6 Best Essential Oils For Neuropathy - Natural Recipes for Nerve Pain (2024)

Essential oils for neuropathy can relieve the weakness, pain, and numbness in hands, feet and other parts of the body caused by a common nervous condition called peripheral neuropathy.

Peripheral neuropathy is a result of a damaged peripheral nervous system, a network that transmits information from central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) to every other part of the body, including your arms, legs, feet, and internal organs.

The medicine recognizes more than 100 different types of neuropathy all caused by particular factors and characterized by a specific set of symptoms.

Here is a generalized list of most common causes of neuropathy:

• Genetic predisposition
• Physical injury
• Diabetes and other disorders of endocrine system
• Repetitive stress
• Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Cancer and chemotherapy treatments
• Exposure to poisons and toxins, such as mercury
• Deficiency of E, B1, B6, and B12 vitamins
• Viral and bacterial infections, such as Lyme disease, hepatitis C, herpes simplex, shingles, chicken pox, HIV etc
• Certain medications for treating cancer, blood pressure, and seizures
• Alcoholism

Here is a generalized list of most common symptoms of neuropathy:

• Numbness, tingling and prickling in hands and feet
• Sharp, throbbing or burning pain
• Extreme sensitivity to touch
• Muscle weakness, heavy limbs, and paralysis
• Falling down and lack of coordination
• Bladder, bowel, and digestive problems
• Dizziness, lightheadedness, and sleeplessness
• Impairedsexual functions
• Change in blood pressure and transpiration patterns

Available neuropathy treatments don’t cure the disease, at least in most cases; the symptoms of neuropathy can be easily controlled, especially when caused by treatable illnesses

The following list of essential oils for nerve damage will easily help you alleviate the pain, numbness, and weakness in your muscles as well as tackle the very roots of your peripheral nervous condition.

6 Essential oils for neuropathy

Eucalyptus essential oil

Eucalyptus essential oil is an excellent natural anti-inflammatory agent capable of reducing pain and even killing leukemia cells. Leukemia, as one of many types of cancer, affects the nervous system leaving the body impaired, especially after strong chemotherapy treatments.

Eucalyptus neuropathy oil also improves blood circulation, especially in cases of diabetes, when poor blood flow can additionally damage the peripheral nerves, creating the pricking and tingling sensation in limbs as a result. Topically applied or inhaled eucalyptus essence relaxes constricted blood vessels and lets vital oxygen and nutrients rush to the aching parts of the body.

Peppermint essential oil

Peppermint essential oil is an effective muscle relaxant and painkiller. Menthol within its essence generates cooling sensation excellent for treating neuropathy and other disorders affecting the musculoskeletal system, such as lupus, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Such influential peppermint nature also increases blood circulation as soon as the vapor gets in contact with olfactory nerve endings. Efficient blood flow helps eliminate the tingling sensation, numbness, and muscle cramps in hands, feet, and other remote parts of the body.

Black pepper essential oil

Black pepper essential oil is an effective antispasmodic substance capable of relieving and easing cramps, spasm, convulsions, and muscle pulls. While calming, black pepper essence soothes the disturbed muscle tissue; its stimulating nature takes care of the digestive system by improving the functioning of the large intestine and secretion of digestive juices.

In addition, its antibacterial and antioxidant attributes protect the body from bacterial infection and free radicals often responsible for the development of different nervous disorders.

Cypress essential oil

Cypress essential oil carries antispasmodic qualities that come in handy when treating cramps, muscle pulls, and throbbing spasm of neuropathy as well as restless leg disorder (RSL). RSL is another nervous disorder that urges leg movement and sleep deprivation.

If you have been diagnosed with hepatitis C or liver cancer that has manifested itself into neuropathy, the cypress essential oil can help you boost the health of your liver by regulating its bile discharge and by protecting it from virus infections.

