Other Best Essential Oils For Inflammation And Pain
Another essential oil for inflammation is cinnamon. Cinnamon can help you overcome a cold. The common cold is a collection of viruses. Viruses are a sign of inflammation. However, cinnamon, because of these anti-inflammatory properties, may help nip a cold in the bud. Moreover, cinnamon may be one of the best essential oils for inflammation because it may reduce swelling.
Turmeric has garnered lots of media attention as of late. Not only can it enhance savoriness of stir-frys and other dishes, it also has dozens of therapeutic properties. Thats why turmeric shots have become popular. And the oil from this spice, which contains over 100 compounds, might just be an amazing essential oil for inflammation.
Turmeric essential oil, according to this study, not only fights inflammation. But among a myriad of benefits, it can block pain as well.
Another of the top essential oils for inflammation is rosemary. This study, like most other studies involving essential oils, uses non-human subjects. Nonetheless, the research demonstrates rosemary helps fight inflammation and swelling.
In addition, studies show echinacea oil also reduces swelling and inflammation.
Cautions About Using Aromatherapy For Arthritis Symptoms
As pleasant as essential oils often smell, its important to remember that they can be powerful. Take wintergreen, for example. Its a very strong oil, says Debbie McElligott, a nurse practitioner at the Center for Wellness and Integrative Medicine at Northwell Health in Roslyn, New York.
Many aromatherapy books say never to use it, but in small quantities just a few drops it can be excellent for pain relief. The concern arises because wintergreen contains a high quantity of methyl salicylate, a chemical in the same family as aspirin, hence the moniker liquid aspirin.
If someone spreads wintergreen oil all over themselves, theres a possibility for aspirin poisoning, says McElligott.
Since people with arthritis often take at least one medication, its important to study up or better yet, consult with a certified aromatherapist to learn about how to use aromatherapy safely and avoid any interactions with other treatments. For instance, wintergreen should be used with caution by anyone taking blood thinners.
You also need to know how to use the oils properly. Two tips: Only lavender can be used directly on skin , and using less is more. Generally speaking, it you use too much oil youll get the opposite effect of what you want, says Picciano. The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy can help you find a certified aromatherapist.
Massaging With Essential Oils
Follow these steps to mix an essential oil.
If you have a rash, open wound, or skin irritation, wait until it heals before applying an essential oil. The oil could make the problem worse.
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Best Essential Oils For Inflammation And Pain
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December 14, 2017 By Judd Handler
Essential oils for inflammation have been used for centuries. But its only relatively recently that research studies have confirmed some of the pain-relieving and swelling-reducing properties of essential oils. Here, we take a look at just a few of the best oils
No doubt youre familiar with the growing opioid epidemic. A major root cause of the epidemic is the over-prescribing by doctors of highly-addictive opioids for pain and inflammation management.
In addition to the worsening opioid crisis, theres also an unreported undercurrent of pain and inflammation management gone awry. And thats the abuse of NSAIDs Although NSAIDs are considered by some experts to actually be more effective for pain and inflammation than opioids, that doesnt mean they are safe. In fact, NSAIDs can harm your kidney, liver, your digestive system and your heart.
In light of the risks of using both over-the-counter and pharmaceuticals, there is growing interest in natural remedies for pain and inflammation. Essential oils have a centuries-long history of use for a variety of health concerns. This includes pain and swelling.
But is there any evidence essential oils for inflammation work? It turns out there is. Although large-scale studies on humans is lacking, essential oils in small clinical studies and rodent models seem promising.
What You Can Do Now
If you want to add essential oils to your treatment regimen, be sure to do your research. Essential oils arent regulated by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration . This means that products can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, so its important to find a reputable brand.
Essential oils should never be used as a first-line treatment. If you plan to use essential oils be sure to consult your doctor so they can advise you on potential risks. Essential oils are not meant to be swallowed.
If you start to have any unusual side effects, stop use and talk to your doctor. They can help you determine the cause and ensure that youre following the best arthritis management plan.
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Essential Oils For Arthritis
Arthritis is a condition that mainly affects an individuals joints, causing joint pain and stiffness. Arthritis can also lead to redness, swelling, and difficulties with manoeuvrability. If left untreated, the symptoms of arthritis can exacerbate and lead to further discomfort, and can leave those with arthritis feeling debilitated. That being said, many of the treatment methods used for arthritis can lead to unwanted side effects, which is why you may wish to try a natural alternative. Essential oils for arthritis can have a hugely beneficial effect due to their natural anti-inflammatory benefits, amongst a whole host of other benefits that can help to relieve arthritis pain.
What About Turmeric Frankincense And Myrrh
If you search online, you might see some other recommendations for essential oils for arthritis.
