There’s a sharp pain in your lower back. Your stomach feels achy. You’re cranky, and you’re bloated. You might have period cramps. Luckily, there are some remedies that can relieve the agonizing issues that are literally cramping your style. There’s Midol, heating pads, Ibuprofen, and hot baths. And if you’re looking for a more holistic fix, there are essential oils.
Some people are huge Stans of the plant-based oils, although Healthline points out that there aren’t many essential oils that have enough research to support their use as a medical treatment. However, aromatherapy has been around for thousands of years, and has been practiced by ancient cultures in places from India to China.
Stephanie Tourles — an aromatherapist, herbalist, and author of Stephanie Tourles’s Essential Oils: A Beginner’s Guide — says that the oils can be helpful for cramps when applied properly. She grew up with extremely painful periods, which she says she remedied originally with a vegan diet. As an adult, she switched to a mainly pescatarian diet, and the cramps came back, although they were less painful. She started using an essential oil-based, soothing recipe, which she rubbed on her stomach and back for relief for her less severe cramps. “Some essential oils are extremely relaxing to the central nervous system, and also really good for cramping and irritability you get when you’re getting cramps,” Tourles says. “When you’re in a lot of pain and you’re cramping, sometimes you kick into fight or flight mode. The whole body tenses up, and is ready to run away. Anything feeling tight and tense or constricted will release and relax if you’re using [the right combination of oils.]”
As long as you’re diluting the oils properly (and keeping them away from kids), Toures says there are specific oils that relax the central nervous system and soothe inflammation — making them perfect for cramps. Here are a few.
Lavender
If Toures had to pick one oil for cramps, she says this would be it. She recommends massaging 12 drops of the oil diluted with caster oil into the lower abdomen and back. Put a T-shirt on and then apply a heating pad where you placed the oil, and she says the lavender is calming and will help you let go of tension. One 2012 study found that students who used the lavender oil reported reduced cramping.
Thrive Market Thrive Market Organic Lavender Essential Oil, $17.98, available at Thrive Market
Sweet Marjoram
Toures says this oil, which is derived from a plant that’s a cousin of oregano, will help the muscles relax to help knock cramps out. She recommends blending it with lavender and other oils.
Mountain Rose Herbs Marjoram, Sweet Essential Oil, $1, available at Mountain Rose Herbs
Geranium
Elena Brower, an essential oils educator at dōTERRA and author of Practice You: A Journal, recommends geranium oil for cramps. She says it’s best to apply it on soles of your feet during the morning and night.
doTERRA Geranium, $31, available at doTERRA
A blend
Toures published her go-to recipe for cramps relief in her book under the name “menstrual cramp relief rub,” and it’s a blend of a few different oils. To make it, you need to combine three tablespoons of St. Johns Wort infused oil (or olive oil), with one tablespoon of quality caster oil. Then add 8 drops of lavender oil, six drops of roman chamomile oil, five drops of ginger root to reduce inflammation, and five drops of sweet marjoram.
Apply it to your abdomen and lower back, and then put a light towel on it. Apply a heating pad. And boom, you should feel some relief. She says the blend can help stop muscles spasming, and help with inflammation, easing your cramps.
Young Living Essential Oils Roman Chamomile Essential Oil, $53.95, available at Young Living Essential Oils
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Source: Refinery29 – Molly Longman