Massage Therapy

Aromatherapy has its many uses and one of them is through massage therapy. What massage therapy does is that it combines the use of aromatherapy and massage treatments to provide immediate benefits for users in the areas of pain relief and muscular discomfort. Professional massage therapy can also be seen as a more affordable alternative to seeing a physiotherapist.

Types of Essential Oil Benefits

There is a plethora of benefits in one essential oil, but if you are looking for essential oils specifically to relieve sports-related conditions, then you should be looking into essential oils that contain at least one of these 3 benefits:

1. Antispasmodic

There are some essential oils which contain specific chemicals that release tension and reduce muscle spasms. These essential oils are also known as antispasmodic oils. Antispasmodic oils are muscle relaxants; therefore, they can help tremendously for alleviating ailments associated with muscular pain such as uterine cramps, muscle cramps and digestive cramps. Some examples of antispasmodic oils are Lavender, Chamomile, Peppermint, Marjoram and Clary Sage.

2. Anti-inflammatory

Anti-inflammatory oils increase blood circulation to the area, and by doing so, it flushes out the inflammation by interrupting or slowing down the inflammatory process. For those who are constantly suffering from acute or chronic inflammation, redness or swelling, look for anti-inflammatory oils to relieve those ailments. Peppermint is a great example of an anti-inflammatory oil which helps in reducing inflammation caused by an injury while Eucalyptus and Spike Lavender can help in respiratory inflammation symptoms like bronchitis and pneumonia.

3. Analgesic

The last benefit that you should be looking for is oils that can relieve pain, also known as analgesic oils. What they do is they interrupt the nerves from sending pain signals to the brain, some also have the ability to decrease pain on the surface of the skin. Warming and cooling oils can also help to interrupt the pain pathway by warming or cooling the muscles. Ginger, Peppermint and Pine make good analgesic oils examples.

When to massage?

There is never a right or wrong time for a quick massage – but the best is always before and after exercising (which very few people take the time to incorporate). If you have longer time to spare, take an hour or two to go down to your regular massage parlour for a deep tissue massage. This will help to ease tired, aching and overworked muscles over the month and at the same time, indulge in some relaxing spa treatment to reward your body for its hard work.

Addressing Specific Conditions

Here are some essential oils that can help to address some of the common sports-related conditions.

Relax muscles & Relieve Spasm

Sweet Marjoram - more info
Chamomile - more info
Clary Sage - more info

Warm Muscles & Ease Pain

Ginger
Juniper

Reduce Bruising

Helichrysum
Geranium - more info

Reduce muscle inflammation

Peppermint - more info
Lavender - more info
Eucalyptus - more info