Kratom (or Mitragyna speciosa) is now the best choice for many people looking to relieve their pain. The leaves of this Asian tree have analgesic properties that are helping millions of people that need to cope with physical pain. But there are so many kratom varieties available, that many people wonder which one they should use. In this post, we will examine the best kratom strains for pain.
Kratom, the Natural Pain Reliever
Millions of people claim that kratom has literally saved their lives thanks to its analgesic properties. The use of Mitragyna speciosa is allowing them to continue with their lives normally despite the pain (which, in many cases, is chronic). But why is kratom such an effective pain reliever? Because of the effect of its alkaloids on your body.
The kratom leaves that you consume contain more than 20 alkaloids, but the most abundant one is mitragynine. Mitragynine is a potent analgesic that is reported to have effects similar to morphine or other opioid painkillers. But kratom does not cause the respiratory depression associated with opiates and opioids. That’s why so many people are now relying on kratom to relieve pain.
More Positive Effects of Kratom
Kratom also has other alkaloids, such as 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OHM), which has sedative and calming properties. These alkaloids are opioid receptor agonists. That is, they interact with the kappa, delta, and mu receptors to mimic the action of the opioid peptides our body naturally produces. The opioid peptides are crucial in managing pain, stress, mood, or motivation. Opioids, opiates, and other substances that interact with the opioid receptors (such as kratom’s alkaloids or food proteins such as gluten or milk proteins) mimic these effects.
When interacting with the opioid receptors, kratom will bring about several effects, such as:
- Pain relief
- Relaxation
- Euphoria
- Sedation
- Stimulation
- Mind clarity
The alkaloids contained in the kratom leaves have a very peculiar mechanism: they are more energizing at low doses, but more sedative at high doses. That is why in general we can say that kratom is stimulating at low doses and relaxing at higher doses. However, the kratom type that you use also plays an important role in the effects: white kratom strains are usually the most energizing and euphoric varieties, while red kratom strains are the most sedative and analgesic types. Green kratom varieties offer the full spectrum effects of kratom, but they are usually less potent than white and red varieties.
Best Kratom Strains for Pain
Because kratom doesn’t affect all consumers equally, it is difficult to find a consensus between users on which kratom strains are best for pain. However, most kratom users agree that the varieties below are the best kratom strains for pain.
Thus, we recommend you try different strains until you find the one that works best for you. As you’ll notice, most of the kratom strains for pain we have included are red, except for one. We have also included a green kratom strain.
- Red Bali: This kratom strain is arguably the users’ favorite for relieving pain. Red Bali kratom has amazing analgesic properties and is the number one choice for many kratom users. It also has a calming side (that can turn out sedative at high doses) and is very good at producing euphoria.
- Red Maeng Da: Many kratom users praise this kratom strain because it relieves pain, but it is not so sedating as other red strains. It also promotes euphoria and a sense of well-being. In fact, some users claim that this strain is actually energizing (others report that red Maeng Da actually makes them sleepy, so, again it affects users differently).
- Red Hulu: This strain is a great choice to use during daytime, as it doesn’t have sedative effects. Red Hulu kratom is also a good strain if you want to achieve euphoria. And its effects are very long-lasting.
- Red Borneo: This is a classic among the best kratom strains for pain. However, red Borneo is also a potent sedative, so it is recommendable you use it at night, as it will also help you sleep and don’t use very high dosages.
- Green Malay: Red kratom varieties are usually regarded as the best kratom strains for pain. However, green Malay (or super green Malay) is also a great choice that most kratom users love. This green variety will help you cope with pain and will boost your mood thanks to its euphoric effects.
Does Kratom Have Side Effects?
Yes, kratom has side effects. And while most of the times kratom’s side effects are not dangerous, they can be very unpleasant:
- Constipation
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Migraines
- Eye wobbles
In most cases, these side effects are the result of high doses. That’s why you need to be very careful with the dosage. On the other hand, red kratom strains are usually associated with eye wobbles. Therefore, you need to pay extra attention to your dosage when using red kratom.
Another consequence of taking high doses of kratom regularly is kratom tolerance. Your body can build up kratom tolerance after taking kratom for a while. Avoiding using kratom daily and keeping your dosages at moderate levels is the best way to fight kratom tolerance. But using different strains can also prevent tolerance (as each strain has a different set of alkaloids).
