Strength Injury Prevention Essential Oils for Soothing Muscle Pain and Soreness By Cathy Wong facebook twitter Cathy Wong is a nutritionist and wellness expert. Her work is regularly featured in media such as First For Women, Woman's World, and Natural Health. Learn about our editorial process Cathy Wong Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Elena Klimenko, MD on April 02, 2020 facebook linkedin Elena Klimenko, MD, is a board-certified doctor in internal medicine and licensed in medical acupuncture and homeopathy. Learn about our Review Board Elena Klimenko, MD Updated on April 02, 2020 Print PeopleImages/Getty Images Table of Contents View All Popular Essential Oils Safety Essential Oil Recipes Warnings The scents of essential oils—extracts from flowers and other plant parts—are said to ease tired, sore muscles. Adding a drop or two of these fragrant oils to a bath soak, massage oil, or compress is a nice way to soothe achy, sore muscles at home. Popular Essential Oils Here are some popular choices, which can be used individually or blended together. Eucalyptus has antibacterial and lung-protective properties.Black pepper is known for its warming properties as well as analgesic and antimicrobial effects.Rosemary is stimulating and is used for all muscular conditions, including sprains and sore muscles. It is also anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial.Birch has a long history of use for releasing muscle spasms and fighting inflammation to treat sore and tired muscles.Clove is known for its pain-relieving and immune-stimulating properties. It is also antimicrobial and antiviral.Ginger has warming, digestive, and antiseptic properties.Cypress helps with muscle spasms and is antibacterial.Basil is used to alleviating feelings of tension. It can release spasms and reduce inflammation.Roman chamomile is calming and is used to relieve muscle discomfort and aches through its anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic properties.Clary sage is said to be useful for relaxing muscle spasms and pain, warming and soothing. It is a nerve tonic and is anti-spasmodic.Marjoram is relaxing and calming for tight muscles.Lavender has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.Peppermint can relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and release spasms. Safety When you're using essential oils, it's important to know how to use these powerful oils safely. It also helps to know what to look for when buying essential oils. For sore muscles, the oils are typically integrated into a topical method for soothing muscle tissue. Consider these methods: Add a few drops into a bath. Hot water can help ease sore muscles, and adding some fragrant oils may help to further relax aches. Use it in massage oil. Mix a few drops of essential oils into a carrier oil, like sweet almond oil. When massaging it onto muscles, the heat of your body will warm the oil and release the scent into the air.Put it in a compress. Cold compresses may help with sprains and localized swelling. After adding a few drops of essential oils to cold water, place a clean piece of muslin or cloth into the water, wetting it completely and then wringing it out. Essential oils are highly concentrated, so you only need a few drops with any of these methods. Essential Oil Recipes While pre-blended oils for muscles are available, they can also be combined at home. Here is a sample blend for muscle soreness and pain. Essential oils should always be diluted before being applied to the skin. If you would like to make a massage oil, you will need a bottle that holds between 4 fluid ounces (1/2 cup or 125 mL) and 8 fluid ounces (1 cup or 250 mL), depending on how much you would like to make. Ingredients To make this sample essential oil blend, you will need: Roman chamomile essential oilLavender essential oilPeppermint essential oilClary sage essential oilAn appropriate-sized dark glass bottle with capMassage oil Method Add the following to a bottle: 4 drops Roman chamomile essential oil4 drops lavender essential oil3 drops peppermint essential oil1 drop clary sage essential oil Add 4 ounces of massage oil to the bottle. Cover tightly. Be sure to label the bottle. List the ingredients. Clearly mark that the contents of the bottle are for external use only. There are different types of chamomile essential oil. Roman chamomile is believed to relax muscles, while German chamomile is thought to be better for inflammation. To convert measurements: 1/8 teaspoon = 12.5 drops = 1/48 oz. = approximately 5/8 mL1/4 teaspoon = 25 drops = 1/24 oz. = approximately 1 1/4 mL3/4 teaspoon = 75 drops = 1/8 oz. = approximately 3.7 mL1 teaspoon = 100 drops = 1/6 oz. = approximately 5 mL Warnings While essential oils in baths, massage oil, or compresses may provide some pain relief, it's important to know when to see your doctor. Consult your doctor if you experience any of the following signs and symptoms: Sudden or severe painPain that lasts more than several days (without getting better)Redness or swellingBleeding, bruising, or tenderness following an injury Prevent and Treat Muscle Sprains and Strains If you are pregnant or nursing or have a health condition, check with your healthcare provider before using essential oils. They shouldn't be used as a substitute for standard care. And even though they are natural, they're quite potent and should be used with care. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get exercise tips to make your workouts less work and more fun. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Lakhan SE, Sheafer H, Tepper D. The effectiveness of aromatherapy in reducing pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Pain Res Treat. 2016;2016:8158693. doi:10.1155/2016/8158693 Ali B, Al-Wabel NA, Shams S, Ahamad A, Khan SA, Anwar F. Essential oils used in aromatherapy: A systemic review. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2015;5(8):601-611. doi:10.1016/j.apjtb.2015.05.007 Srivastava JK, Shankar E, Gupta S. Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future. 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