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Whether your joint pain is caused by an active lifestyle, arthritis, or aging, it can greatly affect your day to day life. Living with pain has emotional, mental and of course physical ramifications.
When suffering from joint pain and stiff joints, it can make it hard to participate in the activities you’ve always loved; it can even make it hard to socialize, as you’re in pain and can’t find comfort or relief.
Essential oils can be a great, natural remedy to this problem, sometimes even working alonside medicines to help with issues such as sore muscles, stiff joints and stiff muscles. In this article, we’ll walk you through what essential oils can help to loosen up those stiff joints.
Table of Contents
Best essential oils to loosen stiff joints
Let’s start by looking at essential oils that can help to loosen those stiff joints and make mobility easier to access.
Aloe Vera Essential Oil
That’s right; aloe vera can do a lot more for you than just provide relief from a painful sunburn. Aloe vera essential oil can help to soothe your joint pain when applied to the joint. It can also help to improve your skin and hair. This oil is typically found in gel form, but you can get it in oil form.
Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Eucalyptus is especially useful in minimizing swelling and arthritic pain, as its leaves contain tannins. The analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties found in eucalyptus can help to ease the pain in your joints and muscles, as well. Eucalyptus is also known for being beneficial in combating migraines, depression, and stress.
Ginger Essential Oil
The properties in ginger that cause it to have its strong flavor are the very properties that allow it to be used effectively as an anti-inflammatory. Its soothing qualities present in oil form are good for and come recommended to be used for joint pain, arthritis pain, back pain, muscle pain, etc.
Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender’s wonderful anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and sedative effects help to ease muscle spasms, pain, and tension; provide relief from headaches; and encourage calmness and relaxation. An example can be a 5% lavender essential oil mixture in sweet almond oil that can be applied directly to a knee for suffers with osteoarthritis (after a spot check of course).
Peppermint Essential Oil
Peppermint, though great for upper respiratory and sinus infections, is also an excellent pain reliever. Peppermint oil is known to help relieve general muscle pain, joint pain, nerve pain, and headaches. A couple of drops of peppermint oil can also help to improve the healthy appearance of your skin and hair.
Rosemary Essential Oil
Rosemary has both analgesic and antispasmodic properties, which make it particularly useful in combating back pain, muscle pain, joint pain, and headaches. Like peppermint oil, rosemary oil can also be used to improve the appearance of your hair and skin and can help clear up sinus infections.
Thyme Essential Oil
The common household spice, thyme, when used as an oil, can help to relieve joint and muscle pain. It can also help to reduce backaches and sinus infections. Like all oils, this oil can be used in many ways, but it is easiest to use it in a humidifier.
Vetiver Essential Oil
Similar to lemongrass and citronella, vetiver helps to relieve everyday aches and pains, including those caused by rheumatism or arthritis. Vetiver is popularly used in Ayurvedic medicine.
Wintergreen Essential Oil
Wintergreen is related to peppermint and has similar analgesic properties to mints. That’s because it contains methyl salicylate which has been shown to help with pain and swelling. But avoid this one if you are taking blood thinners like aspirin as it can interact badly with them.
Essential oils for swelling relief
If the problem is more swelling and inflammation than anything, lemongrass is the essential oil you need. Use 6 teaspoons of a carrier oil with around 15 drops of oil to create a massage oil to add directly to swollen joints. But remember to spot test an area first just in case your skin doesn’t react well to it.
Help with essential oils
While essential oils offer a safe alternative to some medications commonly used to treat these conditions, they may not take care of all your pain. You can also try getting a massage or massaging the tender area yourself, soaking in a bath of hot water, or applying heat or ice at proper intervals in addition to the essential oils for added benefit.
There’s no reason to live with joint inflammations and pain; try these essential oil tricks now to find relief. But always remember to firstly go with what the medical professionals tell you and never put the effectiveness of aromatherapy above what the doctor tells you.
