Millions of people across the globe have some form of joint pain and many of them are using essential oils for arthritis to help treat their symptoms. Are you one of them?
Your doctor can prescribe you medication for your arthritis symptoms but many of them come with bad side effects that cause other problems. Even taking over-the-counter medicine can cause problems when taken for long periods. There is however, a natural alternative for arthritis. You can treat your symptoms with essential oils. The five oils listed below are known to help ease arthritis symptoms.
Natural Arthritis Relief
It is always best to heal your body in a natural way when that’s possible and effective. Fortunately, there are natural arthritis treatments that have been tested for years and proven to work wonders. One of these, which is easily available everywhere, is essential oils. These oils work directly on the brain cells responsible for our emotions, which helps the user to relax and thus helps the body do its repair work on the joints affected by arthritis.
5 Best Essential Oils for Arthritis Pain Relief
1. Eucalyptus Essential Oil: Natural Pain Reliever
I LOVE Eucalyptus essential oil: it works as a natural pain reliever by opening up the blood vessels within the body. This increases circulation, which helps the body heal itself naturally. It also helps to relieve the joint pain caused by arthritis.
2. Birch Essential Oil: Anti-inflammatory and Antispasmodic
The Birch oil has several properties that help to reduce muscle and joint pain. These include antiseptic, diuretic, anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic. Birch also contains methyl salicylate and salicylic acid that may help relieve bone pain in addition to the muscle and joint pain.
3. Peppermint Essential Oil: Reduces Inflammation
The Peppermint essential oil contains menthol with anti-inflammatory properties that help to reduce the inflammation and swelling in your joints. Peppermint oil is great for relieving arthritis pain naturally.
4. Lavender Essential Oil: Promotes Good Circulation
Lavender essential oil is popular for evoking calm, peaceful feelings. Used in aromatherapy it helps you relax and sleep better, so many people use it to treat insomnia. However, it also promotes good circulation and helps to enhance the flow of oxygen that travels to your joints and muscles. As a result, it may help reduce the pain and discomfort associated with arthritis.
5. Rosemary Essential Oil
The rosemary oil has anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and analgesic properties that help to reduce inflammation, improve circulation and ease the pain caused by arthritis. You can enhance the strength of any essential oil by blending it with other essential oils, provided they have the same therapeutic properties.
Many people use essential oils to help them deal with their arthritis pain and they may help you, as well. Many of them have the potential to reduce inflammation, swelling, pain and other symptoms associated with this disease. However, if you’re taking prescription drugs for your arthritis, discuss it with your doctor before using essential oils to prevent any type of drug interaction.
More Pain & Inflammation Relievers
6. Frankincense Oil
Known to the medical world for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, frankincense oil is one of the most commonly used oils for alleviating arthritis. It’s double beneficial because it also fights autoimmune diseases and bone loss caused by excessive usage.
7. Marjoram Oil
Marjoram oil is an analgesic and anti-inflammatory for natural healing, where it’s used in treating various injuries like bruises, sprains and muscle stiffness. Apart from reducing pain and swelling, this oil also works to remove anxiety and relax the body, which helps the healing process even more.
8. Wintergreen Oil
This menthol-scented oil is widely used in commercial pain relievers as an anti-inflammatory, and is well known for its ability to heal muscle and bone related problems. This combination of properties makes it one of the best essential oils for arthritis.
9. Clove Oil
Cloves’ longstanding popularity as a spice has made clove oil widely available, but it’s good for much more than baking. Clove oil is highly regarded in the medical community for its ability to reduce and prevent inflammation, including the inflammation caused by arthritis.
10. Ginger Oil
Ginger is a plant with numerous medical uses, and there is no doubt it can help with arthritis. A powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant with slight analgesic properties, it seems to act at the cellular level to reduce inflammation and pain.
How to Use Essential Oils to Treat Arthritis Pain
Essential oils will give exceptional results when used properly; however, incorrect use can lead to disaster.
If you’ve never used essential oils before, you need to take some precautions. Apply a small amount of the essential oils blend for arthritis pain to your skin and wait for 24 hours to see if there is any reaction. This test is just to make sure that you won’t have any irritation when you use the oil therapeutically.
If you notice any adverse effects, seek a doctor’s advice before applying more of the mixture. If there is no reaction you can start gently massaging the oil mixture onto the affected area two or three times a day.
Essential Oil Recipes for Arthritis
So now that you know how essential oils can help with arthritis pain, it’s time to make some recipes. I recommend you mix and match any of the oils above with carrier oil and rotate them. This way you don’t use too much of an oil and you get a chance to benefit from all of them.
