Essential oils have earned a reputation for being natural methods to bring about peace, relaxation, and stress relief. They can also deliver pain relief to those suffering from acute and chronic pain.
Essential oils are an excellent supplement for any pain management regimen, though experts don’t advise entirely replacing prescription medications with these oils.
What is Chronic Pain?
Pain comes in two forms, chronic or acute. Acute means lasting for a short amount of time, no more than six months. You can generally associate acute pain with a specific injury.
Acute pain typically results from damaged soft tissue that needs to heal. Chronic pain, on the other hand, lasts for 12 weeks or more and may result from either an injury or a health condition.
Chronic pain can be debilitating and hurt your quality of life by decreasing your productivity and your ability to perform everyday activities. It is common to experience emotional challenges with chronic pain, such as fear, anxiety, and depression.
Your natural inclination might be to reach for medication to relieve pain, but aromatherapy is a natural alternative that has been shown to help manage pain.
It might surprise you to learn that essential oils are good for more than just finding your zen. Think of them as being alternative medicines, or providing a complementary therapy for your pain.
The Best Essential Oils for Chronic Pain
What are the best essential oils for chronic pain? You will be pleased to learn that there are dozens of oils that serve as natural pain relievers. Let’s take a closer look at five fabulous essential oils for chronic pain relief.
Peppermint Oil
Peppermint oil is an excellent muscle relaxer for those who deal with troublesome muscle spasms. Peppermint oil contains menthone, methyl esters, and menthol, and thereby delivers a cooling sensation when used as a topical analgesic, applied directly to the skin.
Eucalyptus Oil
Eucalyptus oil works in a similar way to peppermint oil. It delivers a cooling effect and is therefore fantastic at providing relief for muscle spasms, joint pain, and inflammation, all of which can be the source of chronic pain.
Clary Sage Oil
Clary sage oil possesses anti-inflammatory properties, making it extremely useful in managing chronic pain. It helps to reduce spasms, aches, and pains. A little dab will do the trick with this oil—so be sure to use it in small quantities.
Marjoram Oil
Marjoram essential oil is fantastic at relieving stiff joints and tight muscle aches. This oil was first used hundreds of years ago to treat sprains and other injuries by decreasing swelling.
Marjoram oil possesses multiple analgesic characteristics that make it a fan-favorite for managing pain without the pesky side effects that modern medication often has.
Chamomile Essential Oil
Chamomile is useful for more than just helping you comfortably fall asleep or find your path to Zen. Chamomile essential oil helps to relieve pain and can be especially effective if applied to your joints when you are dealing with a uric acid buildup.
As you can see, essential oils can be an amazing supplement to many pain management regimens. When mixed with a carrier oil, like almond or coconut oil, each of the above oils is an excellent topical analgesic agent and can therefore provide immediate pain relief.
Before replacing your medication with essential oils (or using it in combination with your prescription) always consult your physician. Some oils may interfere with medications and trigger side effects. Also remember to always dilute an essential oil before applying it direly to your skin to avoid allergic or adverse reactions.
