Experiments that help alleviate pain

Magnesium supplementation reliably reduces muscle cramps specifically in pregnancy and in people with documented magnesium deficiency, while evidence in otherwise healthy non-deficient people is weaker.

56% noticed a change420 tried

Moderate◆Supplement

PEA for nerve and inflammatory pain

A fatty acid your body already makes to calm pain and neuroinflammation, with strong trial evidence and an almost clean safety record.

53% noticed a change381 tried

Moderate◆Supplement

CoQ10 for migraines

CoQ10 completes the riboflavin-magnesium migraine trio, targeting the same energy deficit by a different route, so the three stack.

48% noticed a change218 tried

Established◆Supplement

Riboflavin (B2) for migraines

A B-vitamin at 400mg (about 235x the RDA) has guideline-backed evidence for migraine prevention and a remarkably clean safety record.

44% noticed a change274 tried

Moderate◉Dietary

Tart cherry for muscle soreness and gout

Montmorency cherry's anthocyanins reduce exercise-induced muscle damage and lower uric acid, two well-replicated effects most people don't know.

42% noticed a change220 tried

Established◎Lifestyle

Exercise for chronic low back pain

Bed rest worsens chronic low back pain outcomes, while regular exercise, particularly combining strength training with aerobic activity, is the most consistently evidence-backed treatment available.

42% noticed a change172 tried

Moderate◆Supplement

Ginger for period pain and sore muscles

At concentrated doses, powdered ginger matches NSAIDs for menstrual pain in trials, and also helps muscle soreness and nausea.

39% noticed a change418 tried

Moderate◷Protocol

Sleep position for low back pain

Poor sleep position allows the spine to be loaded in ways that increase pain and stiffness the next morning, and specific adjustments consistently reduce overnight pain accumulation in chronic back pain.

39% noticed a change441 tried

Moderate◆Supplement

High-dose fish oil for inflammatory joint pain

The anti-inflammatory effect on joint pain appears only around 2.7-3g of EPA+DHA daily, roughly triple the usual cardiovascular dose.

38% noticed a change240 tried

Established◆Supplement

Capsaicin cream for localized pain

Capsaicin relieves nerve and joint pain by first provoking it, so it only works with scheduled daily use over weeks, not as-needed.

37% noticed a change336 tried

Moderate◎Lifestyle

Heat therapy for low back pain

Continuous low-level heat applied to the lower back reduces acute and chronic pain and disability more effectively than cold therapy or acetaminophen in controlled trials.

37% noticed a change361 tried

Moderate◆Supplement

Glucosamine and chondroitin for joint pain

The NIH-funded GAIT trial found no benefit for mild knee OA but significant pain relief specifically in people with moderate-to-severe pain, a subgroup distinction that gets lost in blanket 'doesn't work' headlines.

35% noticed a change289 tried

Moderate◎Lifestyle

Yoga for chronic low back pain

A meta-analysis of 10 randomized trials found yoga significantly reduced pain and disability from chronic low back pain at short-term and medium-term follow-up.

35% noticed a change406 tried

Moderate◆Supplement

Curcumin for joint pain

Turmeric's anti-inflammatory compound is almost unabsorbable on its own; only the bioavailability-enhanced forms match NSAIDs for joint pain.

32% noticed a change378 tried

Moderate◎Lifestyle

Walking for chronic low back pain

Randomized trials find walking programs produce clinically meaningful reductions in chronic low back pain and disability, and the evidence is at least as strong as for more complex exercise therapy.

32% noticed a change411 tried

Established◆Supplement