Essential oil recipe for pain with Aloe Vera
Andrea makes a great pain gel here. She uses
- 3 drops each of ginger, rosemary and lavender oils
- 5 drops of peppermint oil
- 2 oz. aloe vera gel
Add the oils and aloe vera gel to a 2 oz PET plastic flip-top bottle.
Essential oil recipe for arthritis
This mixture is a cool, refreshing blend that will calm and soothe your arthritis pain. Use it any time you need relief.
- 2 oz avocado oil (this oil is anti-inflammatory, but if you don’t have it, just use any other carrier oil you have on hand). Or, you can replace the carrier oil with aloe vera gel, for a stronger cooling feeling
- 5 drops wintergreen oil
- 2 drops frankincense
- 3 drops clove oil
- 5 drops Lavender
Mix oils together and use a few drops on your knees or elbows, or wherever your arthritis pain is.
Glass Roll-on Bottles
Vivaplex, 6, Amber, 10 ml Glass Roll-on Bottles with Stainless Steel Roller Balls – .5 ml Dropper included
Fiery Youth Rose Glass Essential Oil Roller Bottles ,Useful for Aromatherapy PerfumesAand Lip Balms, 6 Bottle Set,10ml，Glass Roll on Bottle (0.5 ml Dropper included)6, Cobalt Blue, 10 ml Glass Roll-on Bottles with Stainless Steel Roller Balls – .5 ml Dropper Included
For even more roller bottle choices, take a look at this comprehensive list of roll-on glass bottles.
Learn More About Arthritis
The word arthritis means stiffness, swelling, pain and inflammation of the joints. Therefore, it’s used to describe various diseases that affect the joints. The most commonly known forms of arthritis are rheumatoid, degenerative, inflammatory and osteoarthritis.
In addition to the joint pain and stiffness, arthritis can also reduce the amount of mobility you have to the point that it can be difficult to walk across the floor or get up out of a chair. One thing that many people don’t realize is that some types of arthritis such as lupus or rheumatoid are systemic diseases.
That means that it can affect more than just your joints. It may also affect your lungs, skin and even your eyes. You may also run a fever and feel weak or exhausted. It can cause nerve problems and kidney disease along with a number of other health problems depending on which type of arthritis you have.
When you have arthritis, you symptoms can remain the same or they may get worse with time. The areas affected can change and your symptoms can range from mild to severe.
But don’t despair: by using natural treatments you can get rid of pain and claim your life back.Which natural treatments should you try? Well, you have them all right above. It’s time to get started!
I always read about the oils that help but I don’t read about how you can use them. Do you rub the oils directly on your pain or do you use them in your air machine or spray the in the air? How do you use them?
Yes, you use the oils on the painful areas with a light massage.
Do you mix with carrier oil or alone
Dolly, ALWAYS mix with carrier oil!
How much do u use with carrier oil, what is the ratio between carrier and essential oil.
Can you give the amount of each essential oil and carrier oil to be mixed for topical use?
I added a recipe for you :). Check above, and save it to your pinterest for future use!
Doesn’t say how much carrier oil.
Val, are you asking about the pain blend I shared? If so, use a 10ml roller bottle, add the essential oils and fill the rest of the bottle with carrier oil. Let me know if you have any other questions.
What is carrier oil please
Kris, read this to learn about carrier oils: https://www.enjoynaturalhealth.com/carrier-oils-for-essential-oils/
i love this post and your blog! I use oils for almost everything! I used them in my pregnancies and now on the kids for everything also. i have carpal tunnel in my wrist from being a hairstylist but have found oils help relieve pain so much!
I am excited to start trying these oils for my joint pain. I’ll keep you posted!
I do not have birch oil. Will this blend work without it?
Yes, it should still work: give it a try.
I use this all the time for arthritis in my hands. It helps better than anything I have ever tried!
What oil could be substituted for birch oil?
Try lemongrass.
Thank you for this info. I have my mix of yang ylang, Lavender & lemongrass in almond oil carrier which seems to help but I will try adding these others as well. I value your information.
I have terrible hand arthritis. I use 10 drops Copaiba oil, 10 drops panaway and 10 drops grape seed oil. Rub it directly on area and rub in well
I always ensure I have a “conifer” oil for the rollerball I make for pain. I personally use White Fir instead of birch. I also use Helichysum, Marjoram, Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Deep Blue, and Wild Orange in a 10mL rollerball topped with FCO.
I don’t have Rosemary right now. What else could I use?
Use the rest of the oils: they should still work. And when you can get rosemary, add it then.
Which eucalyptus? There are many types. Globulus, radiata, blue….???
All of them will work.
How often can you apply the oil…it is really working for me but I don’t want to over do it!
Julie, you can apply as often as every couple hours. I’m glad to hear it’s helping you.