Herbal tinctures can be a great natural alternative to over the counter pain relievers for mild pain. These tinctures for pain are made from plants with pain-relieving beneficial compounds that can help to relieve muscle spasms, headaches, inflammatory pain, and more.
There are many medicinal herbs and other plants that can be helpful in providing long term pain relief for mild pain. Headaches, muscle aches, and joint pain can all be reduced naturally using certain herbs, flowers, and roots.
Cloves are excellent for numbing pain and reducing inflammation, while turmeric root and black pepper (especially when consumed together) are strong anti-inflammatories and can help to ease chronic pain.
If you’re looking for a natural alternative to conventional pain medications that can address mild aches and pains, the below recipes are good ones to try!
What you need
Making tinctures is surprisingly easy. You only need a few tools to make tinctures and the recipes in this post use most of the same ingredients.
Tools
An airtight container with a plastic lid – I use a glass mason jar with parchment paper between the metal lid and tincture or extraction to prevent the alcohol from corroding the metal.
4 oz dropper bottle or other glass storage jar – I like these
A fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth, or coffee filter
A small funnel
Supplies
Fresh or dried plant material
80-proof organic grain alcohol (or 40% alcohol) – If you cannot find organic, just use what you have.
For complete measurements, see the more detailed blog posts linked below.
How to consume tinctures
All of these tinctures can be taken directly or you can dilute them in water or tea. To take them directly, add the dosage under your tongue. Hold it there for a few seconds and then swallow. To dilute them, simply add the dosage to a glass of water or other beverage.
How to make a non-alcohol version of these tinctures
You can easily make these tinctures without alcohol by following the same recipes but swapping the alcohol for organic vegetable glycerine or store-bought raw apple cider vinegar.
Alcohol is the best solvent to extract beneficial compounds from plant material, so vinegar and glycerin extracts will not be as potent as alcohol-based tinctures. They will also not last as long – I like to use vinegar extracts within six months and glycerin extracts within one year.
Good tinctures for pain
Clove Tincture
Cloves are the dried flower buds of the clove tree (Syzygium aromaticum). Clove trees are native to Indonesia and produce small, reddish-brown buds that are known for their warm, spicy flavor and intense aroma. Their strong flavour and pain-relieving properties come from the bud’s essential oils, which are extracted when making clove tincture or clove extract.
How to make it
You can read more detailed instructions here.
Add the dried cloves to a coffee grinder. Blend until they are a fine powder. (I don’t have a coffee grinder so I use whole cloves to make this tincture.)
Add the cloves to a steralise clean mason jar (or any glass jar you have).
To begin the extraction process, submerge the cloves in alcohol and make sure they’re completely covered.
Add the lid and shake the jar to ensure all of the cloves are covered by alcohol.
Leave the jar to sit in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight for 6-8 weeks.
Aim to shake the jar 3-4 times a week to keep everything covered in alcohol.
After 6-8 weeks, use a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to strain off the tincture. If you ground your cloves, I’d recommend using cheesecloth or a coffee filter to ensure that all of the cloves are removed from the final tincture.
Use a funnel to add the tincture to an amber glass dropper bottle.
Add the date and label the tincture to make sure you don’t forget what it is.
How much clove tincture to take?
Start by taking a small amount (a few drops) and work your way up to a full dose. I like to take 1 dropper full per day.
How long does clove tincture last?
Like many homemade alcohol-based tinctures, clove tincture has a long shelf life if stored away from direct sunlight. I like to use the tincture within 1-2 years.
Turmeric Root Tincture
A member of the ginger family, turmeric root (scientifically known as curcuma longa) is jam-packed with antioxidants and other medicinal properties that can support your heart and brain, as well as reduce pain from inflammatory diseases. This is a wonderful pain relief tincture to have on hand.
How to make it
You can read more detailed instructions here.
Fully sterilise your glass jar and lid.
If using fresh turmeric root, wash it thoroughly (if you can easily clean it, there’s no need to peel the turmeric). Chop the turmeric into small pieces.
When making tinctures with fresh herbs, I like to use the ratio 1:3. For fresh turmeric, fill the glass jar ¾ of the way full with chopped turmeric. Wear gloves when chopping turmeric if you don’t want to have yellow-stained fingers for a few days!
If using dried turmeric, fill the jar ½ of the way full. If you’re using a large jar, this can become expensive, so consider using a smaller jar to reduce how much of the dried turmeric you need to use.
Estimate roughly 1/10 the amount of black peppercorns compared to your turmeric and add those into the jar as well.
Cover the turmeric and black pepper completely with alcohol.
Add the lid and shake the jar to ensure everything is covered by the alcohol.
