27/02/2022
TOP 5 ESSENTIAL OILS FOR INFLAMMATION
Of all of the essential oils evaluated for their pain-relieving, inflammation-busting properties, these top the list.
1. FRANKINCENSE
The pain relieving ability of aromatherapy massage was tested with patients struggling with cancer. They were treated with an aromatherapy hand massage that included frankincense, and their pain was relieved significantly. (10) Because there is a connection between inflammatory processes and pain, oils that are anti-inflammatory (as we will see below) are often analgesic, as well. Frankincense has this dual role.
While the trial may have been directed toward cancer rather than arthritis, the hands are a common site of pain for people with arthritis, and the analgesic effects can be appreciated by all.
These pain-relieving essential oils for arthritis can be used in diffusers, topical body care products, and can be directly inhaled. It’s one of the main ingredients in my favorite essential oil pain-relief roll-on recipe.
2. LAVENDER
When discussing the best essential oils for arthritis inflammation, lavender will always come up.Generally used to improve sleep or treat the skin, lavender essential oil once again displays its wide range of results when considering its therapeutic benefits for arthritis.
As an anti-inflammatory oil, lavender can help to relieve the painful swelling and inflammation that arthritis, in its various forms, creates. Lavender is an analgesic as well, tackling arthritic pain from multiple angles. (11)
Since lavender can be used for anxiety and depression, it may also help to relieve secondary issues that arise in a life of a person in chronic pain. Its gentle nature makes lavender a reliable choice for most people’s use and application.
3. ROMAN CHAMOMILE
Roman chamomile essential oil is regularly used for its calming, soothing, and anti-inflammatory effects. (12) As a whole herb, chamomile is renowned for its healing, soothing, and calming effects. The essential oil isolates some of these abilities, especially as an anti-inflammatory substance.
To work the anti-inflammatory compounds into the skin and onto joints and other sites of pain, add roman chamomile to topical massage oils. You can also diffuse chamomile for relaxing an anxious or depressed mind.
Note: Those with allergies to ragweed will want to test chamomile first as they are related.
4. YARROW
Yarrow is a soothing and healing herb, and its essential oil also carries anti-inflammatory components that can be beneficial for arthritic ailments. Yarrow essential oil is used in many anti-inflammatory preparations, and is part of the Ayurvedic tradition. (13)
Topical preparations of yarrow essential oils for arthritis can help to improve anti-inflammatory and pain relieving combinations. Making the most of synergistic reactions – oils working together to make each other more effective – creates special blends that help to relieve pain and inflammation for your specific arthritis conditions.
5. WINTERGREEN
Wintergreen oil, another traditional analgesic that has helped countless arthritis patients, is known as “liquid aspirin.” Used with peppermint, it is particularly effective in reducing inflammation. A 2014 study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine states,
“The predominant natural ingredient in wintergreen oil is methyl salicylate, which is a compound closely related to acetylsalicylic acid, or aspirin. When applied to the skin, including tissues at the site of pain, wintergreen oil has analgesic properties… A combination of wintergreen oil and peppermint oil is commonly used because it is believed to give far better pain relief than either wintergreen oil or peppermint oil alone.
In addition, the combination of the two essential oils for arthritis may potentiate the individual effects of each oil, thus enabling the use of lower doses of each, which, as a consequence, is likely to produce fewer side effects.” (14)
