Pain that persists even after the source of pain has disappeared is considered chronic pain. It impacts your personal professional and social life.
Why you still have pain is because your nervous system is still sending the pain signal to the brain even when the original stimulant doesn't exist anymore.
Some chronic pains emerging from arthritis and other joint and muscle conditions also disrupt the normal life.
Doctors have also not fully understood the causes of pain in every individual. Hit and trial method is used to understand what will work in a specific when condition. Another challenge is that all kinds of prescribed painkillers have side effects.
That is why many people prefer natural remedies to alleviate pain.
You can use the versatile peppermint oil to instantly get relief from unexplained chronic pain. It is soothing and refreshing. Peppermint oil can also relieve muscle and joint pain.
Table of Contents
- What is Pain?
- How Peppermint Oil Relieves Pain?
- How to Use Peppermint Oil for Pain Relief?
- Additional Pain Relief Remedies
- More Peppermint Oil Benefits
- Other Tips and Precautions
What is Pain?
Pain can be psychological or physical.
An emotional response to a stressful situation can cause pain and misery.
On the other hand a tissue damage can send a pain signal to the brain to draw attention to repair or stop further damage. This is physical pain and goes away after the wound or injury is healed.
Special nerves known as nociceptors detect tissue damage and send pain signals through the spinal cord to the brain to transmit information about the damage.
After getting the signal the brain then decides what to do about the pain.
For example, if you dip your finger in hot water without knowing it is hot, the brain will send signals to the muscle as soon as it gets a pain signal of hot water. Muscles will immediately act to remove the finger from the hot water.
Your finger is saved from burning.
But let us assume water was too hot and by the time you remove the finger, it got a slight burn.
Another pain signal will go to the brain to repair the damaged tissues. You may put your finger in cold water or apply some creams to heal the burn. The pain begins to subside as the tissues begin to heal. All the time the pain signal continues with varying degrees of pain until completely healed.
Sometimes the pain can persist even after the tissue damage is repaired. It is still not very well understood why such pains exist.
Every individual has a different experience of pain which can't be easily explained. So the pain management has remained hit and trial activity.
Medical Science offers non steroidal and steroidal pain relief products depending on severity of pain. These pain relieving agents have side effects but continuous use can have long term health implications.
If you are one of those people who believes in boiling taking painkillers from otc or prescribed methods then natural products like peppermint oil can help you to get rid of pain in many circumstances.
How Peppermint Oil Relieves Pain?
Peppermint oil and almost all other Essential oils have varying medicinal capabilities. They have been widely used in ancient healing practices.
When we talk about peppermint Essential oil, it is one of the most widely popular essential oils used in both topical and oral remedies.
Peppermint contains compounds such as menthol menthone, menthyl acetate, and 1,8-cineole.
Menthol and Menthone both are antiseptic, anesthetic, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral.
With its anti-inflammatory and aroma it helps in treating both emotional and physical pains.
It not only reduces mental fatigue and depression but also refreshes spirits and increases mental ability to focus and concentrate.
Its natural healing properties of pain relief helps you to soothe tension headaches, aching muscles and other types of body pain.
How to Use Peppermint Oil for Pain Relief?
You can use peppermint oil in different ways to deal with different kinds of pains as shown under.
1. Peppermint Oil for Joint and Muscle Pain
What you need
- 5 drops of peppermint oil
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
What you need to do
- Mix 5 drops peppermint oil to a teaspoon of coconut oil
- Massage your need or any other body part where you have muscle pain with the mix oil for 15-30 minutes.
- Prepare more massage oil in the same ratio if you need more
- Try adding more drops of peppermint oil but do a patch test on your arm before using for massage. If there us no burning sensation then it is ok to use
2. Peppermint Oil for Migraine Pain
What you need
- 2 - 3 drops peppermint oil
- ½ teaspoon jojoba oil
What you need to do
- Mix 2 drops of peppermint oil in ½ teaspoon of jojoba oil
- Sleep on your back in a comfortable dark room
- Take the oil mix in your palm and massage on both sides of your forehead between the eyes and ears for 5 minutes.
- Keep your eyes closed and take a nap if possible, otherwise just remain in the bed down quietly
3. Peppermint Oil for Wound and Injury Pain
Every wound and injury induces pain. Major injuries may require surgery and other major medical procedures but at some stage if recovery you may require massage for pain relief and peppermint oil does a good job. Also in minor bruises and minor cuts peppermint oil not only helps in pain relief but also helps to heal the bruises.
What you need
- 10 drops of peppermint oil
- 1 teaspoon of coconut oil
Both oils are antiseptic and anti-inflammatory.
What you need to do
- Mix both oils well
- Apply on the minor cut or bruise
- Leave it there
- Do it 2-3 times daily
You can use peppermint oil both orally and topically in general for various natural medicinal purposes. But for pain relief we will discuss its various topical uses as under.
Additional Pain Relief Remedies
In addition to the peppermint oil following are some other natural pain relief methods.
- Aromatherapy
- Other Essential oils
- Body massage
- Epsom salt bath
- Cold compress
- Cherries
- Ginger tea
- Turmeric tea
- Vitamins
More Peppermint Oil Benefits
Peppermint oil is a highly versatile Essential oil that offers many health benefits. This is one of the many essential oils which can be used both orally as well as topically. Following are some of the main benefits of peppermint oil.
- Relieves joint and muscle pains
- Freshens breath and improves oral health
- Promotes hair growth and reduces dandruff
- Boosts energy for better athletic performance
- Fights with seasonal allergies
- Unclogs blocked sinuses
- Reduces nausea
- Improves IBS and promotes gut health
Other Tips and Precautions
Chronic pain can disrupt a normal healthy lifestyle. Sometimes these pens can be a warning sign for an underlying health condition. Take the following precautions.
- Consult a doctor and find out the cause of of your pain
- Treat the underlying condition naturally or by prescribed medicine
- Exercise regularly
- Keep yourself hydrated by drinking 8-10 glasses if water daily
- Do meditation and yoga to reduce stress
Bottom line is, get rid of your psychological or physical pain to lead a happy life.