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I have been recommending aromatherapy and essential oils for chronic pain relief to family and friends for a while now and the feedback I’ve got back is very positive.
The biggest benefit of using aromatherapy for chronic pain relief is that it minimizes the pain without the acidity brought on by strong painkilling medication and other assorted nasty side effects.
Also, with consistent and continuous use, you will find that as the pain levels reduce you can move about more easily and lead a better quality of life.
Here are some of the best essential oils for chronic pain relief.
Lavender
Lavender is one of the best essential oils to ease chronic pain.
If you have ever looked up natural remedies for chronic pain, you will see lavender come up on just about every list. That is because it helps in multiple ways.
First of all, lavender essential oil is very soothing and relaxing. This helps relax all those tight and tense muscles that might be causing pain. This is especially true when you have back pain from conditions such sciatica.
When you can get your muscles to relax a little bit with the help of lavender and some of the other essential oils, it helps those spasms to stop causing you pain.
Another way lavender essential oil helps with chronic pain is by helping you to sleep. One of the main problems with severe pain, aside from the pain itself, is that it often keeps you from getting a good night’s sleep.
Soaking in a bath to which you’ve added a few drops of lavender oil or putting a few drops in your diffuser will help you relax and ease the pain.
Lavender essential oil can be used for chronic pain relief by itself or blended with geranium, rose, nutmeg, clary sage, or cedarwood.
Chamomile
Chamomile oil is another relaxing essential oil that provides multiple benefits for chronic pain.
You are probably not a stranger to the sedative and stress-relief remedies of chamomile. Many people will recommend a cup of chamomile tea before bed for insomnia or stress.
That is because this herb and its extracted oil are very effective at creating that lovely relaxed feeling from head to toe.
Chamomile has strong analgesic properties, which helps ease inflamed muscles and joints. It also helps ease other types of pain including headaches, nerve pain, and sciatica pain.
Chamomile essential oil is great for easing chronic rheumatic pain, muscle spasms, and stomach ulcers.
Marjoram
Chances are you may have seen the marjoram plant and might even have smelled its sweet aroma, but had no idea about its medicinal properties.
Marjoram is among the best essential oils to ease chronic pain caused by some type of inflammation in your body. If your pain is due to arthritis, Crohn’s disease or IBS, then marjoram essential oil is the one to use.
Marjoram essential oil has also been proven to help with headaches and migraines, stomach pain, and even nerve pain.
You can combine marjoram with lavender or peppermint essential oil for a powerful pain relieving concoction.
If you have a toothache, consider combining marjoram and clove oil together, mixing it with a carrier oil like olive oil, and applying to the tooth with a cotton ball. You will be amazed at how well this works.
Peppermint
Marjoram isn’t the only essential oil in the mint tree family that can help with chronic pain. Peppermint essential oil is also a powerful remedy for different types of ongoing pain and discomfort.
Peppermint has antispasmodic properties and is very effective at helping ease muscle tightness and spasms, restless leg syndrome, and intestinal issues. It is also great for people who have arthritis.
Peppermint essential oil can also be used if you have tension headaches, where you can mix it with a carrier oil and apply it directly to your temples.
You can make some peppermint tea and drink it if you have congestion or sinus pain on a regular basis, or use the oil if you have inflammation in your body. It has also been shown to help with irritable bowel syndrome.
With its mild, appealing taste, peppermint essential oil is often used in tea, food and baked goods as well.
Sandalwood
Sandalwood has a lot of important health benefits and is an excellent choice when you are looking at essential oils for chronic pain relief.
Sandalwood essential oil can be used in an essential oil diffuser like other oils for aromatherapy. Alternatively, you can apply it directly on the skin. When using it this way, you must remember to combine it with a carrier oil like olive oil or sunflower oil
Sandalwood essential oil not only smells great, but it can help with your chronic pain. Like many other essential oils, it is best used with joints that are causing you discomfort.
It works as an anti-inflammatory agent, so it can help fight your inflammation and swelling of the muscles, which is often the source of joint pain. It also helps to fight muscle spasms if you are using it on a regular basis.
Sandalwood essential oil is very effective for easing headaches and migraines, knee pain, sore and tight muscles, rheumatic pain and stress-related pain.
Rosemary
Rosemary is known for its wholesome aroma and is often used in its herb form to add flavor to a wide range of dishes such as soups and chicken. As an essential oil, you get the same great scent along with several health benefits as well.
