Ever wonder why many baby products or spas have a lavender or sweet/floral smell? This is because lavender is often used as an aromatherapeutic tool to reduce anxiety and emotional stress and increase relaxation to improve sleep. Can this same concept be applied to pain, swelling, muscle soreness, etc? How can we use essential oils and aromatherapy to assist in our healing?
Many of us throughout our lifetime will be prescribed a medication to treat a health condition. Often times, patients come into therapy with muscle strain, bruising, swelling, or general pain related to a recent injury or surgery. This can lead to loss of sleep, increased anxiety, and more overall discomfort. People are always asking what they can do in conjunction with their current medications and exercises to assist in their whole body healing.
Any time you consider adding anything to your regimen, always consult with your medical doctor to discuss your current medications and health history. Generally speaking, the use of topical or air diffused essential oils are a safe and inexpensive way to provide additional relief. Placebo? Maybe. Research in this area is pretty expansive but not conclusive. If it provides any level of relief, placebo or not, many people find it worth the try.
Below is a short list of some essential oils that can be applied topically or placed in an aromatherapy air diffuser to assist in the healing process and possibly provide some additional relief. Many of these can be found at your local health food store.
Essential oils
Stress: lavendar, cedarwood, rose. Try placing a drop under your chin or the bridge of your nose. The scent will diffuse as you sleep and assist in improving the quality of sleep.
Bruising: Helichrysum oil can assist in increasing the absorption of blood that has collected which forms the bruise under the skin. This can be applied topically to an area that experiences bruising post surgically. It is not recommended to apply any essential oil onto an open wound or compromised skin.
Inflammation: German chamomile and helichrysum are helpful in reducing inflammation related to muscle injury and bruising. This can be applied to the skin after experiencing a muscle strain or ankle sprain, among other conditions.
Another common topical treatment that patients often ask about is arnica. Arnica comes from a perrineal plant that originates in Europe and has been used for many years in Eastern and homeopathic medicine. Used as a topical liniment, arnica can assist in decreasing pain and swelling to help patients during the healing process. Arnica can also be purchased at your local health food store.
Although these compounds can be found in many of the everyday products we use, one may have an allergic reaction they are unaware of. These oils are mere recommendations and should always be discussed with your doctor prior to use.
References:
Essential oils pocket reference (6th ed.). (2014). Orem, UT: Life Science Publishing.
Arnica. Steven D Ehrlich, NMD. March 2015.
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/arnica. Accessed March 1, 2017.
Herbs and Supplements: Arnica. Medline Plus. July 2016. https://medlineplus.gov/ druginfo/natural/721.html