About a month ago, my husband started getting this awful horrible pain in his lower back. And down his left leg. All of the pain came on very quickly and I was super scared. Since I am in health care, I did know that it was sciatica. And as far as I knew, there was really no medication to help. But my husband made a doctor’s appointment anyway, and the doctor said there was not really any medication to help.
So then, of course, I got out the essential oils. And they really helped my husband out with his back pain. So I wanted to let you know what oils I used, and what really helped him. That way, you have something you can do instead of you or someone you love being in pain and you being completely helpless. So continue reading to find essential oils for sciatica, to help that lower back pain.
Definition of Sciatica
The sciatic nerve starts in the lower back, goes through the butt and hips and goes down each leg. Sciatica is when you have pain that travels the path of this nerve. And usually it is due to the nerve being pinched somewhere in the lower back. Lots of pregnant women have pain in their sciatic nerve because the baby likes to move it around and pinch it. But anyone can get sciatica. So read on to find out which essential oils for sciatica are helpful.
Immediate Pain Relief
When you get pain from sciatica, you need something to help you right away. So you can try soothing blend essential oil on the area of pain. My oil company also has a soothing blend rub that is like a cream that you can apply to areas of pain.
Also, you can try out birch essential oil or wintergreen essential oil. Just apply 2-3 drops to the area of pain as needed. That is one of the nice things about essential oils. You can apply as much as needed, unlike medications that you have to stick to a strict schedule.
Reduce Inflammation
There is usually lots of inflammation but there are oils that help with that also. Some oils to try are bergamot, black pepper, roman chamomile or rosemary. Then just apply 2-3 drops to where the nerve is being pinched 2-3 times a day.
And with anything to do with oils, you might have to try out different oils to see which helps. And you might want to try some of the oils mentioned at the same time as a blend! If you want to learn more about what oils to use for inflammation, go to my blog post about bursitis, which is inflammation of the joints.
Muscle Spasms/Relaxing Muscles
Many times when you are suffering from sciatica and that nerve is pinched, the muscles in your lower back also get tight and start spasming. But there are oils that can help. A favorite for muscle spasms is the massage blend. Put 2-3 drops of the massage blend essential oil directly onto the area where the spasm is occurring.
If massage blend does not help, you can also try lavender, marjoram or melissa essential oils. And you can also try some of the oils together to get your lower back to relax.
Help With Healing
When you get sciatica or a sore lower back, once you have the pain under control, you also need to work on healing your back. Helichrysum is a great oil for this. Also you can try frankincense (great oil for all healing) or sandalwood. Put 1-2 drops around the spinal area of your lower back.
Do this two to three times a day. Then put a hot compress over the area. This helps drive the oils in so they can help speed up the healing.
Other Ways to Use the Oils
In all these ways to help with sciatica, you can put the oils directly on the spine and where it hurts. But you can also use the oils in a couple other ways. Like you can put them in a diffuser and inhale the oils that way. Here are some diffusers that I recommend.
You could also put the oils into a bath and soak up the oils while soaking in the bath. This will really help with the pain and with relaxing the muscles.
There are so many options for essential oils for sciatica. Just like anytime that you use the essential oils for a health concern, there will be trial and error and find the specific oil that will help you with your pain, inflammation, muscle spasms and healing of your lower back.
If you want to get any of these oils that I talk about, go to my essential oils website!
Vanessa is a Doctor of Pharmacy who champions natural health. She lives with her husband of 18 years as well as her 12 & 15 year old sons. She aspires to encourage moms on their journey to family wellness through holistic health and essential oils.
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