If you have back pain that just doesn't seem to go away maybe you should give essential oils a try. Many oils have purported anti-inflammatory and painkiller properties so they might be just what you need but what properties of the oils cause this, and which ones contain them?
In response, there are a few properties of oils that are believed to pain relieving. What you want to look out for is oils with anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic properties. These will be the most helpful in fighting off backaches. So which essential oils will fulfil this criteria and give you some much needed peace?
Spruce, used for centuries, is renowned for its muscle relaxant properties and reportedly can even stimulate the adrenal glands, causing an energy boost within the body. This oil is quite sweet and enjoyed around the world. A very similar and much better known oil is lavender.
A study found that the use of lavender as an essential oil lowered back pain by as much as 39%. So not only is this oil anecdotally renowned but it also has grounding in the scientific community.
Looking for something a bit more sedative, why not keep an eye out for marjoram? This is the perfect oil for treating tightness around the muscles and if you have a tight, sore back marjoram might just be the oil for you. Not experiencing tightness but having spasms? Don't worry, there are essential oils for that too.
Sandalwood, with its grounded scent, has known anti-spasmodic properties. This is also a slight sedative and will promote deep relaxation. Ginger is another essential oil, that like lavender, has been studied for its positive health effects.
It was discovered that the use of ginger oil in patients with rheumatoid caused lowered pain sensations in 75% of patients. They also benefited from lowered amounts of swelling and pain. Other oils that provide benefit to sufferers of back pain are fennel, clove and copaiba.
So as you can see with essential oils there are a range of great options to choose from all providing great benefits. So what are you waiting for? Start combating your back pain with essential oils today.
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Essential Oil Blends for Back Pain
We all know that sometimes things are better in groups, is this the case with essential oils? The answer is yes.
There are many blends of essential oils that can provide cumulative benefits for back pain suffers. By combining the oils you can get the best properties of each in one go. It seems simple, why would you opt for only one when you can just as easily have a few. Many oils have synergy with one another and the following are some of the best combinations for pain relief.
Looking for a soothing combination of oils? Look no further. This blend combines wintergreen, camphor, peppermint, blue tansy, blue chamomile, helichrysum and osmanthus.
This even comes with the option of many different applications so it caters for the tastes of all users. By combining oils with vastly different properties this essential oil can tackle most facets of back pain. So if you're looking for a wide-spread oil, try this soothing combination, it might just work.
Another blend that is extremely effective mixes ginger, cinnamon, cajuput, chamomile and carrier oil to create a highly effective oil that can be used in massage.
The great thing about this mixture is that you can make it at home. Simply combine 2 drops of ginger, 4 drops of cinnamon, 3 drops of cajuput, 3 drops of chamomile and 15 ml of carrier oil inside a bottle and you will have your very own muscle relaxing combination. These oils are perfect for back pain and you will definitely experience success with a blend such as this.
Essential Oil Applications for Back Pain
So now that you know which oils are perfect for back pain, how do you use them? There are actually a variety of applications for essential oils that I will list below. The three major methods of essential oil application are either to the skin, inhalation or digestion. Let's start with application to the skin.
A variety of different essential oils can be applied directly to the skin and the reason this makes a difference to back pain has to do with the way our body absorbs things. This is why when used as a massage oil essential oils are a great way to treat back pain.
You have the the health benefit of the massage alongside the chemicals, which, through skin application actually pass through into the bloodstream where they will be transported to other parts of the body, but what about inhalation, does it work in the same way?
In a way, inhalation does result in the same end product as skin application. When we inhale the oils, the molecules are transported through our olfactory system. This includes our nose, our lungs and the entire respiratory system.
It is here the important qualities of these oils will pass into our bloodstream and can even cross the blood brain barrier. So in essence you are getting the same effect from the two methods of application, they just occur a little differently.
Digestion, while a method of administration used in some countries, is not recommended in the US or most Western nations. This is due to the fact that many oils can be toxic and the results of digestion can be fatal.
A large amount of knowledge is required to safely administer essential oils in this fashion and should not, in any circumstances, be undertaken unless under the advice of a health care professional.
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