I am a chiropractor in St. Paul, Minnesota, and have been practicing for 27 years helping people with a myriad of problems that cause back and neck pain. I have been using essential oils in my practice for the past 6 years, and they have been a good tool in helping my patients, friends and family deal with problems related to neck and back discomfort.
Causes of Neck and Back Pain
In the human body, there are many joints in your neck and back. These joints can become dysfunctional, irritated, swollen and cause many problems related to health. They manifest mostly in neck and back aches and pains. The main causes of these issues relate to the sacroiliac joints, 48 facet joints, 24 costo-vertebral joints (or rib joints) and 24 disc joints.
For someone who is healthy and does not have many aches and pains in their neck or back, these joints generally work together, sharing stress and functioning properly. Due to 3 main causes, which are toxins, trauma and stress or emotions, these joints can become misaligned and/or dysfunctional in various ways. When the joints become dysfunctional they become swollen and irritated, which irritates a nerve leading to neck and back pain.
Treatments For Neck And Back Discomfort
The treatments I utilize in my clinic help relieve discomfort, relax the muscles and help the joints become functional again. Essential oils have been very helpful in both relieving the joint discomfort and in supporting cartilage and joint function allowing my patients to have better function and less pain.
Essential Oils Soothe Achy Muscles
The essential oils I use are from doTERRA. I have found doTERRA essential oils to be the most pure that I have found in my research. One of the main oils I use is Frankincense. I utilize Frankincense in a rollerball and apply to the muscle and joint that are having a problem. This promotes a healthy inflammatory response and relaxes muscles. I also utilize Frankincense with patients that are having emotional challenges and apply the rollerball on their wrist pulse point and then inhale the
scent.
Next, I utilize a blend for muscle soreness called Deep Blue. I put some of the Deep Blue oil on the part of the neck or back that is having problems. This Deep Blue Oil will penetrate deeply into the tissue and has a soothing effect, leading to decreased discomfort.
Finally, I use the Deep Blue Rub on the same area, which also helps draw the oils even deeper for more effective results. My patients also can utilize these two oils and the rub at home as needed.
Essential Oils Support Positive Work Environment
We also diffuse Serenity and Bergamot to decrease the stress for our staff. The oils have been shown to decrease stress in staff at Vanderbilt’s ER – in fact, 84% of the staff reported that diffusing essential oils created a more positive work environment.
Yours in health,
Matthew R. Caron, D.C.