Ylang ylang essential oil

Ylang ylang essential oil carries nervine qualities that are capable of improving errors and damages on the nervous system. Its natural components such as Benzyl Acetate, Sesquiterpenes, Caryophyllene, and Geranyl reduce the nerve stress and prevent the development of new nervous disorders.

Ylang ylang essential oil shows its full effectiveness especially in the cases of diabetic neuropathy. Its stimulating nature relaxes narrowed vessels in diabetic patients and increases blood circulation, making the numbness, pain, and prickling sensation in hands and feet, as a result, vanish away.

Lavender essential oil

Lavender essential oil with its calming fragrance positively influences nervous system and treats sleeplessness that may develop due to the extreme sensitivity to the touch and muscle pain. Speaking of, muscle pain associated with neuropathy, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis can be easily suppressed with the help of pain-relief qualities of the lavender oil.

The influential nature of lavender essence will also help you improve your blood circulation for the alleviation of numbness and prickling sensation in hands, feet, and other remote parts of the body.

Other essential oils for nerve pain worth mentioning:

• Geranium essential oil
• Marjoram essential oil
• Roman chamomile essential oil
• Helichrysum essential oil
• Tansy essential oil
• Wild orange essential oil
• Frankincense essential oil

4 Natural essential oil recipes that will help you relieve the symptoms of neuropathy

1. Basic neuropathy oil blend

Ingredients:

• 3 drops of cypress essential oil
• 3 drops of lavender essential oil
• 3 drops of marjoram essential oil
• 6 drops of wild orange essential oil
• 4 drops of helichrysum essential oil
• 2 tablespoons of fractionated coconut oil

Instructions:

• Mix all ingredients together to form one hom*ogenous compound.
• Store the massage blend in dark glass bottle.
• Massage the blend into the areas of your body affected by neuropathy. You can apply some on the bottoms of your feet for better absorption.
• If you are a cancer patient, you can also add 4 drops of frankincense essential oil to the massage blend.

2. Massage blend for sciatica

Ingredients:

• 3 drops of black pepper essential oil
• 5 ml of coconut oil

Instructions:

• Mix all ingredients in exact measurements together.
• Gently massage the blend on your lower back.

3. Soothing bath for neuropathy

Ingredients:

• 5 drops of tansy essential oil
• 5 drops of ylang ylang essential oil
• 1 cup of Epsom salt

Instructions:

• Fill your bathtub with hot water and add essential oils to it.
• Add 1 cup of Epsom salt into the bathwater if desired.

4. Hot or cold neuropathy compress

Ingredients:

• 3-5 drops of essential oil of your choice
• Bowl filled with hot or cold water

Instructions:

• Fill your bowl with hot or cold water. Hot water will help you boost circulation while cold water will help you reduce inflammation.
• Add 3-5 drops of your chosen essential oil for neuropathy to the water and stir ingredients thoroughly.
• Soak face cloth in water and wring the excess liquid out.
• Apply face cloth on affected areas of the body.
• Repeat the wetting and wringing process 3 to 4 times. On the last repetition, leave the cloth on the body for a few minutes.

Conclusion

Here are the last few safety tips that will help you exploit the healing benefits of essential oil for nerve damage in safe and beneficial manner:

1. Before introducing a new essential oil to your therapy do a skin test patch to make sure you are not allergic to the natural remedy.
2. If you have been diagnosed with a skin condition or have other illness that may get compromised by the essential oil, make sure to consult your medical specialist beforehand.
3. Don’t apply essential oil treatments to open wounds or cuts on your skin.
4. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, consult your medical specialist about the possible side effects.
5. When making massage blends always dilute your essential oils with the carrier oil.

It is safe to say that essential oils for neuropathy welcomingly open doors into the world of natural and traditional medicine that has been improving lives of patients affected by different curable and as yet incurable illnesses for decades.

Sources and References

1. BetterHealthChannelDiabetic neuropathy
2. Public HealthPeripheral Neuropathy
3. MedlinePlusPeripheral Nerve Disorders
4. NIHNerve Damage (Diabetic Neuropathies)