When you've got a pounding headache, a stuffy nose, or indigestion, you might reach into the medicine cabinet. But you can also treat these (and many other) everyday ailments safely with natural remedies. 

Herbs, dietary strategies, and supplements can take longer to work than their conventional counterparts, but may prove more effective in the long run. 

Why? Because natural therapies target the root of a problem, rather than just suppress symptoms. Here's the lowdown on how to treat five common ailments with natural approaches.

Pain Relief
For mild headaches, consider Tiger Balm, says Andrew Weil, M.D., author of the upcoming "Why Our Health Matters." This Chinese ointment contains menthol, which creates a warm, tingling feeling that eases pain when rubbed into your neck or temples. 

Massaging a few drops of lavender essential oil onto your temples may also help for headaches triggered by stress, says herbalist Deb Soule, author of "A Woman's Book of Herbs." Indeed, past research has shown that lavender can promote relaxation. Or try plant remedies with a long history of traditional use and supporting scientific evidence: "Willow bark and meadowsweet both have anti-inflammatory properties that may help relieve headaches," Soule explains.

Take 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of tincture as needed at the first sign of symptoms. For arthritis pain, turn to turmeric, boswellia, or fish oil, which all show promise in recent research; talk to a health-care practitioner about the best form and dosage.

Cold Cures
Take a dropperful of echinacea tincture in water four times a day at the first sign of symptoms, until they subside. Some studies have shown it can shorten colds, though results are mixed. Soule has found that elderberry syrup, which research suggests can fight flu, may also ease symptoms of a common cold. Take according to directions until a few days after symptoms have disappeared. 

Diet matters, too; eat plenty of raw or lightly cooked garlic, which contains antiviral compounds, and add thyme to soups or salad dressings. You also might try a neti pot, an Aladdin's lamp-shaped vessel that you fill with warm salt water and use to irrigate congested nasal passages. A small study showed that this practice can help decrease the symptoms associated with chronic sinus infections.