Using Essential Oils For Pain Relief
Essential oils are everywhere these days - from your local health food store to online marketplaces, it's easier than ever to pick up a bottle of essential oil. There are so many benefits to essential oils - among other things, they can be used for stress relief, for skin care, to reduce pain without drugs or side effects. If you're interested in trying essential oils for pain relief this post is for you! All it takes is a little know-how and you'll be on your way to making your own custom pain-relief essential oil blends!
Best Essential Oils for Pain Relief
1. Chamomile - Treats pain in inflamed joints and muscles. The calming effect of chamomile can also help get relief from headaches, sore muscles and nerve pain like sciatica and slipped discs. Chamomile also has a soothing effect on the digestive system and can help to relieve pain caused by excess gas and stomach cramping.
2. Sweet marjoram - Has strong anti-inflammatory properties to relieve various types of pain. It can be used to alleviate headaches, migraines, neuralgia (nerve pain), toothache, stomach cramps and other intestinal disorders. One study showed that marjoram oil can be useful in getting rid of chronic neck pain. In the study, a combination of 4 essential oils was used: marjoram, black pepper, lavender, and peppermint. The essential oil remedy was rubbed into the painful area daily for 4 weeks after which patients reported significantly more pain relief than the control group.
3. Clary sage - acts as a muscle relaxant and helps to relieve menstrual pain. To treat menstrual cramps, try making a massage oil using a combination of lavender, clary sage, and rose oil, massage into abdomen several times per day to soothe cramps.
4. Sandalwood - Helps to manage pain by sedating the nervous system. Inhaling sandalwood essential oil has a relaxing effect and reduces the production of adrenaline - add a few drops to your room diffuser and enjoy the bliss!
5. Juniper - Adding juniper essential oil to your massage oil is an excellent way to relieve stiffness and pain associated with arthritis, rheumatism, and gout.
How to Use Essential Oils for Pain Relief
Dilute dilute dilute!! Very rarely will you use an essential oil “neat” by dropping it directly onto your skin. Because plant essential oils are so powerful, you will always want to dilute your essential oil into a carrier oil such as fractionated coconut oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, apricot seed, or castor oil. Since you will be using the above-mentioned oils for pain relief, making massage oil is a great way to utilize your essential oils! Add a few drops of essential oil to your carrier oil of choice, shake well, and massage into skin.
In general, you should use up to 4 drops of essential oils for every tablespoon of carrier oil. You can mix different essential oils together as long as you keep to these proportions.
More Ways to Use Essential Oils for Pain Relief and Inflammation
Castor oil pack – Prepare your castor oil pack as usual and add a few drops of your selected essential oil to it. Want to know more about how to prepare and use castor oil packs? Check out my castor oil guidebook in my Free Resource Library HERE
For headache – Blend 4 drops of essential oil with one tablespoon of a carrier oil and apply a small amount of the mixture to the temples and massage gently. Make sure to stay away from the eyes. Headache can also be relieved by inhaling the oil: sprinkle a few drops of the oil onto a cloth or tissue, or use an aromatherapy diffuser.
For sinus pain – Inhaling essential oils is a very simple way of alleviating sinus pain. Boil some water, pour it in a large bowl and add a few drops of essential oils. Put a towel over your head and lean over the steamy bowl to inhale the fragrance-full vapors. Do this for about 10 minutes, after which you can reheat the water and repeat.
Bath soak – Good to soothe tired, aching muscles, and relieve arthritis. Put a few drops of essential oil in a hot bath (you can also add 2-3 cups of epsom salts enhance the effect). Power tip: mix the essential oil drops in a small amount of carrier oil first and then add to the bath.
Massage oil for larger areas – Use about 10-12 drops of essential oil per 1 ounce (30 ml) of carrier oil and massage this oil blend into any painful body part.
Precautions When Using Essential Oils
Essentials oils are very potent and powerful. Therefore, generally, you should never apply them directly to the skin and they should always be diluted in a carrier oil.
In general, you should use up to 4 drops of essential oils for every tablespoon of carrier oil. You can mix different essential oils together as long as you keep to these proportions.
Also you should not use essential oils on pregnant women and young children unless directed otherwise by a certified aromatherapist or another medical professional.