What can Essential Oils for Back Pain do? Essential oils are natural oils that are extracted from plants or other natural sources and are used widely in herbal and natural medicine.
These natural oils can be used to treat several ailments that plague us. One of the most common ailments of the modern age? Back pain. Our increasingly sedentary lifestyles that keep us glued to one place and staring at a screen is to blame for the back pain pandemic.
But there is hope as there are several natural remedies for recurring back pain. One of these many ways is by using essential oils.
These essential oils have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that can be very useful in relieving and treating chronic back pain. Many essential oils also have anti-spasmodic properties.
Types of Back Pain
There are many types of back pain, and any one or a combination of more than two types can affect us. Some of the most common back issues are lower back pain or lumbago, Curvature of spine or scoliosis, fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Spondylosis, and Sciatica.
Though Sciatica is a pain that originates from the sciatic nerve, causing lower back pain, there are essential oils for sciatica and other types of back pain.
Best essential oils for treating back pain
1. Basil Oil
Basil oil is excellent for relaxing tight muscles. Due to lack of activity and lesser water consumption, our muscles can stiffen up, causing back pain.
Basil oil helps relieve muscular tension and helps our back muscles to become more relaxed. Essential Basil oil is also great for mental fatigue.
This oil should be rubbed into the spine, lower back and neck regions for maximum relief. It’s also good for neuritis.
2. Ginger Oil
A commonly used oil for back pain. Ginger essential oil is excellent for alleviating sore and tired muscles. It also helps with overall muscle tightness on the back and has a warming effect.
Ginger oil is effective for rheumatism and arthritic conditions.
This oil should be applied all over the back and massaged nicely once mixed with a carrier oil like coconut oil.
3. Lavender Oil
Lavender oil is a great essential oil in many ways that can treat several things. Lavender oil has some powerful anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that make it ideal for treating different kinds of back pain.
This oil is perfect for relieving stress-related back pain.
Just rub a few drops of undiluted lavender oil evenly over the area where it is aching, and you should see positive results.
4. Rosemary Oil
Rosemary essential oil, like Lavender, is a great all-rounder. This oil also has analgesic qualities and is a perfect solution for different kinds of back pain.
Rosemary oil is beneficial for arthritis and fibromyalgia pain.
Mix 5 drops of Rosemary oil with about a tablespoon of coconut oil, apply it all over the affected region, and massage thoroughly.
5. Peppermint Oil
This essential oil for back pain has a cooling and soothing effect. It has anti-inflammatory qualities and is great for back pain resulting from severe injuries, together with the cooling effect.
Peppermint oil can have a numbing effect on the painful region and provide long-term protection from lower back pain.
Apply diluted peppermint essential oil directly to your lower back for best results.
6. Eucalyptus Oil
Another warming oil, Eucalyptus essential oil, can effectively relieve overall stiffness and the back pain resulting from that stiffness.
This oil has strong anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.
The oil should be rubbed thoroughly all over the aching region and back to relieve overall stiffness.
7. Mustard Oil
Mustard oil is unique as it has the ability to increase blood flow underneath the skin. This makes mustard oil a handy option for treating acute back pain.
Mustard oil can be applied to your entire back and should be rubbed thoroughly to promote more circulation. The most popular way of applying mustard oil is by heating it. This also helps create a warm and soothing effect when applied.
8. Juniper Oil
This oil is one of those highly effective essential oils for treating back pain. Juniper oil has soothing and anti-spasmodic properties, making it perfect for helping relax back muscles. Similar to basil essential oil, it also helps with mental anxiety.
One method of applying juniper oil is not to apply it at all. Adding 5 to 10 drops of the essential oil to a warm bath helps with relieving pain.
9. Majoram Oil
This essential oil is one of the warming oils. It has a soothing effect that helps ease joint pain and muscle pain. Majoram oil is also known to relieve stress.
This oil is effective for arthritis.
10. Sage Oil
Clary Sage essential oil is good for relieving inflammation and muscle spasms. It is thus well suited to treat back pain in general.
Mix 5 drops of sage oil with a carrier oil and gently massage all over your back for best results.
These are the ten best back pain essential oils treatments available in general stores or can be ordered online.
Some Commonly Used Combinations
Some blends are very commonly used to treat back pain. This article will focus on two of these blends.
Mix peppermint, rosemary and basil oil (10 drops each) with two tablespoons of carrier oils like coconut, almond or jojoba.
For the other blend, mix rosemary, eucalyptus, and sage (10 drops each), again with two tablespoons of any carrier oil of your choice.
Final Words
In conclusion, it can be said that essential oils for lower back pain and sciatica are a viable and great option that can help you lead a pain-free life naturally. Using these oils have no side effects.