Sometimes hot and cold water therapy can work miracles for reducing and alleviating pain. You can benefit from this type of therapy by utilizing heating pads or bottles, applying ice, or actually immersing the painful body part in water. Jacuzzis are a good choice, too, if available, and can of course be fun as well as pain-relieving. If no Jacuzzi is available, of course a bath tub will work just as well. Water therapy may have to be used often in order to benefit from continued pain relief, but at least it's a cost effective way to reduce your medication costs.

As long as your doctor approves and you're physically able to perform it, exercise can provide excellent pain relief for some conditions. Of course you shouldn't exercise strenuously for hours on a daily basis, but light stretching, aerobics and weight lifting work wonders for relieving pain. The good thing is that you only have to exercise approximately 20 - 30 minutes a day to reap any benefits. The endorphins that are released during exercise will activate your body's natural pain killers, and also help to improve depression that many people with chronic pain conditions suffer from as well.

Everyone knows the possible effects of stress in a person's life. If left untreated, stress can really wreck havoc in a person's life by causing numerous medical conditions, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and chronic pain, among other conditions. Stress reduction is imperative, no matter what the cause, and there are many simple ways of relieving stress in your life. Sometimes something as simple as going on a weekend getaway, working less hours, or participating in something enjoyable such as sports, a new hobby or attending religious services can be just the thing that you need in order to keep your stress levels to a minimum, therefore lessening pain in the process. If you're not sure exactly what relieves stress for you, you could try experimentation to discover what works best for you.

There are numerous herbal concoctions that companies claim can naturally alleviate pain, but unless recommended by your physician, you should steer clear of them. These herbs may not only be ineffective, but can potentially cause dangerous interactions with your medications. Many people seek herbs as a way of reducing pain in order to avoid side effects, yet what many of them don't realize is that herbal pain relief supplements can cause just as many side effects as prescription medications. For this reason, it isn't a good idea to self-medicate with these types of products.

There is no need for you to spend an arm and a leg, buying pain medication that oftentimes doesn't completely take away your pain, anyway. These and other natural remedies are safe, effective and free of side effects. You'll not only save money by using natural remedies instead, but you're also likely to feel a lot better in the long run. Of course you should never discontinue medication prescribed by a doctor without your doctor's approval, but it's almost guaranteed that he will agree that if your pain has lessened then your analgesics can be decreased, changed, or discontinued. Less pain meds means more money in your pocket.