Back pain. We’ve all experienced it at one time or another, and we all know that when we’re dealing with it, it’s really no fun at all. Learn how to use Essential Oils for Back Pain plus try out the DIY Pain Relief recipe.
Back pain can happen for a variety of reasons – from medical conditions to simple over-use or strain. Lifting and carrying heavy objects, sitting too long, twisting, and jerking the back muscles quickly are all common reasons one might experience back pain when an underlying medical concern isn’t present.
When we’re talking about medical concerns of the back, these include conditions such as muscle strains, spinal stenosis, herniated discs, arthritis, and osteoporosis.
Preventing Back Pain
Back pain can be experienced in the neck (cervical spine), middle of the back (thoracic spine), and/or lower back (lumbar spine) and can be an intense, sharp pain, achiness, tightness/stiffness, or even muscular spasms.
While the causes and actual symptoms of back pain are varied, the one thing they all have in common is that when we’re experiencing them, we want to relieve our pain as quickly as possible. That being said, as the well-known cliché says – an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure, so let’s first talk about ways that we can prevent back pain.
1. Use good posture.
2. When lifting, lift with the legs, not the back. Also, get help when lifting heavy objects.
3. Do back stretches periodically throughout the day – this is especially important if you have a desk job. Doing back stretches throughout the day has been proven to alleviate back pain and stiffness associated with prolonged periods of sitting.
4. Exercise. Being active is a great way to prevent back pain – choose an activity you love and get moving!
5. Eat a balanced diet.
6. Chiropractic care and/or massage therapy – these can not only alleviate back pain, but when used regularly, can stop back pain before it even starts.
Here is a quick back stretch video with 3 simple stretches that anyone can do:
Natural Ways to Relieve Back Pain
Now, let’s move on to what to do when we do experience back pain.
- Visit the chiropractor
- Rest while using ice or heat over the affected area
- Use essential oils for relief
Essential Oils for Back Pain
There are many great essential oil options for alleviating back pain, let’s take a look at a few.
| Cooling Oils | Peppermint, spearmint, rosemary |
| Warming Oils | Ginger, black pepper |
| Anti-inflammatory Oils | Lavender, frankincense, copaiba |
| Analgesic Essential Oils | Lemongrass, Sweet Marjoram |
It’s best to use these oils topically, here are two ways:
a massage oil or mixed with Epsom salts in the bath are both great application techniques. Remember, if you’re using essential oils in the bath you need a proper carrier oil or other dispersant – Epsom salts do not count as a carrier!
Essential Oil Blend for Back Pain
I want to leave you with a recipe to help the next time you find yourself or a family member dealing with back pain.
This blend is a massage oil blend and can be applied right over the painful areas of the back. Additionally, a few drops of this blend could be added to a warm bath as well.
This blend uses trauma oil, it is the perfect carrier oil for pain blends. You can substitute it with another carrier oil if needed. Read more about trauma oil. Here is the trauma oil we like:
Back Pain Be Gone Blend |
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Add your drops of each essential oil to a dark glass bottle. Measure out your trauma oil and add it to your blend of essential oils. Close the bottle tightly and roll it gently in your hands to mix the oils together. This recipe is a 4.5% dilution, for temporary issues. Apply directly to painful areas of the back 3-4 times per day. |
More DIY Recipes for Pain
- Essential Oil Pain Butter
- Bumps & Bruises Blend
- Headache Relief Roll On
- Blue Tansy Sore Muscle Blend
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