How to use essential oils to relieve cramps?

Since cramps are painful and intense episodes, it is sometimes best to try to calm them down as quickly as possible, although in the majority of cases they disappear after a few minutes. A massage with essential oils can therefore be of great help, since it allows you to combine the benefits of an energetic massage with those of essential oils. The field of combating pain is also one of the areas where the greatest number of aromatic principles seem appropriate. To calm cramps, both at night and those of athletes, several properties of essential oils are put to the service of the muscles:

• Antispasmodic firstly, for fight against contraction sudden muscle.
• Analgesic and anesthetic then, for calm the severe pain felt.

Essential oils with these properties are those rich in esters, certain ketones (camphor) and phenol derivatives (methyl eugenol). They can be used as soon as the cramp appears, and in addition to an adapted lifestyle (good hydration, stretching, etc.)

From 6 years old and for adults. Dermal, dilute 1 drop ofwintergreen essential oil or Wintergreen Coated in 4 drops of oily Arnica macerate (or other vegetable oil). Massage the muscle deeply with circular movements, 4 times a day until improvement.

Do not use in case of anticoagulant treatment or allergy to salicylates. Furthermore, Wintergreen is not recommended in cases of eczema, asthma, ulcers, hiatal hernia, hemorrhage, or before surgery.

Since Wintergreen essential oil has a very strong odor, it can be annoying to use it in the middle of the night. In the event of a nocturnal cramp, it is therefore possible to replace it withlavandin Super essential oil for example, which is powerfully antispasmodic.

For pregnant women. Through the skin, dilute 1 drop oflemon Eucalyptus essential oil in 9 drops of Arnica oily macerate (or other vegetable oil). Massage the muscle deeply with circular movements, 4 times a day until improvement.

A gentler alternative to Wintergreen essential oil, Lemon Eucalyptus has very few contraindications. However, it should not be used by pregnant women under 3 months or children under 3 years old. Slightly irritating, it is preferable to dilute it in a vegetable oil for any skin application.

In the event of a nocturnal cramp, and if the smell of Lemon Eucalyptus essential oil is too strong or even disturbing, it is entirely possible to replace it withroman Chamomile essential oil, also with a powerful antispasmodic action.

Wintergreen essential oil can be very effective on its own in case of cramps, but it may be interesting to combine it with other essential oils in synergy. This makes it possible to create a more complete and versatile mixture, combining numerous properties and numerous active molecules within the same ready-to-use bottle.

Lemon Eucalyptus essential oil can be very effective on its own in case of cramps, but it may be interesting to combine it with other essential oils suitable for pregnant women in synergy. This makes it possible to create a more complete and versatile mixture, combining numerous properties and numerous active molecules within the same ready-to-use bottle.

Wintergreen essential oil is composed of between 95 and 99% methyl salicylate, a particular ester with strong properties. painkillers. Wintergreen Couchée also has a very similar composition. This molecule is also a very good muscle antispasmodic which focuses in particular on relieving spasms such as cramps which can be very painful and persistent. This antispasmodic activity comes from two mechanisms:

First of all therubefacient action methyl salicylate dilates blood vessels and accelerates blood flow. The muscles are therefore better irrigated and warm up, this heat relaxes them and prevents their sudden contraction.

Secondly, it disrupts exchanges at the level of ion channels (membrane proteins allowing the passage and exchange of ions) between nerve fibers and therefore can inhibit the passage of nerve impulses. That prevents contraction involuntary movement of the muscle and therefore the appearance of the cramp.

Lemon Eucalyptus essential oil has a high percentage of citronellal. This monoterpene aldehyde provides multiple properties to calm muscle and joint pain. Citronellal is spasmolytic, by action on certain neurotransmitters (molecules allowing the transfer of nervous information), it relaxes the muscles which prevents their sudden contraction. The character anti-inflammatory of this essential oil by inhibition of certain pro-inflammatory prostaglandins will intervene to fight against the pain due to the cramp.

These are properties in particular calming, anxiolytic and sedative that Lavandin Super essential oil brings to this synergy. Indeed, monoterpene alcohols (linalool, terpinèn-4-ol) as well as linalyl acetate, a monoterpene ester, are active on the nervous system and thus reduce excitability and stress which tend to tense the muscles and therefore favoring the appearance of cramps. These molecules, as well as camphor, are also musculotropic spasmolytics (promote muscle relaxation); they have the effect of relieving muscle contractions such as cramps. Indeed, linalool, present between 25 and 39% in this essential oil, competes with acetylcholine, thus limiting the ionic exchanges necessary for the passage of nerve impulses, which inhibits involuntary muscle contraction. Linalool and camphor are also painkillers and will combine with the essential oils of Wintergreen and Red Myrtle to reduce the pain created by the cramp.

