Look No Further Than Your Pantry For Holistic Pain-Relievers

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A lot of us live with pain, from chronic conditions like arthritis or joint pain, to pain from starting a new exercise. Instead of reaching for the medicine cabinet for an aspirin, did you ever think of reaching in your kitchen cabinet?

Here are six things you'll find in your kitchen that could help you feel better.

Teri Rogacki of Swissvale is just 34 years old, but rheumatoid arthritis and lupus had her in excruciating pain.

"It was awful," Rogacki said. "I felt like I was 90 years old. Waking up every morning, it took me at least a half an hour to 45 minutes to get out of bed."

When traditional medicine didn't work, Teri tried tart cherry juice every day on the recommendation of dietician Leslie Bonci, and it worked.

"Thirty days later, my pain was gone -- completely gone. It was an absolute miracle for me," Teri said.

Leslie says the key is it has to be tart, and you have to drink it every day -- 8 ounces of the juice or one tablespoon of the concentrate.

Bonci says this is just one of many food products that can reduce pain.

Saffron has been used for centuries.

"It comes from the Middle East and Asia," Bonci says, "and this is like gold. It's very, very costly because it's very, very rare."

Saffron adds unique flavor to foods, but it can also be taken as a supplement.

A new study in the clinical journal of sport medicine found that daily saffron supplements were more effective at preventing muscle weakness and pain after strenuous exercise than anti-inflammatory drugs.

Another Asian spice for pain -- turmeric.

It's proven to be a potent anti-inflammatory treatment going back thousands of years, helping not only with pain from arthritis but also protection against cognitive decline, cancer and heart disease.

To get all those effects, use the spice instead of the pill.

"Going back to the way it used to be. This is what people used to do and also what many people do in other countries of the world," Bonci adds.

Ginger has been proven to help with muscle soreness that comes on hours after you exercise or exert your body.

You need 500 milligrams a day -- that's about 1 inch of ginger root, one-quarter teaspoon of the spice or you can get it in a supplement.

If you like it hot, there's cayenne.

It can be used as a cream you rub on the affected area, or you can eat it as a powder, in cracked pepper or as a liquid in Tobasco sauce.

"The most important thing is, if you're using something that's not just straight cayenne, look to make sure in the list of ingredients there is cayenne. Not all peppers are created equal," Bonci says.

Something you may already be having -- caffeine.

Bonci says, "other people have noticed when they do this, they rely a little less on antiinflammatories they take. So that caffeine might mean less aspirin, less Motrin, less acetaminophen, and there's nothing wrong with that."

Bonci created a "performance shot" the Pirates take before each game made of tart cherry juice, pineapple juice, ginger, turmeric and grated orange peel -- another way you can get these all-natural pain relievers into your daily diet.

With all of these food products, in order to see results, you have to be consistent.

Teri learned that the hard way when her pain returned when she forgot her juice on a vacation. She says, "you have to be absolutely adamant and persistent with taking this, just like with any other medication."

Teri's been pain-free for three years now and is still taking her tart cherry juice every day.

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