TL;DR

  • Pain meds can help short term but carry long-term downsides.

  • Diet, hydration, enzymes, healthy fats, curcumin, MSM, movement, and chiropractic care can help manage pain naturally—see the checklist.

  • These strategies aim to reduce inflammation and support healing without drug side effects.

  • Typical supportive supplements often include curcumin (e.g., 1 cap, 2×/day), systemic enzymes (e.g., 2 AM + 2 PM on an empty stomach), and omega-3s; consider MSM as needed.
    (Educational only; not a treatment plan.)

A turmeric extract with over 45 times more bioavailability of the active forms of turmeric compounds you need to support a healthy inflammatory response. Click to learn more.

Pain medication is the default for many people. It can be appropriate briefly, but long-term reliance has costs. Managing pain naturally focuses on lowering inflammatory load and supporting healing. Supplements aren’t necessarily forever—as diet and health improve, many people can taper or stop.

Think of natural care as removing straws from the camel’s back: each change lightens the burden; enough changes reduce symptoms. Some feel better with food changes alone; others may benefit from enzymes or curcumin as supportive tools.

Pain Control Checklist

1) Diet: The food you eat either creates inflammation or it reduces inflammation. The Roadmap to health is a good anti-inflammatory diet (click to learn more).

  • Avoid inflammatory food: refined sugar, white flour products, chemical additives, and highly processed shelf oils (heat/solvent-extracted).

  • Eat the colors (polyphenols & carotenoids): greens, reds, oranges, blues, purples deliver flavonoids/anthocyanins and carotenoids (β-carotene, lutein, lycopene) that help reduce inflammatory signaling and oxidative stress (MANY studies support this). Bottom line: aim for ~75% (by volume) of the plate as fresh fruits and vegetables [1–11].
    (More in “Eat Your Way Out of Pain.”)

2) Enzymes:

Taking enzymes with a meal will help to digest the food. If you take them on an empty stomach, they reduce inflammation—in a big way. Enzymes have been extensively studied and have demonstrated an ability to reduce pain and inflammation when taken on an empty stomach. They also speed healing, and do so with few, if any, side effects. Studies have shown enzymes to be comparable to NSAIDs in relieving pain, joint stiffness and improving joint function [12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 18 19,20 21] ,

3) Turmeric / Curcumin

Turmeric root and its extract curcumin have been widely studied for anti-inflammatory and pain reducing effects in arthritis, autoimmune conditions, and general inflammatory states [20–25]. Absorption matters: some formulas add piperine to improve its absorption [26]; taking curcumin with a meal containing fat may also help.

4) Change your oil.

Fat is essential for the formation of cell membranes (especially nerve cells). Processed vegetable oils, deep-fried foods, and hydrogenated oils promote inflammation. In contrast, healthy fats such as extra virgin olive oil, cold-pressed oils, flax, and fish oil support joint and nerve cell health. Studies show fish oil can ease osteoarthritis pain within 60–90 days [27,28]. Studies have shown omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce pain.

  • Long-term, aim for a balance of omega-3, -6, and -9 fatty acids.

Be very particular about the fats and oils you consume. Avoid fried foods and processed vegetable oils.

Super Omega-3 EPA/DHA formula is made with an IFOS™ certified fish oil that delivers EPA and DHA. Click to learn more.

5) Keep it simple (and personal)

Other botanicals (e.g., willow bark, devil’s claw, ginger) can help inflammation, as can combination formulas. Rather than stacking everything, start simple (curcumin or enzymes) and consider working with a clinician trained in natural healthcare to personalize a plan.

6) MSM (methylsulfonylmethane)

If arthritis is the source of your pain, adding MSM may help. It has been very well studied. MSM blocks inflammatory signals (NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6) and may improve arthritis symptoms [29, 30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40]. Clinical studies show MSM reduces pain and improves function on scales like VAS and WOMAC.

MSM helps support joint comfort after exercise, promotes joint mobility and function and helps inhibit oxidative stress.

7) Chiropractic care

Chiropractors can help reduce nerve pressure, improve mobility, and guide diet/herb/supplement choices. Many people include chiropractic as part of a comprehensive pain plan. Chiropractic patients tend to be more satisifed with their care than medical patients. 

8) Motion is lotion

Too much rest stiffens joints. Gentle, graded movement and PT-guided rehab can improve mobility and strength without aggravating tissues.

Bottom line: The reason for taking pain medication is to change our chemistry—reducing the chemicals that cause inflammation. You can change your chemistry naturally, and get better results than you can possibly imagine. Personally, I was able to get relief from a severe backache with sciatica simply by taking enzymes and following an anti-inflammation diet.

 

