I discovered this remedy by accident. I had a headache that would not go away. I had tried pills, but nothing worked. I was standing in my kitchen, holding a potato, when I remembered an old folk remedy my grandmother had told me about years earlier.
She said that rubbing a raw potato on a painful spot could draw the pain out. I thought it was superstition, but I was desperate.
I cut a slice of raw potato and rubbed it on my temples, the back of my neck, and my wrists. Within minutes, the headache began to fade. By the time I put the potato down, the pain had completely disappeared.
Why Rubbing Potato on Pain Works
Potatoes contain a compound called solanine, which has mild anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. When you rub a raw potato directly on the skin over a painful area, these compounds are absorbed through the skin and begin working on the underlying tissues.
But there is something else happening too. The act of rubbing stimulates circulation to the area, which helps your body flush out the waste products that accumulate in painful tissues. The cool temperature of the raw potato also helps reduce inflammation and numb the surface of the skin.
How to Use Potato for Pain Relief
Cut a raw potato into thick slices. Rub the cut side of the slice directly onto the painful area. Use firm, circular motions for five to ten minutes. As the slice becomes warm from your skin, switch to a fresh slice. Continue until the pain begins to subside.
For headaches, rub the potato slices on your temples, forehead, and the back of your neck. For muscle pain, rub directly onto the sore spot. For joint pain, rub around the joint, not directly on the bone.
What I Have Used It For Since That First Day
I have used this method for headaches, muscle aches, arthritis pain in my fingers, and even for the sharp pain in my heel from plantar fasciitis. In every case, the pain has either disappeared completely or become mild enough to ignore within ten minutes of rubbing.
Why This Works When Pills Do Not
Pain pills have to travel through your digestive system before they reach the source of your pain. This takes time and can put stress on your liver and kidneys. Rubbing potato directly on the painful spot delivers pain-relieving compounds exactly where they are needed, instantly, without any systemic side effects.
A Simple, Free Remedy
A single potato costs pennies. It lasts for multiple uses. There are no chemicals, no pills to swallow, and no side effects. It is one of the simplest, most effective natural pain relievers I have ever encountered.
My grandmother was right. The potato is not just for eating. It is one of the most underrated natural painkillers in existence. The next time you are in pain, reach for a potato before you reach for a pill. You will be amazed at what happens.
For more amazing natural remedies, check out how diabetes drops to 90 in an instant or how just one tablespoon helped someone run like a young girl. You might also love discovering how bay leaf can be stronger than Botox for your skin!