Rosemary is an analgesic essential oil, helping with any pain related to inflammation in your body. Whether you have muscle spasms from overuse or you have a niggling pain from a past injury, consistent use of rosemary essential oil will help ease those symptoms.
It also helps ease joint pain associated arthritis and sciatica pain in the back.
Wintergreen
Another refreshing essential oil, similar to peppermint and others in this family, is wintergreen oil. When it comes to essential oils for chronic pain relief, wintergreen is completely underrated, especially considering its powerful healing properties.
Wintergreen essential oil can be used to replace aspirin for all types of aches and pains. It can be used for pain relief management for a wide variety of pains, from shoulder or wrist pain due to your occupation, or headaches that you seem to get on a routine basis.
Wintergreen is also a wonderful way to ease your chronic back pain or stiffness in your joints. It can reduce inflammation and help with long-term pain management to reduce the risk of pain medication addiction, and then withdrawal.
Clove
Clove essential oil is extracted from the szygium aromaticum, which is the clove plant.
This is already a household name and is most commonly used as a safer, non-medicated alternative for easing toothaches and chronic tooth pain. Popping painkillers can harm your body over long periods of time. However, there are no negative side effects with clove essential oil.
To use clove essential oil to reduce tooth pain, soak a cotton ball in a mixture of clove oil and a carrier oil, like jojoba or olive oil. Apply the cotton ball directly to the tooth. You should start to notice relief soon.
This essential oil can be found at any health food store or a store carrying holistic and natural remedies. It is often found in the aromatherapy department.
It can also be therapeutic for other types of pain, like applying it to your temples if you have a headache or using it in a diffuser when you have sinus or allergy pain, or joint pain.
Yarrow
Yarrow essential oil comes from the yarrow herb, which is a type of flowering plant found in Europe, North America, and sometimes Asia. The herb and essential oil version of this plant have a lot of remedies for pain and other health issues.
In terms of chronic pain, you can use it for digestive problems, intestinal cramping, and joint pain. It has similar effects as the other essential oils on this list.
How To Use Essential Oils For Chronic Pain Relief
To ease those painful sensations, it is just as important to know how to use aromatherapy and essential oils for chronic pain relief.
The right method to use will depend on the type of pain you are experiencing as well as your preferred way to use essential oils, but here are some popular methods:
Use an Essential Oil Diffuser
If you want to inhale any essential oil for the purpose of relaxing your body and relieving pain, then using a diffuser is your best bet. You don’t have to worry about diluting the oil, which is a big plus.
With this method, you just need to add a few drops of your chosen essential to the diffuser, turn it on, and wait for the aromatic vapors to get released. The healing properties of the oil will start to work as you inhale naturally.
This is one of the best ways to use aromatherapy for chronic pain relief.
Take a Healing Bath
Putting a few drops of the essential oils into a tub of warm water and soaking in it is another excellent way to use aromatherapy for chronic pain relief.
Taking a long hot bath is always a great way to ease those chronic aches and pains. The added oil enhances the therapeutic healing of a warm soak in the tub.
The essential oils work to ease pain several ways in this method. You get the healing benefits while inhaling the scent, and also by letting it touch your skin and joints at the same time.
Apply it on the Skin
For some aches and pains, the healing effect works best when you apply the oil directly to the skin.
For example, if you have pain from arthritis, muscle cramps, or carpal tunnel syndrome, you can dilute the oil and apply it to those affected joints or areas. This often provides the fastest pain relief.
Some of the best carrier oils for this purpose include sunflower oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, and grapeseed oil.
Sip a Cup of Herbal Tea
Adding a few drops of essential oils dropped inside, such as chamomile or lavender can help you feel more relaxed and ease those aches and pains. It tastes good too!
Have you tried aromatherapy for chronic pain relief?
Chronic pain can be debilitating and can restrict you from doing so many things that you enjoy. Most people resort to popping painkillers regularly to ease those painful symptoms and while that works it can be harmful in the long run.
Instead, it is far safer and gentler to try some of the best essential oils for chronic pain relief. Let me know in the comments below if you have tried using aromatherapy for chronic pain relief and which essential oil worked best for you.
Disclaimer: This information is not intended to serve as medical advice. Please consult your physician before using essential oils. See Full Disclaimer here.