  1. Br J Nutr. 2011 Sep;106(6):913-22 Strawberry anthocyanin and its association with postprandial inflammation and insulin
  2. J Nutr. 2015 Jul;145(7):1459-63. Supplementation of the Pure Flavonoids Epicatechin and Quercetin Affects Some Biomarkers of Endothelial Dysfunction and Inflammation in (Pre)Hypertensive Adults: A Randomized Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial
  3. Food Chem. 2020 Apr 25;310:125797 Anthocyanin-rich extract from purple potatoes decreases postprandial glycemic response and affects inflammation markers in healthy men
  4. Nutr Rev. 2019 Jun 22:nuz018 Impact of anthocyanin-rich whole fruit consumption on exercise-induced oxidative stress and inflammation: a systematic review and meta-analysis
  5. Int J Mol Sci. 2018 Mar 12;19(3):816. Anthocyanin-Rich Extract from Red Chinese Cabbage Alleviates Vascular Inflammation in Endothelial Cells and Apo E -/- Mice
  6. PLoS One. 2018 Apr 11;13(4):e0195502 The flavonoid compound apigenin prevents colonic inflammation and motor dysfunctions associated with high fat diet-induced obesity
  7. Nutr Diabetes. 2017 May 15;7(5):e276 Flavonoid intake is inversely associated with obesity and C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation, in US adults
  8. J Ethnopharmacol. 2013 Aug 26;149(1):169-75 The root barks of Morus alba and the flavonoid constituents inhibit airway inflammation
  9. Nutr Res. 2018 Apr;52:98-104 A diet high in carotenoid-rich vegetables and fruits favorably impacts inflammation status by increasing plasma concentrations of IFN-α2 and decreasing MIP-1β and TNF-α in healthy individuals during a controlled feeding trial
  10. Br J Nutr. 2014 Oct 28;112(8):1341-52 Patterns of dietary intake and serum carotenoid and tocopherol status are associated with biomarkers of chronic low-grade systemic inflammation and cardiovascular risk
  11. J Perinatol. 2012 Jun;32(6):418-24 Cerebrospinal fluid levels of inflammation, oxidative stress and NAD+ are linked to differences in plasma carotenoid concentrations
  12. Antibiot Khimioter. 2012;57(9-10):25-7, 29-31 [Impact of exogenous proteolytic enzymes on immunogenesis in patients with urogenital infections]
  13. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1983 Jul;90(7):650-3 Polyglycolic acid and catgut sutures, with and without oral proteolytic enzymes, in the healing of episiotomies
  14. Aesthetic Plast Surg. Jan-Feb 1999;23(1):41-4. Orally administered proteases in aesthetic surgery
  15. Anaesthesist. 1993 Dec;42(12):856-61 [Perioperative enzyme therapy. A significant supplement to postoperative pain therapy?]
  16. Wien Med Wochenschr. 1996;146(5):91-5 [Results of a double-blind, randomized comparative study of Wobenzym-placebo in patients with cervical syndrome]
  17. Wien Med Wochenschr. 1996;146(3):55-8. [Drug therapy of activated arthrosis. On the effectiveness of an enzyme mixture versus diclofenac]
  18. Wien Med Wochenschr. 1999;149(21-22):577-80. [Reducing pain by oral enzyme therapy in rheumatic diseases]
  19. Adv Ther 2018 Jan;35(1):31-42. The Role of Trypsin:Chymotrypsin in Tissue Repair
  20. Cytokine. 2023 Apr;164:156144. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin/turmeric supplementation in adults: A GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials  
  1. Front Immunol. 2023 May 31;14:1121655. Effect of curcumin on rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
  2. Front Immunol. 2022 Aug 1;13:896476.  Curcumin and Curcuma longa Extract in the Treatment of 10 Types of Autoimmune Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 31 Randomized Controlled Trials
  3. Journal of Ethnopharmacology Volume 321, 1 March 2024, 117493 Efficacy and safety of curcumin therapy for knee osteoarthritis: A Bayesian network meta-analysis
  4. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2016 Sep 20;10:3029–3042. The spice for joint inflammation: anti-inflammatory role of curcumin in treating osteoarthritis
  5. Front Immunol. 2022 Aug 1;13:896476.  Curcumin and Curcuma longa Extract in the Treatment of 10 Types of Autoimmune Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 31 Randomized Controlled Trials
  6. Planta Med. 1998 May;64(4):353-6. Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers Study shows that piperine enhances absorption.
  1.  Rheumatol Adv Pract. 2020 Jul 23;4(2):rkaa036. Fish oil supplementation reduces osteoarthritis-specific pain in older adults with overweight/obesity
  2. Journal of Ethnopharmacology Volume 321, 1 March 2024, 117493 Efficacy and safety of curcumin therapy for knee osteoarthritis: A Bayesian network meta-analysis
  3. The anti-inflammatory effects of methylsulfonylmethane on lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses in murine macrophages. Biol. Pharm. Bull. 2009;32:651–656.
  4. Methylsulfonylmethane inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Cytokine. 2015;71:223–231.
  5. The effect of distilled methylsulfonylmethane (msm) on human chondrocytes in vitro. Osteoarthr. Cartil. 2007;15:C123.
  6. The anti-inflammatory effects of methylsulfonylmethane on lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses in murine macrophages. Biol. Pharm. Bull. 2009;32:651–656.
  7. The role of nitric oxide on endothelial function. Curr. Vasc. Pharmacol. 2012;10:4–18.
  8. A regulator of mast cell activation and mast cell-mediated inflammation. Clin. Exp. Immunol. 2002;129:4–10.
  9. Use of Methylsulfonylmethane to Relieve Pain and Relieve Pain and Nocturnal Cramps and to Reduce Stress-Induced Deaths in Animals. 4,973,605. U.S. Patent. 1989 Jul 26.
  10. Dietary Products and Uses Comprising Methylsulfonylmethane. 4,863,748. U.S. Patent. 1986 Jun 26
  11. Dietary and Pharmaceutical Uses of Methylsulfonylmethane and Compositions Comprising It. 4,514,421. U.S. Patent. 1982 Sep 14 Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. 2009 Dec; 1(6): a001651
  12. The role of msm in knee osteoarthritis: A double blind, randomized, prospective study. Osteoarthr. Cartil. 2007;15:C231.
  13. Efficacy of methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) in osteoarthritis pain of the knee: A pilot clinical trial. Osteoarthr. Cartil. 2006;14:286–294.
  14. The effect of methylsulfonylmethane on osteoarthritic large joints and mobility. Int. J. Orthop. 2014;1:19–24.