For much of mankind’s history, people have used herbal treatments to reduce pain and inflammation in joints and muscles. The bark of the Willow tree has given us ‘the wonder drug’ for pain reduction, which actually occurs due to a reduction of inflammation. Now, many professional therapists lay-practitioners are turning to essential oils for inflammation reduction and pain relief. Essential oils provide a very simple means of reaping the anti-inflammatory, analgesic potential of natural medicine, as all one need do is put a few drops of essential oil into a base oil and massage in for quick, sometimes long-lasting relief.

A quick look at the current research available on pubmed.gov gives an extensive list of scientific publications confirming the anti-inflammatory action of essential oils. The oils used in today’s therapies have been carefully distilled to retain their medicinal potency. This means that they can have very complex natural chemical structures, and depending on the plant, a powerful inflammation-reducing action. Some obvious oils are distilled from plants that they themselves have long been used for this purpose — particularly Ginger and Turmeric. Carbon-dioxide distillations (a new, cold-process method of making essential oils) of both these plants have been included in patented inflammation-reducing formulas. These CO2 distillations are readily available for any practitioner to employ in their formulas.

Just published in the Journal of Lipid Research are the results of an investigation in Japan confirming the anti-inflammation activity in several essential oils. This supports the selection of many essential oils used in pain relief and anti-inflammation formulas. The oils shown to reduce inflammation through suppression of the COX-2 pro-inflammatory enzyme included herbs, like thyme, clove and fennel; rose; eucalyptus; and even the citrus Bergamot. The oils considered to have the strongest anti-inflammation activity used in aromatherapy were not even examined, which can mean that there are naturally a great many compounds found in essential oils that have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Further, some of the individual natural constituents of the essential oil were examined, and it was discovered that carvacrol had the strongest activity. Carvacrol is found in many essential oils, and is most often considered aromatherapy’s most potent anti-bacterial, and has been directly implicated in boosting immune system function in other scientific studies. There seems to be a link between inflammation reduction, immune system function and longevity (the inflammation reducing power of the essential oils studied was compared to red-wine extract, implicated in potentially extending lifespan). The study did not go so far as to elucidate the actual mechanism of reducing inflammation, but it would not be suprising if this activity were a factor — carvacrol, as well as thymol — the other major component of Thyme essential oil — are well-known antioxidants.

Using the anti-inflammatory action of essential oils for one’s self is very simple to do. A personal massage formula can easily be created by choosing one to three of these essential oils in this category. Massage strength — or a formula that one would use regularly on sore joints and muscles is usually found with a concentration of 2-5% essential oils in a carrier oil (like Jojoba or Almond oil). Higher concentrations are NOT better, and some oils have actually been found to be pro-inflammatory at higher strengths. An example recipe would be 1% Ginger, 1% Thyme and 3% Lavender in a base of Sweet Almond oil. A one-percent concentration is 8 drops of essential oil per fluid ounce of carrier. As there are so many inflammation-reducing oils, do a little research to find which ones might be right for you. Some are warming (ginger), some cooling (German chamomile) and enhance your active lifestyle.

Cacao, the ‘food of the goddess’. To learn more about this high vibe fruit and various other musings see the authors blog, ‘Organic Medicinal Herbs‘.

Related posts:

1. What 100% Pure Essential Oils Can Do For YouA 100% pure essential oil is a liquid that is most frequently distilled with steam or water from the stems, leaves, bark, roots, flowers, and/or other properties of plants. It...
2. A Seasonal Look At Cooking With Essential OilsSpring's seeds are finally turning into the fruits of summer! We've already worked our way through some of the leafy greens, such as chard, mustard and butter lettuce. Now we're...
3. Natural Inflammation TreatmentYou have no doubt seen advertisements for many different anti-inflammatory creams. Most of these creams have been on the market for quite a while. people are often unsatisfied by the...
4. Vitamins For Joint Pain – Nutritional Therapies To Heal Inflammation And PainArthritis and joint pain can be a debilitating condition for most sufferers. A reduction in the cartilage tissue that cushions the joints is the primary symptom of both osteoarthritis and...
5. Practical Aromatherapy: The Art Of Storing Your OilsOne of the great concerns of the aromatherapy practitioner is keeping their essential oils at their best. If one buys a good stock of oils, how should they be kept?...
6. Organic Essential Oil ProductionEssential oils are used in a variety of products. These include perfumes, incense, detergents, and cosmetics. But where do essential oils come from? Most essential oils are a liquid product...
7. Massage Oils, Aromatherapy And YouLife can be quite stressful. You go to work every single day only to come home at night exhausted from a day's work. You have to repeat the routine every...
8. Help Your Aches And Pains With Helichrysum OilWe have been using Aromatherapy for quite some time without realizing it, in the form of Ben Gay and Tiger Balm, for sore muscles and stiff joints. Yet until recently,...
9. A Few Good Aroma-Medicine RecipesTurning to Aromatherapy In the last few years there has been more attention on the consequences of using antibiotics and commercially produced antibacterial items. Reports of compromised immune systems and...
10. Using Nature’s Best Pain RelieverThere's a little known secret in natural therapeutics -- the profound healing pain relief of Helichrysum essential oil. Its action is nothing short of amazing, though this information is rarely...
11. Oils For Hair Care And GrowthThere must be a wide variety of hair oil products available in the stores, but the question is which one to buy before selecting the most appropriate one. There are...
12. Anise: Cure For The Common CoughAnise is a natural essential oil that is part of the parsley family. This botanical plant is grown mostly in Turkey. The natural essential oil is obtained by steam distillation...
13. Some Properties Of Eucalyptus Radiata Essential OilIn this world you will find 700 varieties of eucalyptus tree and out of these varieties there are around 500 trees from which you can produce many different essential oils....
14. The Amazing Parts of Essential Oil AbsorptionThe Passage of Aromatic Essential Oils Though the Nasal Cavity...
15. Dandruff Remedies – Natural Oils Home Dandruff RemedyWould you like to find out how and why shampoo companies are stealing money from you? Of course you would. Continue reading this article to find out how....