With the public's growing awareness of the deadly side effects associated with the regular use of synthetic painkillers like ibuprofen, the need for natural, evidence-based alternatives has never been greater.

 

People generally think that over-the-counter drugs are safer than physician-prescribed ones. Unfortunately that does not hold true for drugs like ibuprofen, consumed at a rate of billions of doses, annually, and responsible for thousands of cardiovascular disease-related deaths each year.

Did you know that Merck's blockbuster drug Vioxx caused more than 27,000 deaths and heart attacks between 1999 and 2003? In fact, it was the FDA's own drug safety researcher, David Graham, who blew the whistle on the agency in 2004 at a Congressional hearing, estimating that over 60,000 Americans died as a result of its use, and the FDA's inaction around their well-known side effects.

What does this have to do with ibuprofen? Researchers have known that ibuprofen is at least as dangerous as Vioxx for at least six years. But millions continue to take this drug, daily, without receiving adequate warning, while heart disease and cardiac mortality statistics continue to expand unabated.

Considering the veritable nightmare of adverse effects associated with ibuprofen use -- the "pain killer" that that is 'so effective' it permanently cures pain by killing the patient -- it behooves both the medical profession and the health consumer to find safer alternatives, even if that means going back to the time-tested, multi-culturally validated tradition of herbal medicine.

Here are a 5 clinically validated, natural alternatives worth considering:

1. Arnica: a 2007 study found that arnica, applied topically, was as effective as ibuprofen for relieving symptoms associated with osteoarthritis of the wrist, and with less side effects.

2. Ginger: a 2009 study found that ginger was effective as ibuprofen for pain symptoms associated with difficult menstrual cycles (dysmenorrhea).

3. Turmeric: a 2014 study found that turmeric extracts were as effective as ibuprofen for relieving symptoms of knee osteoarthritis.

4. Thyme: 2004 study found that an extract of thyme was as effective as ibuprofen in reducing pain and spasm symptoms associated with difficult menstrual cycles (dysmenorrhea).

5. Omega-3 fatty acids: a 2006 study found that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation with fish oil helped neurosurgery patients reduce their need for medications, and experienced results consistent with previous research indicating palliative effects at least as effective as ibuprofen.

6. Cinnamon: a 2015 study found that cinnamon was as effective as ibuprofen for pain associated with difficult menstrual cycles (dysmenorrhea).

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of GreenMedInfo or its staff.

© January 28th 2019 GreenMedInfo LLC. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of GreenMedInfo LLC. Want to learn more from GreenMedInfo? Sign up for the newsletter here http://www.greenmedinfo.com/greenmed/newsletter.