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Broken bones or fractures are divided into four main types including closed, open, displaced and non-displaced. For each of these, there will be specific treatments. But for all, you can always find different supports to speed up the healing process. And essential oils for broken bones deserve the top choice as they’re natural and effective.
In this post, we will show you the list of top 10 best essential oils for broken bones, and some of them might be found right in your house. Let’s get started!
What’re Causes, Types and Symptoms of Broken Bones?
Causes of Broken Bones
A broken bone is the consequence of a force applied to the bone and excessing its endurance. Such endurance is affected by several factors, such as the bone’s age, size, hardness, as well as the activity intensity. So, the root of this injury varies from people to people, but the common ones are falls, collisions, accidents, excessive usage of the body (like athletes or heavy-duty workers).
Types of Broken Bones
Broken bones are categorized into four main groups [1]:
- Closed: The bone breaks but does not protrude from the skin, which means no open wound, too.
- Open: The bone breaks, and it protrudes through the skin, leading to open wound. So, this group of broken bones is obviously more dangerous than the first one.
- Displaced: The bone breaks into two or more pieces and they move. The result is that you will see two ends of the bone, which are not lined up straight after taking an X-ray scan.
- Non-displaced: The bone breaks either parts or all of the way through but still maintains its proper alignment.
For having a more detailed insight into specific types of fracture, you can take a look at the picture below:
Symptoms of Broken Bones
If you get a fracture, you will feel pain in the bone and even its surrounding area. In some cases, you might hear a popping or snapping sound at the time your bone breaks. The following is some common symptoms of broken bones:
- The bone gets swelling or bruising.
- The affected skin area gets bruising or bleeding.
- The arm or leg appears deformity or bends at an unusual angle.
- The pain gets more severe when a movement or pressure is applied to the injured area.
- In case of open fracture, parts of the bone may protrude from the skin.
Note that having a fracture does not mean that you cannot move the joint up or down. That’s because the muscles and tendons have the ability to move the joint by themselves.
How Can Essential Oils Heal Broken Bones?
It’s important to understand that no essential oils on Earth can CURE broken bones by themselves. They are just additional supports to speed up the healing process and relieve the pains resulting from broken bones. These pains include muscle pains, swelling, sprains, tears, strains, etc. And they all require attention!
As you can give your problems the right care, you can reduce and even eliminate them. In other words, bone healing can be considered an inflammatory process, in which an essential oil or a combination of them can act as a contributor to reducing the discomfort involved in the treatment.
In addition, some herbs are rich sources of calcium and vitamin D, and thus, they’re very good for the bone health. In case you, unfortunately, get a fracture, these nutrients along with magnesium, silica, or vitamin K that you can get from essential oils for broken bones are great supplements to help you soon get back the strength and flexibility of your bones.
Can Essential Oils Heal All Types of Broken Bones?
Aside from the four main types mentioned above, fractures come in multiple forms: simple, compound, compression, comminuted, transverse, avulsion, etc. depending on the conditions of the bones, skin, muscles, and tissues of the patient after getting wounds. Some of them involve shattered bones, torn ligaments, swelling, ruptured skin, and other complications.
As a result, some essential oils CAN NOT be used to treat specific types of fractures. In particular, oils used by rubbing them on the skin must be avoided if there are open wounds at the fracture area since they may cause contact dermatitis and contaminations. Or victims having broken bones associated with inflammatory skin should not apply essential oils directly on their skin to avoid rashes which will worsen the injuries.
Top 10 Best Essential Oils for Broken Bones
1. Lavender
The critical health benefits of lavender were discovered about 2,500 years ago. These include improving brain function, preventing diabetes, reducing headache, etc. Especially, lavender oil has relaxation properties which can relieve stress and anxiety – two factors contributing to boosting the bone pain experience.
According to research released in 2016, lavender oil can be used to treat wounds – soft tissue injuries that are usually associated with fractures. Besides, when you get broken bones, you might get painful all day, which could lead to sleepless, too. In this case, lavender can help you by promoting better sleep [2].
How to use:
To heal broken bones with lavender oil, you need to combine 3-5 drops of the oil and a half teaspoon of coconut oil. Use your fingers to apply the solution to your affected area every day, or you can use a cotton ball instead.
Lavender is a versatile oil; you can consume it through contact, inhaling or ingestion. One of the most interesting usages is to add a few drops to your salads, juice, bakery or sweets. It will help your mind relax, and thus, you can sleep better.
2. Peppermint
Peppermint is rich in nutrients and minerals, but one thing making it great for broken bones is the cooling and anti-inflammatory effect. If your broken bone gets warm or swollen, you can use peppermint oil to diminish the heat and swelling, as well as to eliminate the likelihood of inflammations [3].
