Kidney stones can be painful and there aren't too many medical treatments or medications to help. This either means surgery, uroscopy/lithotripsy to blast stones, or just passing them naturally. Essential oils may help prevent them from forming in the first place, or make passing them much easier. If you are looking for an alternative route to treat kidney stones, speak with your doctor first to see if this will be the right choice for you.
General Ways to Use Essential Oils for Kidney Stones
There are a good number of essential oils that can improve the health of your kidneys. What is most important is knowing how to use essential oils safely and properly to get the best results. Make sure you use it in the right delivery method i.e. topically, inhaled (aromatherapy), or internally. Here is how those methods work:
1. Topically
Most essential oils are used topically, but always make sure the one you are using is safe for use on the skin. This way moves the oil into the body through massaging it into your skin. An essential oil should always be diluted with a carrier oil unless otherwise specified.
Avoid using essential oils on your face or around your eye area. Never use essential oils on broken or open skin.
2. Inhaled
Some essential oils are intended for the aroma to be inhaled. This can help balance the body's physiologic response to illness, your moods, and nervous system. Your smell receptors work immediately on your nervous system and go to work on the rest of your body.
3. Internal Use
Some essential oils can be taken internally and used in cooking or making teas. This applies to food based oils like peppermint, rosemary, basil, or fruit based oils. They also make very good seasonings or flavorings for your dishes.
Just keep in mind, when you take essential oils by mouth they immediately go straight to your bloodstream. While safe at recommended doses, higher doses may cause things like rashes, increased blood pressure, swelling, and upset stomach.
7 Great Essential Oils for Kidney Stones
1. Lime Oil
Lime essential oil can help with kidney stones by reducing bacteria in the urinary tract. This can help prevent infections due to stones or keeping infections away when you are suffering from stones. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that can help relieve pain and a tonic that helps flush out the urinary tract.
How to Apply: Lime oil is usually inhaled, placed on the skin with a carrier oil, or used very sparingly in foods. Lime oil is safe, but can have side-effects in large amounts. If you are using lime oil on your skin, place 1 to 2 drops in 30 ml/1 ounce coconut oil and massage a small amount into your chosen area. For kidney stones, try massaging a small amount on your abdomen on the affected side.
2. Wild Orange
Wild orange can help relieve spasms in the urinary tract that occur when stones are trying to pass. It helps to relax the muscles near the ureter and calms the nerves alleviating the pain of passing a stone. Wild orange also has mild sedative properties to calm you down when you are tense due to pain. It is also a mild diuretic that can help flush the minerals and salts that cause stones in your kidneys.
How to Apply: Blend wild orange oil with another citrus oil. You can take orange oil internally, inhaled, or topically. Place a couple of drops in water and spritz or diffuse your room. If you want to use on your skin, place 1 drop into 30 ml carrier oil. You can also use 1 drop in cooking.
3. Lemon Oil
Lemon oil is also one of the great essential oils for kidney stones because the acidity in lemon oil can help prevent calcium and crystals from forming stones in the kidneys. It also helps detox and clean the blood. Use lemon essential oil from cold pressed lemon rinds.
How to Apply: Lemon oil is safe to use internally in small amounts. Just make sure you get high grade lemon oil and use 1 to 2 drops in a glass of water in the morning. You can also add it to a smoothie.
4. Helichrysum Oil
This oil is a natural anti-inflammatory and can help detox the kidneys. It helps lower your risk of getting kidney stones. It also has diuretic properties that help to flush out excess water through the kidneys, which may help kidney stones pass easier.
How to Apply: This oil is used on your skin. Take a small amount of this oil and massage into the abdomen just over the kidney area.
5. Lemongrass
Lemongrass oil has excellent pain relieving properties. It can also increase circulation and blood flow to the kidneys. Lemongrass can also help treat infections of the urinary tract that may be associated with kidney stones.
How to Apply: Take 2 drops of lemongrass oil and mix into 30 ml of coconut or olive oil. Make a hot compress and drop some of the oil onto the compress and place over the affected kidney. You can also place a few drops of plain unmixed lemongrass oil into a cup of boiling water and drink like a tea.
6. Juniper
Juniper oil has excellent properties to help detox and clean out the urinary tract, making it one of the best essential oils for kidney stones.
How to Apply: Juniper for your kidneys can be used topically by adding 10 drops of essential oil to a carrier oil (coconut oil) and massaged into the abdomen over the affected kidney. You can also safely put 1 or 2 drops in water or a citrus beverage and drink.
7. Fennel
Fennel oil can help reduce the spasms associated with kidney stones. It is also a natural diuretic and can help flush out uric acid, minerals, and crystals.
How to Apply: Rub some of the essential oil on your abdomen. Fennel can be taken internally by adding 1 to 2 drops in warm water, or you can inhale the aroma of one drop placed on cotton.