh and bones before we had time to heal and recover.

With that said, pain is an experience most of us feel we can do without. Given the agonizing nature of chronic pain and suffering associated with physical impairment, efforts to alleviate pain are not in vain. They’re a practical approach.

But concerns over the environment throw a wrench into the works. Between Big Pharma’s lackluster record of sustainability and general consumer concerns over eco-friendly alternatives, there’s mounting pressure to find natural solutions to common pain relief. The following are seven natural pain relief solutions for your consideration:

Hot bath

Using warm water to alleviate physical pain is a form of physical therapy that goes back to the time of the Romans and beyond. From an environmentalist point of view, the cost of hydrotherapy boils down to the energy and limited resources required. A relaxing bathtub of heated water could be considered an egregious example of ecological disregard, but the ends justify the means. In other words, a single hot bath that helps you feel better is worth an alternative where you exhaust various resources in pursuit of a cure.

Ice pack

The polar opposite of a hot bath is perhaps the localized application of ice-cold materials. While the materials used can be warmed and re-cooled repeatedly, the process of freezing something for therapeutic value is energy-intensive, to say the least. But given the immediate pain relieving benefits of ice packs, the energy cost is worth the investment. The alternative could be weeks spent driving from one clinic to another in search of a solution. In comparison, the energy required to freeze a pack of ice is relatively insignificant.

Cannabidiol

The pain relieving properties of cannabis has been a controversial subject for more than half a century. That’s because cannabis was virtually prohibited around the world for over 70 years. However, recent events have seen a renewed interest in cannabis as a significant component of modern medicine. What’s more, public awareness is becoming nuanced enough to discern the difference between CBD – a non-hallucinogenic compound found in cannabis, and THC – the compound everyone associates with the “high” one gets when consuming cannabis. The result is a world where CBD spray for pain without THC is available but undervalued due to the unfair stigma associated with cannabis. Indeed, cannabidiol serves as the non-hallucinogenic point man in the case of making cannabis products widely available to those in need of its extensive properties.

Aloe Vera

Slice open an aloe vera succulent, and it’s easy to see how it contains healing properties; the split-open leaves reveal a clear ooze that seems destined to dress minor cuts and scrapes. Appearances aside, aloe vera provides exceptional healing properties. The gel therein helps reduce inflammation and promote healing for damaged skin. It’s no surprise aloe vera is considered one of nature’s best pain relievers.

Massage

There’s something to be said about the healing power of touch. From infants to the elderly, physical contact with another person is a powerful way to alleviate pain, even if it’s a placebo. With this in mind, massage can be an effective pain reliever, whether there’s any science behind it or not.

Meditation

True mediation is hard to achieve. But any effort to focus the mind in a way to seemingly journey beyond your physical self is something worth counting as meditation. What’s more, it might help manage pain and discomfort. While the pursuit of true mediation is no doubt difficult, any attempt to achieve something close to it is better than nothing. And it may very well help to manage chronic pain until additional therapy is applied.

Hydration

It’s estimated that three-fourths of Americans are chronically dehydrated. While it might not sound like a pressing concern, the truth is hydration is key to health and wellness. After all, imagine how long you could last without a cup of water. It wouldn’t be very long. Humans are one or two cups of water away from true desperation. Considering the health and wellness ramifications of dehydration, it pays to drink more water. Doing so may alleviate the chronic pain you’ve been experiencing, such as headaches and muscle cramps.

Pain, despite being awful in terms of experience, is a beneficial product of life. It essentially notifies us when something is wrong with our bodies. Without pain, we’d gradually deteriorate with no effort made to change that outcome. With that said, pain can quickly turn into an agonizing nuisance that dominates every waking hour. The solution is pain relief coupled with an honest effort to determine the cause and take action. Natural pain relief combined with active measures to address the source will always be the best approach.