Drug-free pain relief

Following up on a recent post I wrote about the misuse of OTC pain relievers, I felt somewhat remiss for not offering alternative solutions.

As such, listed below are two time-tested methods to soothe pain -- without risking any of the potential side-effects of medications.

Heat - Heat wraps and heating pads work well to increase blood flow to a specific area of your body, which, in turn, relaxes the muscles. Just be sure to not heat injured areas that are swollen, as adding heat may further increase swelling.

Ice - A cold pack or even ice in a plastic bag should be applied immediately following a minor injury. It's best to ice for a period of time (20 minutes is usually sufficient) and then spend time with the ice off (again, 20 minutes usually works well), repeating this process several times. It's best to avoid direct contact with ice by the skin, so wrap the pack in a towel or other cloth material.

While these are two very fundamental methods, neither carries the potential risks associated with OTC pain medications.