For minor burns like sunburns or first-degree burns, you might use natural remedies to relieve pain, including certain alternative therapies or herbal remedies. Consult your physician before using any natural treatment, including oral or topical herbs, to relieve burn-related pain to weigh the risks and benefits.
Natural Remedies
Natural remedies that may relieve pain from burns include calendula, plantain, turmeric and aloe vera. Corydalis can help relieve nerve pain, and white willow bark might reduce pain and inflammation associated with burns, notes the University of Michigan Health System. Massage therapy, homeopathic treatments, therapeutic touch, hypnosis and acupuncture using transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or TENS, may also help treat burn pain. No widely accepted scientific evidence supports the use of any natural remedies for relieving burn-associated pain, however.
Functions
Aloe vera has soothing and healing properties that can ease pain from burns, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. Turmeric’s main constituent, called curcumin, has anti-inflammatory properties that can ease pain and inflammation from burns. Calendula and plantain appear to have anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving and skin-repairing actions in treating burns. White willow bark contains aspirin-like constituents that relieve pain and inflammation, while corydalis contains the analgesic alkaloid called tetrahydropalmatine. or THP.
Application & Dosage
You can apply some of these herbs as topical remedies to relieve pain from burns or take them orally. Suggested dosage of turmeric extract is 300 mg three times daily by mouth.
A daily dosage of corydalis would equal 75 mg of THP, or 5 to 10 g daily of the dried whole rhizome. You can apply aloe vera, plantain or calendula cream, gel or ointment to burns up to three or four times daily, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. Calendula tea might also help when applied to burns. Make the tea by diluting ½ to 1 tsp. of calendula tincture in ¼ cup of water or by steeping 1 tsp. of calendula flowers in 1 cup of boiling water for 15 minutes. Talk with your health care provider before using any oral or topical remedies to relieve pain from burns.
Medical Evidence
Aloe vera gel works better than Vaseline for treating burns, according to a preliminary study published in the Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand in 1995. Animal studies published in Planta Medica in 1994 and Phytomedicine in 1996 found that topical calendula remedies have anti-inflammatory and skin-healing effects, notes the University of Michigan Health System. A laboratory study reported in Acta Anaesthesiologica Sinica in 1996 discovered that white willow bark can reduce inflammation and relieve pain by affecting inflammatory processes in the body and spinal cord nerves. And preliminary studies in China published in 1990 indicated that taking corydalis effectively reduced nerve pain, reported the University of Michigan Health System.
Warnings
All natural or herbal remedies can have health risks, drug interactions or side effects. For example, topical remedies like calendula and plantain can cause allergic skin reactions in some people. You might also have an allergic reaction to white willow bark if you’re sensitive to aspirin. Turmeric can interact negatively with blood-thinning drugs like Coumadin and aspirin, heartburn medications that decrease stomach acid, as well as hypoglycemic medications for treating diabetes, warns the University of Maryland Medical Center. Talk about these and other potential risks of with your doctor.
