Medically, pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with or may appear to resemble actual or potential tissue damage. Pain is a personal experience threshold that differs from person to person.
Pain is affected by a variety of biological, social, and psychological factors. The body has specific pain receptors. These are mostly located at the nerve endings, present in body tissues that respond to damaging or potentially damaging stimuli.
Pain is often described as aching, cramping, discomfort, sharp, shooting, heavy, hot, or gnawing. Applying oil, hot compress, or cold compress can help in getting relief from pain. Of these, oil application works the best.
Essential oils are the most natural way to deal with pain. Essential oils are natural compounds found in the petals, stems, roots, and bark of plants. They are extracted from plants through steam distillation.
Each oil has its own set of benefits and is meant for local or oral use. The oils are used as a concentrate or as a blend. Essential oils have been in use for ages and have been an integral part of all civilizations.
Essential oils help in treating inflammation, headaches, depression, sleep disorders, respiratory issues, and anxiety.
Which Essential Oils Are Effective In Relieving Pain?
Experience the aromatic world of essential oils, which are well-known for their exceptional ability to relieve pain. The most well-known and powerful essential oils, particularly those that are valued for their capacity to reduce discomfort and provide calming relief, are presented in this carefully compiled list.
Lavender
The sweet and mystical notes of lavender are one of the most loved fragrances. Lavender essential oil helps treat children after a tonsillectomy. Children who inhaled the scent of lavender were able to reduce their daily dose of Tylenol, post-surgery.
Lavender essential oil is known for its pain relief and anti-inflammatory properties. If it is diluted with other carrier oil and locally applied to the area of pain it is more effective as compared to tramadol.
Even in case of sharp shooting migraine pain lavender oil can effectively reduce the pain and discomfort.
Ginger
Ginger oil has therapeutic properties. It helps with pain relief and pain receptor blocking, reduces inflammation, and helps provide relief from cough. Ginger is popular for its anticancer.
Rosemary
In ancient civilizations, the rosemary herb and its oil were used to ward off evil. In the modern world, rosemary oil with analgesic drugs helps reduce pain. In the case of stroke patients rosemary oil worked to reduce the pain substantially.
Rose oil
The sweet and exotic smell of rose oil not only works wonders for the dessert but also helps with pain. Most women experience cramping during menstruation.
The pain can be lessened with the use of rose oil. Even with conventional treatment, the period-associated pain refuses to lessen but then rose oil has a very soothing effect. Rose oil is also effective in reducing the alleviating pain caused by kidney stones.
Chamomile
Chamomile oil works wonders in patients with osteoarthritis. When conventional medicines fail to work in the ailment, chamomile oil reduces the severity of pain.
Bergamot
Bergamot pain is effective in dealing with any sort of neuropathic pain. Nerve diseases can cause unbearable pain, and to deal with the pain, bergamot oil is very effective.
The nerve diseases lead to pain, which is immune to opioid pain medications, and in such stances, using the essential oil with conventional treatment is recommended.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus oil is often used in stables for horses. After a good day’s run, when the horse is given a bath with water and eucalyptus oil, it helps in soothing the pain.
In animals, it is given in doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg for every kg of body weight. It acts as an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever agent. Eucalyptus has found its way into most pain relief ointments for the same reason.
In case of cough and cold inhaling eucalyptus oil can help bring relief and open the blocked nose.
Wintergreen and peppermint
Peppermints can soothe most discomforts. Wintergreen oil (methyl salicylate) and peppermint oil (menthol) are popular for giving a very cooling and tingling sensation.
Thus, in most pain-relieving ointments, these are the two vital properties. The two oils can work without any side effects and help give relief from pain.
Peppermint oil, when consumed after diluting with water, could aid digestion and gastric issues. After applying the two oils the severity level of pain reduces comparatively.
Lemongrass
Lemongrass tea and seasoning have a soothing effect and it elevates the taste of any dish. Lemongrass oil, apart from being a stress reliever, also works to provide relief from headaches. Lemongrass oil works to provide relief from gastric ulcers.
Clary sage
Surveys suggest that pain caused during periods and acute cramps are effectively dealt with clary sage. On the lower abdomen area applying cream or oil infused with clary sage helps to reduce the pain effectively. Also, in case of labor pain or post-delivery pain in the lower abdomen area, applying clary sage oil has a soothing effect.
Clove
Clove oil has miraculous benefits while treating toothache and general pain. Clove oil is also an effective topical anesthetic. Clove oil has anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. Taking steam from water that has clove oil drops in it has miraculous benefits in curing congestion.
Conclusion
There are so many oils, and each essential oil comes with a unique benefit. Thus, in most cases, using an oil blend has proven to grant more benefits as compared to single essential oils.
Essential oil blends are very successful in removing discomfort and most kinds of pain. Before blending oil, ask experts. An expert can explain the science behind the combination of the oil and how they will help in reducing pain.
Moreover, remember to buy oils from trusted brands. The market is full of companies that sell synthetic scented oils in the name of essential oils. Thus carefully make the purchase. Only essential oils can grant the benefits and not their synthetic version.
References:
- Babar A, et al. (2015). Essential oils used in aromatherapy: A systematic review. DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apjtb.2015.05.007 - Sasannejad P, et al. (2012). Lavender essential oil in the treatment of migraine headache: a placebo-controlled clinical trial.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22517298 - Uysal M, et al. (2016). Investigating the effect of rose essential oil in patients with primary dysmenorrhea.
http://www.ctcpjournal.com/article/S1744-3881(16)30033-0/abstract
