Neuropathy is a dysfunction or disease of peripheral nerves, which often causes pain, weakness, tingling, and numbness felt typically in your hands and feet. Neuropathy may be the result of infections, traumatic injuries, metabolic problems, diabetes, vitamin deficiencies, and exposure to toxins.  Apart from the traditional medications, you can try home remedies such as essential oils to treat neuropathy which can provide effective relief. These are some of the best essential oils for you to try:

Essential Oils for Neuropathy

Here are some recommended essential oils to treat neuropathy:

1. Peppermint Essential Oil

Peppermint is commonly found all over the world, and is widely used for its medicinal properties. It can promote blood circulation and support nervous system. When applied topically it has a cooling and soothing effect on the skin. It’s has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, decongestant, stimulant, antispasmodic, and astringent properties.

2. Rose Geranium Essential Oil

Rose Geranium comes from the plant Pelargonium graveolens of the Geraniaceae family, and it has a balancing effect on the nervous system. Applied on the skin, the antiseptic, astringent, and cicatrisant properties make this oil an effective aid to help with scar formation.

3. Geranium Essential Oil

It is extracted from the plant Pelargonium odorantissimum, and has a floral aroma with a hint of mint. It can relieve neuropathic pain. It also can be used to help in the treatment of poor circulation, while the cicatrisant properties ensure that it is helpful in wound healing, including ulcers and burns.

4. Rosemary Essential Oil

It is extracted from Rosmarinus officinalis and has a beneficial effect upon the central nervous system (nervine). On the skin, Rosemary essential oil increases the circulation, and helps to ease muscular aches, spasm, cramps, pain, puffiness, and swelling.

5. Frankincense Essential Oil

It is helps relieve pain associated with muscular aches and rheumatism. Other uses include rejuvenating ageing skin, skin tonic, and helping ease the pain of sores, wounds, scars and skin inflammation.

6. Black Pepper Essential Oil

Black Pepper is one of the essential oils for neuropathy. It is a forest plant and the woody vine uses trees or other supports when growing. The therapeutic properties of black pepper oil include analgesic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antitoxic and rubefacient.

7. Blue Tansy Essential Oil

This oil is extracted from the flowering plant of the Tanacetum annuum species. It supports the nervous system by relaxing and soothing stress and irritation. Although expensive, this oil is effective in relaxing muscles and relieving nerve difficulties. Blue tansy oil is one of the few plants that contain chamazulene, an anti-inflammatory artifact.

8. Lavender Essential Oil

Applied on the skin, it has a healing effect, while preventing scarring. Lavender essential oil has a calming effect on the nerves, and relieves pain for arthritis, rheumatism, lower back pain, and muscular aches and pains.

9. Rosewood Essential Oil

It is extracted from Aniba rosaeodora or Brazilian rosewood, and is known for its skin rejuvenation. It boosts the immune system and has wonderful cell stimulant and tissue regeneration properties, making it a valuable product for skin care.

10. Helichrysum Essential Oil

It is produced from Helichrysum italicum, and its properties include help for stiff joints, poor circulation, nerve pain, lymphatic support, immune support. It helps with infections (bacterial, viral), bruises, burns, scars, small wounds, allergic reactions, and inflammation.

11. Spruce Essential Oil

Extracted from the North American Spruce tree, it is one of the effective essential oils for neuropathy. It can be used for easing fatigue, tired muscles, muscle aches, poor circulation, stiff joints, infections, immune support, adrenal support. Properties are anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, nervine.

12. Holy Basil Essential Oil

Holy basil essential oil may be useful in relieving the pain of peripheral neuropathy, arthritis, and other joint diseases. However, because of its chemical content, this oil may be a strong irritant and should be used in very low dilutions.

13. Birch Essential Oil

This oil is effective in fighting nerve pain. It is also known for its antiseptic and disinfectant properties. The components responsible for these properties are Salicylic Acid and Methyl Salicylate, and they protect the skin from both bacterial and fungal infections.

14. Clove Bud Essential Oil

The euganol in clove essential oil can improve the nerve function. Its benefits also include uses for muscle aches, stiff joints, infections, and poor circulation. When applied topically, clove bud oil can help with skin problems like acne, sagging skin, warts, and wrinkles.

15. Marjoram Essential Oil

It is particularly effective as an antispasmodic and in soothing muscles. Marjoram essential oil is helpful to relieving cramps while providing calm to muscle tensions or pain that may be related to nervous system issues.

16. Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

This oil is extracted from Cananga odorata, and is used for its antidepressant, antiseptic, hypotensive, and nervine benefits. Many people claim it gives a boost to the nervous system, saying it repairs damage, and strengthens the nervous system.

Precautions for Using Essential Oils

There are four effective ways to use essential oils for neuropathy, and they include bath, massage, inhalation or compress. For better effects, you can try a combination of several essentials. Although essential oils are effective in treating neuropathy, you should keep the following precautions in mind.

• Pregnant women, breast-feeding mothers, and children should avoid using essential oils.
• If using topically, it is wise to conduct a small patch test to determine any sensitivity to the oils.
• Some oils may cause skin irritation in some individuals and should not be applied to sensitive areas including eyes and mucous membranes.
• You should check with your doctor before using oils if you have a medical condition, or if you are not sure how much essential oil you should use.
• Never apply undiluted oils directly to the skin; always use a carrier oil to dilute them.