When you’re a newbie at working out, it’s natural to feel achy and stiff after a strenuous full-body HIIT session. Even gym rats regularly deal with muscle soreness and body pains after an intense workout.
Apart from the DOMS effect (delayed onset muscle soreness) that accompanies regular exercise, pregnant women and people with arthritis know all too well what it’s like to deal with daily muscle and joint pain.
Suppose your pain and discomfort lingers longer than what feels normal. In that case, seek out your primary care physician to consult with and consider getting your prescriptions at a discount online pharmacy.
Along with your medical treatment, you can start regular massage therapy to relieve your body pains.
Essential Oils for Sore Muscles and Pain Relief
To combat that pain and swelling, we have compiled a list of essential oils for sore muscles that will help you reduce the swelling and pain to a considerable extent.
When combined with these essential oils, regular massage treatments will be more effective at delivering the benefits your aching and stressed muscles deserve.
Essential Oils for Tension, Pain, and Swelling
The following oils help to treat tension, pain, and swelling. You can add two oils with a carrier oil and use them during the massage for more benefits. Essential oils should always be mixed with a carrier oil and not alone as their intensity may sometimes cause allergic reactions.
- Peppermint oil contains menthol that gives a cooling effect on achy and sore muscles. It has antispasmodic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties that provide immense relief to the muscles.
- Helichrysum oil relieves inflammation, muscle spasms, and pain. Massage with this oil also helps boost the immune system.
- Marjoram oil relaxes tension and strain on the muscles. It is widely used for its ability to ease inflammation and pain.
Essential Oils For Swelling and Pain
The following oils work double duty by easing swelling and muscle pain. Use them separately or combine them when using massage.
- Lavender oil is famous for its ability to relax and calm nerves. It also helps relieve pain and inflammation on a body part.
- Eucalyptus oil has a unique cooling effect on the body. It also helps with swelling.
- Rosemary oil is famous for its ability to ease inflammation and pain.
Use these oils for tension and swelling. - Cypress oil relaxes and calms the nerves causing muscle spasms.
- Sandalwood oil relieves muscle spasms, tension, and inflammation.
Use These Oils If You’re Dealing With Just Muscle Pain
- Ginger oil has a warming effect on sore and stiff muscles, which help relieve body pain.
- Black pepper oil reduces pain by warming up your body. It is famous for its ability to raise the temperature of the body part where it is applied, so the body deals with the pain itself.
- Clove oil is mainly used to treat pain. It also has a warming effect and soothes muscle and joint pain.
How To Use The Oils
Essential oils are highly reactive. If not used properly, they may irritate the skin and trigger an allergic reaction. That’s why never use essential oil alone. Always use it in combination with a carrier oil such as almond oil, coconut oil, olive oil, mustard oil, etc.
Use at least six teaspoons of carrier oil and mix with 15 drops of essential oil you want to use.
Ways To Use Essential Oils
The essential oils work better if appropriately applied. This is why these oils are the best option for a relaxing massage. If you want to treat your condition with these oils, book a relaxing massage with a certified massage therapist who knows which oils to use according to your physical condition.
Massage with essential oils will help the oils penetrate deeply into the body and work their magic. It will also help untie the knots in your muscles.
You can also try adding these oils to your bath and take a relaxing hot bath. Or you can add a few drops of oil to a warm cloth and make a nice warm compress for the painful area of the body.
That said, always do a patch test before using any essential oil, as it may trigger any allergic reaction you might have with the ingredients of the oil.