Set the jar in a cold, dark place away from direct sunlight for 6-8 weeks. I like to store my tinctures in the pantry or in a dark cupboard.
Try to shake the jar 3-4 times per week to ensure that everything remains completely covered with alcohol.
After 6-8 weeks, strain off the tincture using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. If you used dried turmeric or ground pepper, I’d recommend using cheesecloth to ensure that the plant material is completely strained off from the tincture.
Use a small funnel to transfer the tincture into a small amber glass dropper bottle. Make sure to label and date the tincture so you remember what it is and don’t confuse it with your other homemade herbal supplements.
Turmeric tincture dosage
I like to take 1-2 droppers full (about 30-60 drops) 1-3 times per day.
How long with turmeric tincture last?
Tinctures made with alcohol can last a very long time if the plant material is completely strained off from the tincture before storing. This tincture can last 2-4 years if stored properly.
Black Pepper Tincture
Peppercorns, particularly black peppercorns (piper nigrum), have been used in herbal medicine for a long time. While it was valued as a seasoning, it was (and still is!) also used to treat digestive issues, tooth pain, and even colds.
How to make it
You can read more detailed instructions here.
Add the peppercorns to a food processor and blitz them for a few seconds. You can alternatively mash them in a mortar and pestle or use a pepper grinder. This is to maximise the surface area of the peppercorn that is exposed to the alcohol.
Add the peppercorns to a clean glass jar. Fill the jar ½ full.
Cover them in alcohol completely. Add a tight lid and shake the jar to make sure everything is completely covered.
Date and label the jar. Set it in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight for 6-8 weeks. You can leave them for less time, but the flavour and medicinal benefits will not be as strong.
After 6-8 weeks, use cheesecloth or a coffee filter to strain off the peppercorns from the liquid. The best way I’ve found to do this is to use cheesecloth to filter off the large chunks and then use a coffee filter to filter off the small bits of peppercorn. It’s worth spending a bit of time straining off the tincture and making sure all of the peppercorns have been removed.
Use a funnel to bottle the liquid extract. Date and label the black pepper tincture and store it in a cool place (room temperature is fine) away from sunlight. It’s ready to use!
How much peppercorn tincture to take?
I like to take 1 dropper full (about 20-30 drops) after meals to help with digestion. You can start by taking a small amount and work your way up.
How long does peppercorn tincture last?
Like many homemade alcohol-based herbal remedies, this tincture has a long shelf life if stored away from direct sunlight, and the peppercorns are removed from the final tincture. I like to use the tincture within 1-2 years.
Chamomile Flower Tincture
I like to use German chamomile (scientifically known as matricaria chamomilla and matricaria recutita) in my tinctures because it is more commonly found in my area. Chamomile can help to calm the nervous system and reduce tension pain.
How to make it
You can read more detailed instructions here.
The first step is to fully sanitise your glass jar, lid, and amber glass dropper bottle.
If you’re using fresh chamomile flowers, fill a glass jar ¾ of the way full. If you’re using dried flowers, fill the glass jar ⅓ of the way full to leave room for the flowers to absorb the alcohol.
Submerge the plant material in alcohol.
Add a lid to the jar and shake it vigorously to ensure everything is covered in alcohol.
Set the jar in a cool, dark place for 6-8 weeks. Shake the jar 3-4 times a week to make sure everything remains covered in alcohol.
After 6-8 weeks, use cheesecloth, a fine mesh strainer, or a coffee filter to strain off the tincture.
Take care to completely remove the plant material from the liquid. If you don’t the tincture could go bad more quickly. I tend to strain off my tinctures a few times to fully remove the plant matter.
Use a funnel to pour the tincture into an amber glass bottle. I like to use the bottles that come with a dropper because it makes taking the tincture simple.
Date and label the finished tincture so you remember what it is and when you made it. Store it in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight. That’s it – enjoy!
How long does chamomile tincture last?
As long as the plant material is removed from the final tincture and
it’s stored away from direct sunlight and in a cool place, it should
last for years.
What dosage?
I like to take 1-3 dropper fulls per day or about 1 teaspoon before bed to help with sleep.
Disclaimer – I’m not a medical professional and do not intend to offer medical or health advice in any content I create. I offer information for educational purposes and, as always, get your physician’s advice or the advice of your health care provider before trying a new herbal remedy. There are always possible unintended consequences of trying a new herbal remedy such as an allergic reaction, adverse reactions, or unexpected negative side effects like interactions with other prescription medication.
What to read next
How To Make DIY Wild Lettuce Tincture (For Pain and Sleep)
How To Make St. John’s Wort Tincture (Herbal Medicine)
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