Neuralgia is chronic pain caused by a damaged or irritated nerve. The severity and type of nerve damage created by neuralgia most often requires medical intervention. Essential oils, supplements, and herbs can be very helpful in treating and managing symptoms.
Alone or combined, some suggested essential oils for neuralgia are:
• Clove
• Eucalyptus
• Geranium
• Helichrysum
• Lemongrass
Safety First
If your pain is severe, talk with a healthcare professional.
Try these aromatherapy techniques for symptomatic relief of neuralgia.
• Relieving massage. Massaging diluted pain-relieving oils directly onto the affected area is one of the most effective ways to use essential oils to treat neuralgia.
• Soothing soak. A deeply penetrating bath with potent nerve-soothing oils may bring you strong relief.
• Cool compress. Combine the benefits of pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory oils with a cool compress to numb neuralgia pain quickly.
Natural Partners for Aromatherapy
For maximum results, combine your essential oils with these other natural remedies:
• Examine lifestyle and diet. A healthy diet and lifestyle can prevent, reduce, or repair health issues.
• Seek supplements. Turmeric, green tea, ginger, and alpha lipoic acid are useful supplements for nerve pain.
• Try capsaicin. Apply a cream with capsaicin as its active ingredient for deep pain relief.
Neuralgia sufferers can pair essential-oil recipes such as the ones below with other treatments for more holistic pain relief.
This recipe combines the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of three oils with a cold compress for maximum relief. Cold can be a trigger for some neuralgia sufferers. If heat works better for you, use hot water in place of cold.
2 drops lemongrass oil
2 drops eucalyptus oil
2 drops geranium oil
1 tablespoon carrier oil
1 cup cool or cold water
1 clean washcloth
Combine the oils in a large bowl, then stir in the water. Soak the washcloth in the water, wring it out, and apply it to the affected area. Hold it there until the washcloth comes to room temperature. Repeat the process with a fresh cloth, as needed.
This blend of three pain-relieving oils may help reduce your neuralgia pain.
10 drops clove oil
5 drops cedarwood oil
5 drops eucalyptus oil
2 ounces carrier oil
1 2-ounce dark-glass bottle
Add all of the oils to the glass bottle and shake to blend. Massage the mixture onto the affected area using firm pressure.