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How Do Essential Oils Help?
Essential oils have been used for nearly 6,000 years to relieve the body of pain, but not much research has been dedicated to finding out exactly how they work.
The hippocampus and amygdala are the parts of the brain that store emotions and memories.
When you apply essential oils, the smell receptors in your nose pick up the aroma and send it to that part of the brain.
Essential oils are naturally fragrant.
They are extracts from tree barks, leaves, roots and stems of plants, and so they are quite concentrated.
An aromatherapist will advise you to dilute the oil with carrier oils such as sesame, coconut, and jojoba to prevent any interaction with the skin.
Most sessions of aromatherapy will involve the external application of oil, but a professional aromatherapist may administer the oils orally.
How best can you use these essential oils for Fibromyalgia?
Well, there is the basic application that leaves your joints and muscles pain-free. The skin absorbs the goodness of these oils into the parts that need relief.
Massages are also one on of the best-known ways to get relief from pain.
The actual act of touching and stocking the skin with the right amount of pressure brings the pain down.
Best Essential Oils for Fibromyalgia Pain
Before we get into these oils, it is imperative that you use organic oil since it is unadulterated.
You will know it is organic by reading the label and procuring from dealers known for organic products.
1. Basil Essential Oil\
Basil oil itself is ideal for cooking, and it is said to reduce nausea.
The essential oil has been tested in mice and seen to manage chronic pain.
In people, it is effective in dulling headaches, giving mental clarity, and treating nervous tension.
Therapists have also used basil essential oil to treat melancholy and fatigue.
The herb, basil, is native to Nepal and India, where it has been cultivated and used for over 5,000 years.
In some places, it is called Saint-Joseph’s-wort.
This essential oil is an extract of basil leaves or flower heads of the plant.
How do you use it?
- Just add a few drops to your bath and soak for some time.
- You can also blend it with carrier oils for massages.
2. Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender has been seen to have some amazing benefits to the body for pain relief.
Not only has a study revealed that it relieved pain in patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee, but it also lowered the pain for a week.
The study shows that the patients were pain-free for up to one week, but the treatment had to be administered to keep the status.
That aside, this essential oil has also been found to be beneficial to the brain and to have calming effects that dull pain.
It was administered to anxiety-stricken students who were about to take their tests, and it was found to calm them and bring the level of anxiety to manageable levels.
This calming effect helps FM patients sleep better at night.
Lavender, Lavandula, is native to the Old World (Africa, Europe, and Asia).
The sweet-smelling oil is extracted from the colorful flowers of the lavender plant.
How to Use Lavender Oil
The easiest way to use this amazing oil is by making a body scrub out of it.
Add a few drops in your preferred scrub and scrub the pain off your muscles.
3. Rosemary
You may have heard someone talking about the power of rosemary oil for hair growth, but it is also ideal for pain relief.
Rosemary essential oil has some of the highest levels of analgesic properties, and so it eases the pain on joints and muscles.
Rosemary oil also helps a great deal with headaches.
They not only calm the bra with their analgesic properties, but they also help you sleep better at night, which is what makes them the ideal to inhale.
Rosemary scientifically known as Rosmarinus officinalis is a woody herb that is native to the Mediterranean region.
The essential oil is attracted from its colorful flowers and leaves.
How To Use Rosemary Oil
- Because it is a potent essential oil, you should blend it with carrier oils before applying on aching joints and muscles.
- For headaches, dropping a few drops of rosemary oil in a diffuser will work wonders.
4. Peppermint
Peppermint, also known as Mentha balsamea is native to the Middle East and Europe, but it is cultivated all over the world.
It has been used for well over 200 years for healing and beauty.
Peppermint oil has a cooling effect, which is why it is used externally to heal the pain of muscles and nerves.
Studies are still ongoing to conclude this fact, but the aroma of this oil has been seen to have memory-enhancing properties.
Peppermint essential oil has been found to be a short-term cure for irritable bowel syndrome.
As is with most essential oils, one application is not enough, but a professional therapist will let you know how many times you can use this therapy.
High doses of this oil (over 500mg) may cause mucosal irritation.
How to use Peppermint
- For memory enhancement, you can inhale it through diffusion or by applying to your skin.
- You can use it as a massage oil, or add a few drops to your bathwater.
5. Ylang Ylang
The rich and luxurious aroma of ylang-ylang oil has made it a staple in beauty products.
Cananga odorata originates from Indonesia but has since travelled to the Philippines and Malaysia.
The oil is extracted from the plant’s flowers through distillation and then graded.
The essential oil has several chemical compositions including sesquiterpenes, which help the brain to calm down.
Ylang Ylang is one of those pure essential oils that you can consume orally for its antioxidants.
When you sniff it, nose receptors send signals to the brain that relax it and help with fatigue.
It also works well with insomnia, seeing as it causes the brain to reach a relaxed state.
When you are in pain or your muscles are too knotted up, adding a few drops to your body scrub will help ease the stiffness.
It works excellently as a massage oil too.
How To Use it
- Dab a little on your wrist and sniff whenever you want.
- Add a few drops to your Epsom salt bath.
- Diffuse a few drops.
6. Patchouli oil
The name ‘patchouli’ is said to come from an ancient word that means “green leaf”.
This plant is originally from Southeast Asia, but today you can find it in the Philippines Malaysia, India, Indonesia, and China.
This oil is extracted from the white leaves of the plant or the flowers.
It is slightly thick with an earthy, sweet smell, and you can blend it with other oils to make it lighter.
Among its many uses, this oil has a few that touch directly what you need for FM.
On application, the aroma helps calm the brain to bring down tension and stress.
Applying a little of it on the temples helps ease depression and emotional breakdown.
How to Use it
- Add a few drops to your diffuser or vaporizer and wait to inhale its relaxing power.
- You could dab a little on strategic parts that are hurting and apply a little pressure. The skin absorbs for pain relief.
- Oh, and it is also an aphrodisiac.
7. Clary Sage
The scientific name for mighty sage is Salvia officinalis, and many call it the herb sister of Rosemary.
This herb produces some of the most potent essential oils known to man.
Sage essential oil is woody and rich, and it blends well with all the carrier oils.
Among its best-known benefits is the ability to improve brains function.
Others include its ability to slow the onset of cognitive disorders, boost the overall immune system, lower inflammation, memory and concentration boost, and strengthen the bones.
Clary sage oil is also an antidepressant. It not only a mood booster, but it also makes you feel good about yourself.
As an antispasmodic, Clary sage oil treats spasms from muscle cramps.
It calms the mind to bring down convulsions and acts as a sedative for tension.
How To Use It
- Add a few drops in a diffuser
- Rub it on the skin.
8. Frankincense Essential Oil
Another name for frankincense is olibanum. It originates from North Africa, Somalia, and Arabian Peninsula.
This oil is peppery and balsamic.
The sweet aroma will instantly travel to your brain and cause your mind to calm down.
For this reason, frankincense essential oil is one of the fastest-acting oil.
Frankincense essential oil relieves the mind to help manage pain, reduce chronic anxiety and stress, and boost immunity.
If you read the bible, you’ll find references to this oil as one of the gifts gifted baby Jesus by the wise men.
A little of this oil goes a long way. Too much of it will do more harm than good.
How To Use It
Whether you inhale it or rub it on the skin, the aroma travels to the limbic region of the brain to influence the nervous system.