Pain Relief

Nutrients connected to Pain Relief

A link means the body needs the nutrient for this, or that low intake is linked to it. It does not mean extra supplements help if your intake is already adequate; each link shows how strong the evidence is.

• Willow barkClinically supported

  Short-term low back pain: standardized extracts were probably better than placebo in two trials; EU rates the dry extract as well-established use.

• ArnicaPreliminary or mixed

  Skin use is accepted in the EU for localized muscle pain on traditional grounds; one trial found pain relief similar to ibuprofen gel in hand osteoarthritis.

• Devil's clawPreliminary or mixed

  Standardized root extracts reduced short-term pain more than placebo in some trials; the Cochrane review rated this low quality.

• CorydalisPreliminary or mixed

  Corydalis is traditionally used for pain. One small experimental-pain trial was positive, but no disease trials were found, so the evidence is very limited.

• Cayenne and chili pepperClinically supported

  The EU regulator accepts defined capsaicin plasters and creams for muscle pain; this is for skin products, not food.

• ClovesPreliminary or mixed

  Dental studies of clove oil or eugenol and a clove gel report less pain than placebo; they are small and not about the spice in food.

• Kashmiri chiliClinically supported

  The prescription capsaicin patch gave more people moderate or substantial pain relief than control in nerve pain; low-dose cream showed no meaningful effect.

• Chamomile Oil (Roman and German)Preliminary or mixed

  Reduced pain scores after cesarean birth in short trials; does not replace pain medicine.

• Dead Sea MudPreliminary or mixed

  Less knee pain in several analyses; mixed and add-on only.

• Peloids and Mud TherapyPreliminary or mixed

  Less pain in several analyses; add-on to usual care.

• Balneotherapy (Spa Therapy)Preliminary or mixed

  Pain improved in fibromyalgia and back pain reviews; certainty low.

• Joint Formulas (Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM, Turmeric)Preliminary or mixed

  Pain scores were the main outcome; effects were small for glucosamine and chondroitin and short-term for turmeric.

• CarnitinePreliminary or mixed

  Acetyl-L-carnitine gave a modest pain reduction compared with placebo in four trials of painful nerve damage; few trials.

• Alpha-lipoic acidPreliminary or mixed

  NCCIH describes weak evidence of a possible benefit for neuropathy pain; results are mixed and not a treatment plan.

• Curcumin (turmeric supplements)Preliminary or mixed

  Early studies report less knee osteoarthritis pain; one source says a turmeric extract matched paracetamol or ibuprofen in trials, but evidence is not conclusive.

• PeppermintPreliminary or mixed

  Oil reduced belly pain in IBS trials; limited evidence for topical use in tension headache. Not shown for general pain.

• California poppyLab or animal research only

  Peripheral analgesic effect in mice; no human data found.

• BoswelliaPreliminary or mixed

  Osteoarthritis trials report lower pain scores, but MSK notes boswellic acid showed no analgesic effect in the lab work cited; evidence is mixed.

• ComfreyPreliminary or mixed

  Topical comfrey products reduced pain versus placebo in single trials; not shown for oral use.

• AjwainPreliminary or mixed

  Small trials of ajwain cream or oil on the skin gave mixed results: less foot burning in one, no benefit for chemotherapy nerve symptoms in another, and lower injection pain in children in a third.

• Nirgundi (Chinese chaste tree)Preliminary or mixed

  Two small trials of a branded blend reported less pain than placebo; nirgundi alone is untested in people.

• Angelica dahurica (bai zhi)Lab or animal research only

  Traditional use and rat migraine data; no human trials found.

• Angelica pubescens (du huo)Preliminary or mixed

  Traditionally used for pain; pain scores improved in formula trials, but these do not test the herb alone.

• Ajwain (carom seed)Preliminary or mixed

  Small trials of cream or oil applied locally gave mixed results; no trial of seeds eaten as food.

• Juniper berryPreliminary or mixed

  One 2025 trial in period pain found less pain with juniper capsules, compared with a standard drug, not placebo.

• Ancho chileClinically supported

  Skin use of standardised capsicum extract for muscle pain is accepted by EMA; not a food effect.

• CabbagePreliminary or mixed

  Cabbage leaf wraps relieved knee osteoarthritis pain in one small trial and cold leaves may ease breast pain per LactMed; evidence is limited.

• Rose Oil (Otto and Absolute)Preliminary or mixed

  Low-quality pooled evidence for lower acute pain scores with rose aromatherapy.

• Peppermint OilPreliminary or mixed

  Tension headache evidence is limited.

• Clove OilPreliminary or mixed

  A 2025 review listed clove oil among promising dental pain relievers; evidence is limited and not about home use.

• Nettle TeaPreliminary or mixed

  Relief of minor joint pain, traditional use (EU monograph); no tea trial.

• Rose TeaPreliminary or mixed

  Menstrual pain scores were lower with rose tea in one trial. No other pain trial of the tea was found.

• Clove TeaPreliminary or mixed

  A clove gel numbed the gum before a needle about as well as a benzocaine gel in 73 volunteers. This was a gel, not tea; the EU found no controlled studies for toothache.

• Sulfur (Sulphur) BathsPreliminary or mixed

  Pain scores improved in some spa-water arthritis trials; weak quality.

• Bee Venom (Apitherapy)Preliminary or mixed

  Pooled small trials of venom acupuncture reported lower musculoskeletal pain than saline; evidence preliminary.

• Sesame Oil on Skin and HairPreliminary or mixed

  Pain scores fell more with topical sesame oil massage in a pooled analysis of four trials.

• Collagen Peptides (Hydrolyzed Collagen)Preliminary or mixed

  Knee osteoarthritis pain scores were lower than placebo in pooled trials; pain is self-reported and placebo response is large.

• UC-II (Undenatured Type II Collagen)Preliminary or mixed

  Pain scales improved versus placebo in some knee osteoarthritis trials; quality of evidence in a 2018 overview ranged from very low to high.

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