Muscle cramp can also come from poor venous drainage; alpha pinene, a terpene present between 19 and 28% inred Myrtle essential oil will help the circulatory systems by decongestant and toning them. This essential oil also contains myrtenyl acetate, a monoterpene ester which has properties antispasmodics powerful and which will support the action of methyl salicylate from Wintergreen and linalool from Lavandin Super to prevent involuntary muscle contractions such as cramps. Monoterpene esters such as myrtenyl acetate also have properties calming and sedatives which will limit stress-related cramps.

Avoiding cramps means preventing the origin of the problem, however if the cramp occurs despite everything that has been put in place to avoid it, the pain must be relieved. It’s mostly for his property. pain killer what'noble Laurel essential oil has its place in this synergy. Eugenol and methyleugenol, although in very small amounts in this essential oil, are excellent painkillers. Methyleugenol works by inhibiting pain receptors. The monoterpene alcohols (linalool, alpha terpineol) and the terpenyl acetate of this essential oil both disrupt ionic exchanges at the level of interneuron junctions conferring a property spasmolytic complementing the muscle-relaxing action of esters and citronellal.

Widely used in aromatherapy for its many virtues and for its gentleness, Roman Chamomile essential oil has several ideal properties for relieving muscle cramps. The pool of monoterpene esters composing it disrupts ionic exchanges at the interneuron junctions, this activity inhibits the transfer of the "pain" message to the brain. This property analgesic associated with the powerful property anti-inflammatory of this same essential oil gives the individual who uses it a significant anti-pain action. The esters are antispasmodics just like citronellal from Lemon Eucalyptus, they reinforce this property to prevent involuntary muscle contractions.

For the action of the synergy to be optimal, we have chosen as a dilution medium the arnica oily macerate. This vegetable oil is therefore very useful for serving as a basis for synergy and diluting essential oils, but also for multiplying their properties. Thus, Arnica provides its anti-inflammatory properties, complementary to fragrant Wintergreen and induced by the lactons that compose it. It also provides an analgesic function and a blood circulatory action, to reduce pain and eliminate cramps quickly.

Whether at the time of a cramp or to prevent a cramp, certain good habits should be adopted, in particular:

• Prepare well for the effort with a warming up muscular.
• Make stretching in the opposite direction of the contraction and maintain a light movement.
• Stop exercising in case of cramp.
• Make blood tests if necessary to detect certain deficiencies, particularly for pregnant women and middle-aged people.
• Take a hot bath to relax the muscles.

Our diet plays an essential role in our health. L'diet can thus prevent muscle cramps avoiding certain nutrient deficiencies. Here are some foods to favor:

• Mineral water (Vichy Célestins, Hépar, Courmayeur, etc.): 1.5 to 2 L per day to maintain both good hydration, but also the hydroelectrolyte balance
• Offal, meat, fish, black pudding: for their richness in iron, allowing better transport of oxygen in the cells, but also of proteins
• Quinoa, sardines, sea lettuce and mung beans: for their richness in magnesium
• Dairy products: main sources of calcium
• Japanese kombu, wakame, avocado, potatoes, table salt: rich in potassium
• Royal jelly, rice bran, dry fruit biscuits: rich in vitamin B6

During exercise, it is finally possible to choose an exercise drink, cereal bars and dried fruits.

The cramp is a involuntary, intense and painful muscle contraction which can cause difficulty in moving the affected limb. Fortunately, it only lasts a few minutes before disappearing. It can nevertheless be repeated, and an unpleasant sensation may persist, such as muscle tenderness. They mainly occur:

• During or after physical exertion intense and prolonged or poorly prepared in athletes
• At night: we then talk about night cramp. They are more common, in particular because they affect pregnant women, especially during the third trimester, and their frequency increases with age. They are independent of any sporting event. When they are repeated, they can disrupt sleep and cause fatigue.

The lower limbs are generally the most affected by cramps. They can nevertheless affect the hands, as in “writer’s cramp”. Although their mechanism of occurrence is still poorly understood, muscle oxygenation and hydration play a major role. Indeed, when oxygen is lacking, muscle cells produce lactic acid which, by accumulating, causes excitability of the nerves and muscles, leading to cramps. It seems that an imbalance in water and mineral salts (calcium, magnesium and potassium among others) in muscle cells as well as a disruption of nervous control can also play a role. Finally, they can be linked to poor posture, or of pathological origin. In the majority of cases, however, muscle cramps remain idiopathic, that is to say, their cause is not known. If they multiply, it is necessary to consult a doctor in order to rule out any serious pathology (respiratory and venous insufficiency, arteritis, diabetes, etc.).