It’s frustrating to find effective ways to treat the many symptoms of fibromyalgia, especially those chronic symptoms that fibromyalgia sufferers are always looking for relief from.
If you’re sick of trying out different medications for chronic pain and fatigue, maybe essential oils can work for you.
Beginnings of Essential Oils
While it’s true that essential oils seem like a fad that picked up over the past couple of years, their use actually goes back to 2500-3000 B.C. Evidence of them can be found in ancient Egypt, China, and India.
How to Use Essential Oils
If you’ve never used essential oils before, it can be confusing about where to start or how to use them. It’s actually pretty easy to add oils to your life. Here are some ways to use them.
Diffuser
One of the easiest ways to add essential oils to your routine is to use a diffuser. Place some water in the diffuser and then add a few drops of whatever oil you want.
Topical Application
Many oils are most effective when applied to the skin, especially for the areas that are in pain. Just be careful. Some oils need to be mixed with a carrier oil before they can be placed directly on the skin. Almond and coconut are the most common carrier oils.
Baths
Hot baths are already helpful for relieving pain and stress. You can amplify that effect by adding drops of essential oils to your bath water.
Oils for Fibromyalgia
Below are a few essential oils that can be used to help treat two of fibromyalgia’s main symptoms: chronic pain and chronic fatigue.
Also, remember to always check with your doctor before trying new treatment options.
Oils to Ease Pain
Peppermint
We’re not strangers to peppermint. It’s often used as a flavoring in gum and candy. There’s even peppermint tea and toothpaste. As an oil, peppermint helps muscle and joint pain as well as headaches.
Peppermint has analgesic and muscle relaxant properties. It soothes and cools when applied to the hurting area of the body—you will need a carrier oil for topical use—and is also effective in the bath.
It aids headache relief by improving blood circulation.
Plus, an added bonus, peppermint is invigorating and can help keep you alert.
CBD (Marijuana)
CBD oil is all over the news lately. According to many, it has helped a lot with their fibromyalgia pain when applied topically.
Cannabidiol oil is a different chemical than the source of marijuana that gives people a “high”, which is known as THC. Currently, it isn’t legal in all 50 states.
It’s believed that CBD oil works to help relieve pain by affecting receptors in your brain. This helps with inflammatory and chronic pain.
There are still many outspoken critics of this oil right now, but research looks promising.
Ginger
Ginger has shown useful as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic. It also improves circulation like peppermint.
Zingibain can be found in ginger and is responsible for that anti-inflammation ability.
Pain like headaches, cramps, muscle, and joint pain is decreased from ginger use.
Bonus: Ginger has many other health properties as well like being an antioxidant, an antiseptic, and a nausea aid.
Oils to Help Relaxation or Sleep
Lavender
Lavender is famous for its ability to help people relax. Studies have shown its ability to act as a sedative and protect the nervous system.
Lavender is also one of the essential oils that doesn’t necessitate a carrier oil in order to apply to the skin.
Studies also indicate lavender may help with pain!
Chamomile
Chamomile is often made as tea to aid sleep, but it can also be used in oil form.
Studies note the reduction of stress-caused plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone levels when people inhale chamomile. This helps create a relaxed feeling, making it easier to sleep.
Diluted chamomile also works well topically and in the bath.
Citruses
Citrus family oils have either a relaxing or invigorating effect, depending on the individual.
Lemon balm and bergamot can help with anxiety. Lemon balm is most effective in a capsule instead of oil, but some report inhaling it helps them. Bergamot was used in a study, and the results showed a decrease in the participants’ stress.
A Possible Aid
This is by no means an exhaustive list of essential oils that can help with pain, fatigue, or other fibromyalgia symptoms, but these oils are a good place to start if you’re interested.
Fibromyalgia is a complicated health condition because of all its symptoms and the uncertainty of what causes it. That’s partly why it can be difficult to find ways to alleviate symptoms, but research and individual testimonies show that essential oils can help sufferers cope with the illness. So, maybe one or some of these oils could be what you’re looking for.
Sources
https://essentialoilsacademy.com/history/
https://www.painpathways.org/essential-oils/
https://www.painpathways.org/aromatherapy-for-chronic-pain/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3612440/
http://info.achs.edu/blog/depression-and-anxiety-can-essential-oils-help
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