Are you looking for an alternative therapy to help relieve sore and painful muscles? One option is essential oils. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 20.4% of adults in the U.S experienced chronic pain in 2016.
Pain and soreness are some of the many symptoms that individuals may experience in their muscles. In addition, skeletal muscles comprise up to 40% of an individual’s body mass, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Please continue reading to discover the muscle conditions that essential oils may help with and other options to help relieve muscle conditions like muscle pain or soreness.
What Precisely Is Essential Oil?
Individuals and companies can make essential oils by steaming or pressing different plant parts to extract the “essence” of plant material. Plant parts that are processed can include seeds, stalks, roots, leaves, and flowers.Essential oil manufacturers may need several pounds of plant material to produce one bottle of essential oil.
Potential Benefits of Essential Oils for Muscles
Researchers of a recent meta-analysis analyzed the possible effects of aromatherapy on health conditions like muscle tension. Essential oils may help relieve the symptoms caused by the following health conditions.
Massage can also help with specific conditions like temporomandibular or TMJ disorders. Other combinations reduce bacteria that cause bad odors, help absorb the humidity and stop hyperhidrosis. However, more research is needed to determine its efficacy.
Muscle Discomfort
The essential oils some individuals use to help reduce muscle discomfort include:
● Ginger
● Lavender
● Peppermint
● Rosemary
● Wintergreen
Muscle Aches
You may experience muscle aches due to health issues like connective tissue discomfort. Some essential oil options you can pick from to deal with these conditions include:
● Birch
● Helichrysum
● Oregano
● Peppermint
● Rosemary
● Thyme
Muscle Fatigue
Have you ever had weakened muscles after a challenging workout or manual labor? If so, then you may require relief from tired and sore muscles.
Some of the essential oil options for alternative therapies include:
● Grapefruit
● Peppermint
● Rosemary
Muscle Cramps
Muscle cramps can result from a lack of blood circulation or certain pressure. Sometimes drinking water can help relieve cramps. You can also try utilizing essential oils such as:
● Basil
● Peppermint
● Rosemary
Muscle Strains
A muscle strain is an injury to an individual’s muscle or tendon. Tendons are stringy tissues that connect muscles to bones.
The essential oils that you can try to help relieve muscle strains include:
● Eucalyptus
● Lavender
● Lemongrass
● Rosemary
● Thyme
8 Essential Oils to Try for Muscle Pain and Soreness
When using essential oils to help relieve muscle issues like soreness or pain, some options to consider include:
Basil
You can apply basil massage oil to muscles to help relieve swelling. Some people use basil oil to reduce inflammation or as a muscle relaxant. Basil may also provide more benefits than soups and salads. However, more research on this is warranted.
Chamomile
Chamomile tea is a popular option that may provide various health benefits. Individuals often use chamomile to help treat different health conditions like muscle spasms. Chamomile may also have anti-inflammatory properties.
Research suggests that a connection may exist between chronic pain and inflammation. Hence, chamomile essential oil may help relieve pain. However, further research is needed to determine chamomile’s effectiveness.
Cinnamon
Some research suggests that cinnamon may help reduce inflammation. However, researchers must conduct more studies on the potential anti-inflammatory effects of cinnamon on muscle conditions.
Eucalyptus
You can use a carrier oil to dilute the eucalyptus before applying it to your skin. The essential oil can provide a cooling effect. Some research shows that eucalyptus may help reduce muscle pain and inflammation-related muscle soreness.
Ginger
Research shows that ginger may help improve blood circulation. Blood circulation helps maintain healthy muscles and tissues. Therefore, researchers should investigate ginger’s potential circulation-increasing effects to help relieve muscle conditions.
Lavender
Lavender has become one of the most popular essential oils on the market.
Research has suggested that the plant extract may have pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative properties.
A recent study also showed that an aromatherapy massage using lavender oil might help relieve the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis symptoms may include muscle weakness. Researchers should conduct further studies on lavender essential oil’s potential effects on reducing osteoarthritis-induced muscle weakness.
Peppermint
Individuals can use peppermint essential oil to help relieve muscle pain and inflammation. However, some people have reported skin irritation due to contact with peppermint essential oil.
Tea Tree
An analysis published by the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine suggested that tea tree oil may help relieve muscle inflammation. However, researchers must conduct more studies on this particular subject.
