• Idaho balsam fir- anti-inflammatory, grounding and relaxing to the body.  Effective against respiratory infections, fatigue and sciatica.
• Lavender – calming, relaxant physically and emotionally.  Supports skin health, speeds wound healing in cuts, scrapes and 1st degree burns.
• Wintergreen – naturally warming, muscle relaxant, highly anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic.
• Basil – anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, also anti-bacterial and anti-viral.
• Copaiba - powerful anti-inflammatory oil, antiseptic with almost imperceptible odor.
• Marjoram – relieves muscle spasms, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, promotes intestinal peristalsis, mucolytic, expectorant.
• Peppermint – cooling, anti-inflammatory, stimulating (don’t use before bed!) Synergistic and increases penetration when applied after other oils.
• PanAway - an essential oil blend of helichrysum (heals tissue & nerve damage, anti-inflammatory), wintergreen, peppermint and clove
• Deep Relief Roll-On is a convenient oil blend in an applicator bottle that you can roll on directly to sore muscles.

Joint Pain – is often caused by systemic issues.  Essential oils can bring some temporary relief, but an honest assessment should also be taken of environment, diet and lifestyle.  You can get a Healthy Home Checklist when you subscribe to the Pure Home and Body Newsletter as a starting point.  MSM can be helpful in decreasing systemic inflammation, as well as looking at your diet.  Ningxia Red is a powerful anti-oxidant that works to give your body added nutrition with whole foods rather than synthetic vitamins.  Consult an Essential Oil Desk Reference, Prescription for Nutritional Healing and your holistic practitioner for management of chronic joint pain and autoimmune disorders.

For serious back injuries, essential oils can help bring relief until medical intervention is needed.   Many individuals have prolonged or even avoided the need for surgery when they used essential oils with integrated care by a chiropractor, physical therapist and gentle exercise like yoga with an experienced instructor.  The Raindrop Technique contains many anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic essential oils that are helpful for chronic back pain and even for individuals with scoliosis.

Name That Product:  Here’s a challenge for you, a product labeled with “Natural Herbal Ingredients”.  Used by chiropractors, acupunturists, massage therapists and nurses in clinical settings to relieve muscle pain.  One of my biggest concerns is the use of menthol (made as a synthetic or watered down peppermint ),  camphor (inexpensive filler that “smells strong”, may be derived from terpentine, used as insect or moth repellant and in embalming)  and lavender “oil” (not even listed as essential oil, this is probably hormone disrupting synthetic oil) and artificial colors, and chemicals that release formaldehyde (also used in embalming):

menthol 5%, camphor 3%, water, aloe vera gel, isopropyl alcohol, lavender oil, triethanolamine, carbomer, ginseng extract, angelica extract, polysorbate 60, DMDM hydantion, imidazolidinyl urea, blue 1, yellow 5

The first person who guesses this product correctly will get a 5-pack of Ningxia Red singles to help fight inflammation from the inside out!

There are many essential oils that have high sesquiterpenes.  In common terms this means they bring the most oxygen to the brain, helping all body systems work more efficiently.   A lot of the  oils work through the limbic region of the brain and can help with mental clarity and attention.  Tree oils in particular have a “grounding” effect on many people.  Grounding is best described as being balanced, focused and having a definite sense of direction in your life.  We have all experienced frayed moments when our minds are racing in many directions.   Times of stress in particular make us vulnerable to anxiety and inability to focus.  For some, including many children, this impairment in concentration has become a way of life.  Tree oils like frankincense, cedarwood, copiaba, palo santo and balsam fir all help with focusing our attention.  Valor is a Young Living  combination of oils including frankincense that supports clear thinking and ability to focus.  Valor comes in a convenient roll-on that can be placed in a back pack for use throughout the day.  Vetiver is also another oil that has been researched for effectiveness in treating ADD & ADHD.  Vetiver essential oil has over 100 different sesquiterpenes in it!

These oils can be diffused, applied topically and used as a dietary supplement for food grade oils.  Essential oils are a great way to manage attention disorders in a natural way while maintaining balance in the body’s chemistry.