Furthermore, the cooling effect of peppermint oil works well when you need to banish tension headaches and sprains. Also, as it can reduce fluid retention, it could help you get back your full range of motion after your bone recovers.
Also, amongst essential oils for broken bones, peppermint is great in treating sore and tired muscles which normally come along with fractures since you cannot freely use the patient’ body like when they are not injured. As a result, you can help your muscles to loosen during the recovery with this natural painkiller.
How to use:
You mix some carrier oil (like coconut or jojoba oil) with 10 drops of peppermint oils, then massage the mixture on the painful area. In addition, you can combine 10 drops of each peppermint and eucalyptus oil with 2 tablespoons of coconut oil before applying the mixture on the broken bone area.
Another way to take advantage of peppermint oil is to put it in a warm bathtub and soak yourself into it. Or you can put it in a burner to promote circulation and lift the mood.
3. Chamomile
There are two varieties of chamomile, which are Roman and German chamomile. Both types have almost the same effects on human health, so no matter which plant you have, you can extract chamomile oil from it. They share the same analgesic property that is useful for your broken bone’s health due to cutting down the pains and swelling in joints, tensions and muscles.
Especially, according to a study published in 2010, chamomile extract is capable of supporting osteoporosis – a bone disease caused by low bone mass – by stimulating the differentiation and mineralization of osteoblastic cells. Although further studies need to be conducted before clinical uses, you cannot ignore this essential oil to heal broken bones because of its antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic properties [4].
How to use:
Amongst essential oils for broken bones, chamomile works well to comfort the skin, so you can dilute them in your bath. If you want to treat the area of the fracture only, you can prepare a warm water tank with a few drops of this oil and dip the injury in it for a few minutes. Some documents also showed that chamomile’s antioxidants are better preserved in a solution like tea.
For a more direct treatment, mix 5 drops of chamomile essential oil with 3 drops of jojoba oil or peppermint oil, and gently massage the mixture on the affected area every day until the pain is reduced.
4. Nettle
Our bones need calcium, magnesium and other minerals to be strong and flexible. For that reason, if you are looking for one of leading essential oils for broken bones, one option that you cannot ignore is nettle oil.
Nettle leaves have been used to treat arthritis and other bone issues weakness for thousands of years. That’s because they are rich in calcium, magnesium, silica and boron – all important minerals that we need to give strength and flexibility to bone tissues.
Also, nettle leaves are a good source of vitamin D and K. While vitamin D is essential for bone health because it enhances calcium absorption, vitamin K makes our bones stronger by increasing bone mineral density [5].
Furthermore, nettle oil is an ancient medicine used to stop bleeding, both internally and externally. As a result, torn skin and deep damaged tissue in some broken-bone cases can take advantage of this oil to ease the pain and stop the bleeding.
How to use:
You don’t need to harvest nettle leaves because you can buy nettle oil extracted from the plan for convenient use. And for a correct use, you can mix a few drops of nettle oil with a few drops of a carrier oil (peppermint for example), then gently massage the mixture on your affected area every day.
There is another option: you can mix it with your soap and use it during the time you are getting a fracture, so you can ease the pain on your skin during and after shower time.
5. Wintergreen
Wintergreen is actually an herb, which is widely used for medicinal purposes. To people who suffer from arthritis, rheumatism and pains in bones, wintergreen oil is extremely popular for some reasons [6].
Firstly, it has pain-calming properties as it includes a chemical acting like aspirin. So, it’s able to relieve muscle pains result from injuries like broken bones. Also, broken bones are usually associated with swell, and using wintergreen oil to massage the affected skin area is a wise idea.
Secondly, it has no difficulty to penetrate through the skin into the muscle tissues before promoting circulation of blood. This helps to “flush” obstructions in the blood flow, as well as stop uric acid from building up in that area.
How to use:
The fresh scent of Wintergreen oil makes it an ideal ingredient for aromatherapy. One of the most common methods to use this oil is to mix it with some other essential oils and herb; then, the users inhale the mixtures to cut the pain, increase the quality of the sleep, and reduce stress.
This oil is also applicable on the skin. Make sure that you should dilute the wintergreen oil with some carrier oils or other essential oils for broken bones before applying to the infected area.
6. Ginger
Ginger is one of the most used spices all around the world. The root extract is so spicy and aromatic, which makes it perfect for cooking. But you might not know that ginger has been used for medical purposes since the ancient time, too.
Ginger is considered as one of the most effective natural antioxidants, making it one of the best essential oils for broken bones. It can improve the digestive system with its capability to reduce inflammation, to kill bacteria, and to heal infectious areas. With these characteristics, ginger oil becomes a great solution for fractures having torn skins, internal bleeding, and tissue damaged by pieces of broken bones.