Frequent among these are turmeric, frankincense, and myrrh essential oils.
Heres what I could find about them.
There is a study that looked specifically at turmeric essential oil and arthritis in mice.
The mice were given high amounts of turmeric essential oil, either orally or by injection.
The turmeric oil dramatically reduced swelling but it also killed many of the mice.
Lower, less toxic, doses of turmeric essential oil didnt show significant anti-inflammatory effects.
The authors concluded that their study does not support the isolated use of turmeric essential oil for arthritis treatment, but that it instead points to safety concerns about its use.
As for frankincense and myrrh, I found studies that supported the use of their extracts for arthritis.
The trouble is, the extracts are not the same thing as essential oil because they have different chemical profiles and different therapeutic properties.
While its possible that frankincense and myrrh essential oil also help with arthritis, I havent found any direct scientific support for this.
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Essential Oils For Internal Inflammation
In addition to lavender, three citrus essential oils show strong anti-inflammatory properties in this study: lime oil , and two different species of lemon oil: C. limonia, C. limon).
One essential oil for inflammation you may not be familiar with is Hinoki Cypress. Another name for Hinoki Cypress is Japanese cedar. The oil from Hinoki is used in some commercial soaps, toothpaste and cosmetics. And according to this study, Hinoki Cypress contains several types of terpenes.
Terpenes not only protect against cellular damage. They also have strong anti-inflammatory effects. In the study, Hinoki Cypress oil reduces inflammation caused by toxic compounds in cells. As with eucalyptus in the study above, the researchers suggest Hinoki Cypress should be considered for pharmaceutical remedies.
Clove oil can reduce inflammation in the cells of connective tissue, according to this study. The study shows that topical use of clove essential oil at a concentration of 0.011% prevents internal conditions that promote inflammation. Clove oil achieves this by significantly altering pathways critical for inflammation.
In summary, the researchers conclude clove oil has strong anti-inflammatory and tissue remodeling activity in human dermal fibroblasts. Fibroblasts are the active cells of connective tissue that makes us your skin.
Measurements Of Serum Anti
Blood samples of arthritic Lewis rats were collected on d 25 after Mtb immunization and processed to obtain serum. ELISA plates were coated with recombinant Bhsp65 . Diluted serum was tested for antibodies against Bhsp65 using ELISA . Horseradish peroxidase -conjugated mouse anti-rat IgG was used as a secondary antibody. The results were expressed as optical density at 450 nm.
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Essential Oil Recipes For Knee Pain
Knee pain doesnt have to be associated with arthritis as they are one of the most used joints in our entire body- and consistent movement can influence pain. Past injuries, disease, overuse, and other scenarios can cause both temporary and long-term chronic knee pain conditions. One thing you can do is provide preventative care of this well used joint, as well as treat any discomfort you may be experiencing. A regular use of oil and oil blends helps increase healthy blood flow and make your movements more fluid.
Ginger And Orange Essential Oils To Reduce Joint Pain And Stiffness
The second study on essential oils and arthritis involved 59 persons in a senior citizens center in Hong Kong.
This study was placebo-controlled and double-blind basically, the gold standard for scientific experiments.
Over 3 weeks, the people in the study were given either an aromatherapy massage, a massage without aromatherapy, or just their usual treatment.
For the group that received an aromatherapy massage, the results were impressive.
Pain, stiffness and physical function all decreased, unlike in the other two groups.
Heres the essential oil blend that was used in this study:
- 5 drops orange essential oil
When you make this blend, you can simply rub it onto your joints.
However, you can also ask a family member to perform an aromatherapy massage on you .
This isnt the only study that supports the use of ginger essential oil for treating the symptoms of arthritis.
A study from 2006 showed that ginger essential oil was effective in reducing pain in mice that had developed arthritis.
And a 2009 study looked at arthritis and ginger extracts containing the compound gingerol .
Its important to point out that these extracts are different from ginger essential oil, which doesnt contain gingerol.
What matters for us is that one of the two extracts did contain ginger essential oil.
And this extract was found to be more effective in preventing both joint inflammation and destruction.
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Best Essential Oils For Arthritis Pain
Arthritis is a condition wherein the joints get inflamed and cause a lot of pain. People suffering from arthritis, of any type, suffer an inability to continue with even the simplest of day-to-day activities, like taking a walk or getting off of the sofa. This debilitating condition is alarming as it affects about 20 percent of Americans!
We give you 10 essential oils that provide an effective, natural way to treat arthritis and related pain:
Other Investigated Essential Oils
Zhang and coworkers recently evaluated the antiarthritic potential of Zingiberaceae plant EOs, including Alpinia galanga Willd., Alpinia oxyphylla Miq., Amomum kravanh Pierre ex Gagnep., and Kaempferia galanga L. . These species were demonstrated to down-regulate the expression levels of COX-2, TNF-, IL-6, and IL-1 in Freunds adjuvant-induced arthritic rats, with K. galanga being the most effective one.
