Wondering what the best essential oils for spinal cord injury recovery are?
Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils to promote physiological and psychological well-being.
Essential oils are concentrated, aromatic compounds used for natural therapeutic relief.
This article will go over the benefits of 7 essential oils that are ideal for spinal cord injury patients.
Let’s get started!
7 Essential Oils for Spinal Cord Injury
Essential oils are a natural, affordable alternative to medications.
They can be inhaled to stimulate your sense of smell or applied onto the skin to be absorbed into the body (although some will need to be diluted first).
Essential oils provide immediate relief and have minimal side effects when used at the correct dosage.
Additionally, they can help relieve a wide variety of symptoms you may experience after a spinal cord injury like anxiety, sleep deprivation, and pain.
Let’s go over 7 essential oils that can benefit spinal cord injury patients!
1. Jasmine
Life after a spinal cord injury can involve a lot of changes, which can be overwhelming and cause feelings of depression.
Jasmine oil is a stimulant that can help treat symptoms of depression by increasing your alertness and uplifting your mood.
2. Lavender
Another possible psychological effect of spinal cord injury is the development of anxiety and heightened stress levels.
Lavender oil has sedative effects, meaning that it can help promote relaxation, decrease anxiety, and induce sleep.
It also helps encourage new cell growth, which is ideal for recovery after a traumatic event like spinal cord injury.
3. Rosemary
Respiratory complications are the leading causes of death in spinal cord injury patients.
Rosemary oil has antiseptic properties, which makes it ideal for relieving respiratory disorders.
It’s also commonly used to:
- alleviate pain
- relieve indigestion
- regulate blood pressure
- promote circulation
- maintain bone health
4. Ylang-Ylang
Ylang-Ylang oil has a calming effect that is ideal for stress-relief.
After a spinal cord injury, the connection between your brain and body gets disrupted, so a lot of functions below your level of injury don’t work properly.
SCI patients with autonomic dysreflexia may experience hypertension (high blood pressure) when they encounter a noxious stimulus below their level of injury.
Ylang-ylang helps relieve involuntary muscle contractions and can significantly decrease blood pressure. Due to its effect on muscles, it may also help to decrease spasticity.
5. Chamomile
Many spinal cord injury patients have sleeping difficulties due to complications like anxiety and chronic pain.
Chamomile oil is ideal for improving one’s quality of sleep because it produces a soothing, sedative effect that is not depressive.
It also helps inhibit the synthesis of pain-producing chemicals called prostaglandins.
6. Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus oil will help spinal cord injury patients that are experiencing stuffiness because of its antiseptic, antioxidant, and antiviral properties.
It’s one of the primary ingredients used in vapor rub because it is a natural cough suppressant.
Eucalyptus is also used to promote circulation and relieve muscle and joint pain, which can help spinal cord injury patients be more active.
7. Peppermint
Lots of cervical spinal cord injury patients will have difficulties producing an effective cough because the C3-C5 spinal cord segments innervate the diaphragm.
Peppermint oil is a natural decongestant and will help thin the consistency of mucus so that it is easier to cough out.
It’s also the only essential oil to be licensed for medicinal use, primarily for digestive problems.
Menthol is a chemical found in peppermint oil known for reducing pain, and because peppermint oil is stimulatory, it can energize and promote better functional performance.
Using Essential Oils for Spinal Cord Injury
Many spinal cord injury patients use essential oils for therapeutic relief; however, like all alternative treatments, the results tend to be hit or miss.
Some people will swear by essential oils while others believe they’re a hoax.
Luckily, they’re relatively affordable and have minimal side effects, so they may be worth trying for yourself.
Hopefully, this article helped you figure out which essential oils may help relieve your SCI complications. Good luck!
