Treating arthritis with essential oils is a very effective home method. There has been some research on the subject, and it was discovered that many essential oils could help to relieve the symptoms of arthritis. This is due to the anti-inflammatory capabilities they possess.
There are lots of patients that prefer to use essential oils as a means of treating their arthritis than other forms of treatment because it is safer to use and it has minimal side effects. This rise in popularity of essential oils has made it one of the commonest forms of aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is the use of scents to induce a physiological response from a human body. It often results in stress relief, relaxation and comfort.
The use of essential oil has spread to other practices, such as acupuncture and massage therapy. There are a lot of patients who prefer to combine their traditional treatments with essential oils to ensure they get the extra benefits regarding results.
Essential Oils For Arthritis
There are a lot of studies that indicated that essential oils have more benefits in treating and managing the symptoms of arthritis. A study on animals in 2010 indicated that essential oils prevented swelling of the joints. The results were even more astonishing in times where inflammation peaked, and it was discovered that the essential oils relieved the pain by 68%!
Another way essential oils seem to offer more benefit is in improving the emotional health of the user. This sounds a bit farfetched, but it’s quite true. Arthritis patients complain that they feel anxiety and stress. However, using lavender oil calms them down. How this works is just unbelievable. The lavender oil combats the negative emotions and brings the person to a state of calmness. Even in clinical trials, it was discovered that lavender oil reduced anxiety to a satisfactory extent. Another alternate study made patients sniff vanilla, and the results were astonishing. The patients had a great reduction in stress levels.
The ways at which essential oils drastically reduce stress levels is just remarkable. Now, let us determine how to use it for arthritis.
Using Essential Oils For Arthritis
Before engaging in the use of any essential oil, you must note that they are quite concentrated. This means that you must dilute them before use to avoid irritation. There several other oils you can use to dilute them. They include the jojoba oil, coconut oil, olive oil, etc.
In preparing the essential oil for use, you add 12 drops to an ounce of carrier oil. Then test it on your skin for the next 24 hours to ensure that you rule out any negative reactions and determine the extent of the positive reaction. Once there is no negative reaction, then it is safe to use.
In case you are using the essential oils for aromatherapy, then you can use it directly or soak a cotton ball in it. The cotton ball is usually sniffed, but an essential oil diffuser is a better option. It disperses the scent all over the home easily than a cotton ball would.
Even with the peculiarities of essential oils, they still pose some amount of risks.
Risks of Using Essential Oils For Arthritis
Essential oils are known to be safe for use in arthritis treatment, but there are some little risks involved. You should note that the essential oil is diluted with a carrier oil before being used on the skin, or it might lead to irritation. In some cases, you might develop a headache or become nauseous from the aromatherapy. This is a strong indicator that the scent is too intense for the patient or that a different scent is needed.
13 Essential Oils To Cure Arthritis
1. Orange Essential Oil
Orange is a very common fruit, and it is no surprise to find out that it has an oil form. It produces a citrus scent filled with energy to stimulate the senses. One of the advantages of this oil is that you feel more productive and focused when you use it. However, we should consider that it also contains anti-inflammatory bodies that are powerful enough to reduce pain caused by inflammation.
2. Ginger Essential Oil
Ginger has been known to be medicinal for a very long time, and there are a lot of benefits to it if you consume it. If it is converted to oil, it can be used externally on the skin. It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that make it great for aching muscles, relieving muscle spasms, and arthritis.
3. Frankincense Essential Oil
Frankincense is one of the most remarkable oils for healing. It helps to promote pain relief all over the body. It works by blocking the leukotrienes; which are substances that produce inflammatory responses in the body. It acts as a mild sedative and is ideal for relieving stress.
4. Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender oil is popular for its therapeutic properties. It is anti-inflammatory and analgesic and is used to relieve aching joints and muscles. It helps calm the body and mind with soothing relief. This dilates the blood vessels by removing stress, fear, tension, and anxiety.
5. Cayenne Pepper Essential Oil
It is known for its superb ability to relieve muscle pain and throbbing sensations. It does this by nulling the effect of a neurotransmitter; compound P.
6. Rosemary Oil
Rosemary oil is used in aromatherapy and is derived from the widely used rosemary herb. It contains a high level of analgesic properties. This analgesic property relieves pains, aches, and arthritis. In some cases, it can be used for relieving nervous exhaustion and mental fatigue, and increasing energy levels.
7. Chamomile Essential Oil
If you are looking to relax and get good sleep, then the chamomile essential oil is what you need. It also can relieve pain, due to the presence of its sedative properties. What it does is that it reduces the inflammation once it is massage on the affected area.
8. Birch Essential Oil
Birch essential oil does its best to reduce the discomforts in the muscles, joints, and bones. It is anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antiseptic, diuretic, disinfectant, and astringent, making ideal for treating arthritis.
9. Lemongrass Essential Oil
Lemongrass is one of the few essential oils that help to promote blood circulation. It lowers cholesterol levels in the blood, and it has very strong analgesic and anti-inflammatory capabilities. It keeps the blood vessels dilated and allows smooth passage of blood.
10. Marjoram Essential Oil
This oil is excellent for its warming and body soothing properties that ease the pain in the muscles and the joints. It is known for other benefits as well, such as easing muscle spasms, blood pressure, pain from arthritis, and indigestion.
11. Basil Essential Oil
Basil essential oil is known for its effects on human health, and it is commonly used in cooking. It is an antispasmodic, and it helps to ease the tension in the muscles. It also serves as a decongestant, muscle relaxant, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory substance, and this is ideal for easing inflammatory pain.
12. Wintergreen Essential Oil
They provide a lot of benefits to the muscles by reducing aches and pains. It is also known to help alleviate some kidney problems, throbbing joints, pains in the nerves, and menstrual pain. However, its side effects are quite more pronounced than other essential oils. If it is ingested, it can cause vomiting, pains in the belly, and ringing in the ears.
13. Eucalyptus Essential Oil
This oil contains a compound called eucalyptol which works as a very potent vasodilator when absorbed into the body. Thus, it increases the size of the blood vessels and allows more blood to flow freely and easily as they circulate all over the body. This also helps to relieve the body from aches and pain due to the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of the Eucalyptus oil.
Recipes For Using Essential Oil For Arthritis Pain
There are a few recipes you can cook up at the comfort of your home. Once you have all the ingredients in place and follow the instructions properly, you are good to go.
- ARTHRITIS BATH OIL: to use a bath oil for your arthritis pain, you would need four drops of ginger oil, ten drops of cypress, 10 ml of carrier oil, and ten drops of lavender. Mix these four oils and enjoy a nice soothing bath.
- ARTHRITIS KNEE AND HIP MASSAGE OIL: get 15 drops of juniper oil, ten drops of rosemary oil, 15 drops of marjoram oil, and five drops of black pepper. Once you have made the mixture, massage the area well. You should get improvements in a couple of days.
- MASSAGE OIL FOR ARTHRITIS PAIN: for general arthritis pain, you need five drops of eucalyptus oil, five drops of peppermint oil, five drops of ginger oil, and a tablespoon of carrier oil.
- JOINT SOAKING BATH OIL FOR ARTHRITIS: you would need two drops of rosemary oil, five drops of juniper oil, two drops of lavender oil, two drops of cypress oil, and about 2 cups of bath salt.
Conclusion
Arthritis can become a real problem if not treated properly. These are at-home methods to help ease the pain. If you still feel any discomfort while using these methods, then schedule a visit to the nearest doctor to you.