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How Might Essential Oils Work To Ease Joint Pain
One way aromatherapy works its magic is that our sense of smell is directly linked to the limbic system in our brain, which is responsible for emotions and our stress response. This is why when you smell intense smoke your body immediately launches into a fight-or-flight response, Chesla says, or why when you sniff a rose bush your whole body relaxes.
One study of women tied aromatherapy directly to our sympathetic nervous system, which is controlled by the limbic system. This research, published in the Japanese Journal of Pharmacology, found that levels of stress hormones like adrenalin dropped when the women smelled rose oil but they became elevated when sniffing more agitating pepper oil.
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Some experts are also starting to link aromatherapy to the bodys endocannabinoid system , which seems to play a role in pain relief. Brazilian researchers pointed to the ECS as the reason mice had less post-surgical pain after aromatherapy according to a report published in January 2018 in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.
Better Than Lavender Eucalyptus And Tea Tree
There is no doubt that lavender is a leading oil for pain and discomfort in many different scenarios. Eucalyptus and tea tree are also popular go-tos, but there is no need to limit yourself simply because they are the most common ingredients in many pain relieving recipes. Geranium is a highly potent and powerful oil used for centuries to help with inflammation. Follow the suggested dilution for a 3% blend to work over your joints for long-lasting relief.
Mix together well and massage gently on your joint areas.
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Side Effects And Precautions
Essential oils are safe when used as described above. Make sure to dilute oils with fractionated coconut oil or another carrier oil. Possible skin sensitivities can occur if you are allergic to any of the plants above.
Avoid essential oils if you are allergic to the plant it contains. For sensitive skin, application to the bottom of the feet may be the best way to go.
You can patch test your skin by applying to a small area first and observe for 48 hrs. As with anything check with your doctor or healthcare provider before making any changes in your healthcare routine.
For more guidelines about dosing and safety, visit Doterras safety guide here.
Get all of the oils, carrier oils, and roller bottles here.
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.
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Turmeric For Rheumatoid Arthritis
Turmeric has long known for its healing properties. It is one of the best essential oil for joint pain relief. It possesses an active ingredient called curcumin, which has found to be antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer. It can also be used to treat acne and psoriasis
Turmeric can be taken orally making turmeric tea and add it as a spicy to your foods.
Where can you get these pain relief oils from ? You can order for them now on
Turmeric Tea Recipe
- 8 ounces of coconut milk
- 8 ounces of water
- A teaspoon of turmeric powder
- 8 ounces of honey
Directions
- Put coconut milk and water into the saucepan and heat for 2- 3 minutes.
- Then you can add butter, raw honey and turmeric powder and heat it for another 2-3 minutes.
- Stir thoroughly and pour into glasses.
- Serve 2 times
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How Can Essential Oils Help Psa
Certain essential oils may be able to help you target your PsA symptoms. For example, you may want to focus on reducing joint inflammation and pain or improving your mental health.
There is a lack of research directly linking PsA to using essential oils, but several studies exist that discuss PsA symptoms and how they can be reduced with the use of essential oils.
There are also essential oils linked to helping treat psoriasis symptoms. You may be interested in treating those symptoms as well if you have both psoriasis and PsA. Some essential oils that may be effective for psoriasis include chamomile, tea tree, rose, and lavender.
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Popular Aromatherapy Picks For Arthritis
Though studies are sometimes small and not always well designed, the evidence is mounting that essential oils can be good medicine when it comes to easing symptoms of arthritis. Moreover, chronic pain often leads to other conditions, such as poor sleep, anxiety, depression, and overall reduction in quality of life and research shows aromatherapy can be beneficial for all of these as well. Some studies have even found that arthritis patients who used aromatherapy were able to reduce their intake of painkillers while maintaining or improving their current level of comfort.
Heres the scoop on some of the most popular essential oils used for arthritis:
Essential Oils To Start With
Arthritic pain is often felt deep within the tissues and joints of the afflicted area, and you want to use an oil that helps increase circulation and decrease inflammation to provide relief. Although there are many oils that work well for this, some are more powerful than others. You can use any of the following 5 oils as a stand-alone or mixed each with one another to massage over the areas you experience the most pain. You should consider using them with a carrier oil of some sort to help dilute it so that it can be spread out over your skin more effectively.
If you decide to blend them, consider using this recipe:
- 5 drops of peppermint
- 30 ml sweet almond oil
Blend the above oils together well and use a roll-on container to ensure even application prior to massaging into areas of affliction. You can also increase the amount of the recipe if you feel you need more.
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