You’ve jogged, lifted, jazzercised, or bicycled, felt your muscles work and your heart pumping hard, and you’re feeling pretty great about yourself. Then, the next day happens. You roll out of bed and immediately feel the tense achiness of delayed-onset muscle soreness, also known as DOMS. Suddenly, all that hard work you put in doesn’t feel so great after all.
Fortunately, you don't have to abandon your fitness goals and resign yourself to being a couch potato to avoid the dreaded post-workout muscle aches. You can ease muscle soreness with four essential and natural oils!
These oils may be beneficial in helping to ease workout soreness; if you have muscle aches from an illness or an injury, it might be worth giving them a try!
Lavender oil is a potent anti-inflammatory agent. And since your post-workout soreness comes from inflammation as your muscles try to heal and make themselves stronger, reduced inflammation will help relieve pain.
It is possible that lavender also has pain-relieving benefits beyond simply reducing inflammation. Fascinatingly, some clinical studies have shown that lavender can actually decrease pain during medical procedures. Women also use the oil to help soothe menstrual pain and cramping.
Additionally, lavender is naturally relaxing and helps to relieve anxiety. If you’re tense, that tension will be reflected in your muscles, which could make your DOMS worse. By promoting relaxation, lavender can help you unclench and unwind and avoid unnecessary pain and muscle tension.
You can apply lavender topically to your skin, as long as it is diluted in a safe carrier oil such as coconut oil. Or, you can simply breathe in the relaxation as part of a post-workout aromatherapy session!
If you’ve never heard of Vesper’s Oil, allow us to let you in on a little secret. This oil is a blend of chamomile and marjoram, which are two powerhouse anti-inflammatory oils in their own right.
Chamomile is another relaxing essential oil that works to help drain the tension out of your sore, overworked muscles. It’s calming, much the same as lavender, so it can help you let go of the tightness and feel more at ease.
Marjoram is a heavy hitter when it comes to pain relief. Surprisingly this property is not all that well-known, even inside natural health circles. It is a top contender for the best muscle pain relievers in the essential oil lineup. Some people use marjoram on sprains and areas of chronic nerve pain, which gives you an idea of how powerful it can be when you really need relief.
We’ve combined these two oils into one convenient package, so you can massage it onto any painful area and let it work to help provide relief.
This is another combination option that’s great when you need immediate pain relief without worrying about mixing and matching essential oils on your own.
Since there are 18 different oils in our proprietary St. Luke’s Relief formula, it would take us a lot of space to list all its benefits. But here is a short summary.
Rosemary and peppermint are used in traditional medicine for relaxation and pain relief. Medical studies have even shown both rosemary and menthol (mint) are effective for pain relief in hemodialysis patients experiencing muscle pain. Both are extremely soothing when applied topically. If you’ve ever felt that pleasant menthol tingle after using peppermint oil, you know firsthand how it can help ease your tension and lessen your pain!
Eucalyptus is another pain-relieving oil that has been studied by scientists. It provides anti-inflammatory, cooling sensations similar to those of mint, and it can help to reduce swelling, which is a large contributor to pain. Aromatherapy use of eucalyptus oil is also effective; studies have shown that inhaling eucalyptus oil reduced pain and biomarkers of pain (such as increased heart rate and blood pressure) for patients who had just undergone a total knee replacement.
That’s why we’ve combined all three—and more!—into our St. Luke’s Relief cream. This formula works well for post-workout DOMS, of course, but it’s also great for soothing bug bites and easing pain from injuries.
Since emu oil isn’t plant-based, it’s technically not an essential oil. However, it is a 100% natural oil, and it’s essential to our medicine cabinets!
Emu oil is sourced from the fat of emus, an Australian bird that is a Down Under food source. Because it is animal-based, our bodies allow emu oil to penetrate deeply into the skin. This facilitates a much faster delivery of the antioxidants and beneficial fatty acids the oil contains to help ease inflammation and reduce pain.
Emu oil is so effective that Australians have been using it as a pain reliever for thousands of years, according to Aboriginal legends!
Emu oil has another great use. In addition to its significant pain-relieving properties, it makes a fantastic carrier oil for the other essential oils on this list. If you have undiluted lavender, chamomile, rosemary, or peppermint oil and you want to ensure that it’s safe to apply your homemade formula topically, you can dilute the essential oils with emu oil. This reduces the risk of skin irritation from undiluted essential oils. The deep penetration of the emu oil into your skin helps your oils become more effective at helping to relieve pain!
Since we at Abbey St Clare are firmly against animal cruelty, we source emu oil only from emus that have already been processed for food. You can use emu oil by itself, or give the St. Luke’s Relief formula we just discussed a try. Emu oil is one of the ingredients!
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