In particular, ginger essential oil can be used to reduce menstrual cramps, backaches and soreness effectually, and it’s particularly helpful for patients who have inflammations. It can also fight the joint and muscle pains due to eccentric exercise (study) and broken bones. Besides, ginger can improve circulation to help you ease the pain when the bones get hurt [7].
How to use:
You just need to rub some drops of ginger essential oil to the skin spot where your bone is broken. Combine it with a carrier oil and use the resulted mixture twice a day for the best result.
Ginger oil is also one of the safest oils to consume through the digestive system. It’s very spicy. Therefore, you can mix it with your tea, food or desserts to boost the amount of antioxidants and antibacterial agents in your diet.
7. Juniper Berry
Coming from Juniperus Osteosperma plan, juniper berry is powerful in polyphenol and flavonoid antioxidants that can protect your health both physically and emotionally. Its most remarkable effects are the abilities to improve the immune system and detoxification.
If you are looking for one of the best essential oils for broken bones, this one should be taken into account. It boosts your body to deal with the injury, speed up recovery, and eliminate possible contamination at the wound.
The good news is that the oil can be used to massage and relax your muscles and bones. Moreover, juniper berry is great for supporting gout, joint inflammation, arthritis, and muscle fatigue.
How to use:
It is recommended that you use a moisturizer with this oil before applying it on your skin. One of the most popular ways is to dilute the juniper berry essential oil with coconut oil with the equal ratio. You can replace coconut oil with jojoba oil. Make sure you massage the mixture following circular motion every day until you feel less painful.
To ease the muscle pain or irritation, you can mix it with some other oils or Epsom salt, then dilute the mixture in your bath. You can also inhale it in nasal before bedtime to sleep better.
8. Clary Sage
Clary sage or salvia sclarea is an herb that appeared for a long time ago. A research released in Gynecology and Obstetrics Journal proved that clary sage oil is helpful in healing cramps, back pain, headaches, and muscle stiffness [8].
Furthermore, this essential oil has antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, astringent, and antifungal properties. Also, it can improve the circulatory system of the body, so your bones will heal faster.
The oil has positive effects on rashes, or inflammatory skin. Therefore, it is useful for relieving pain caused by broken bones on the skin.
How to use:
To heal broken bones easily and naturally, you can dilute 5 drops of clary sage oil with 5 drops of coconut or jojoba oil. Then massage the mixture on the affected area. It’s very easy to use, just like other essential oils for broken bones.
Besides, if you want to exploit its capability of boosting your circulatory system, you should add it to your soap, cream or perfume. This way, you can get it through inhalation.
9. Marjoram
Marjoram is a kind of herb originated from the region of Mediterranean. It’s well known for the ability to treat the pain from muscle spasms and tightness since it’s really active in tension relief, thanks to calming and anti-inflammatory properties.
Besides, marjoram oil is able to improve your mood when you suffer from the fracture, while also containing anti-inflammatory substances. So, you can take advantage of this essential oil to relieve your pains and swelling caused by broken bones at home.
How to use:
An excellent way to for healing broken bones with marjoram is to dilute some its oil with olive oil, and then massage the muscle area where the bone is broken. It is also a great additional ingredient to your cooking, since you can add it to your soup or salad, and improve their tastes.
The oil is also a regular component of aromatherapy. So, if you enjoy herbal scents and smells, you can diffuse it to your room atmosphere.
10. Helichrysum
Belonging to the family of Asteraceae plant (sunflower family), helichrysum or Everlasting Flower has been used since the ancient time. Its essential oil can be used to treat hemorrhoid, prevent cancer, detoxify, and cure candida. It is one of the major oils used for sport massages with its relaxing scent and effects.
Like other essential oils for broken bones, helichrysum oil can reduce muscle pain, inflammation, swelling, as well as increase circulation of blood. Consequently, it’s helpful in supporting healing bone-related injuries such as wounds, muscle and joint pains, etc. It can also cut the allergy you may get when using other medicine during your treatment.
How to use:
Combine some drops of helichrysum essential oil and some drops of lavender essential oil, honey, and then apply the mixture on the broken bone area. To release pain and stress, you can also apply 1-2 drops on your neck or forehead, then massage these areas.
However, you need to test a very tiny drop on your normal skin. This will help you test whether your skin is sensitive to it or not. Also, avoid rubbing it directly on an open wound.
Conclusion
Essential oils for broken bones are valuable and easily used. Now, stop relying on analgesics which cause too many side effects. Instead, you’d better go for natural yet effective treatments to relieve pains caused by broken bones and help your bone recover faster. And without a doubt, essential oils are what you can put your faith upon.
However, you need to review your injury carefully so that you can choose the appropriate essential oils for broken bones and use them properly. It’s is also recommended to consult a doctor before using any of them for babies, pregnant women or anyone who is sensitive to any ingredients of the oil.
One last thing, to speed up the recovering period as well as to reduce the discomfort, you need to have suitable diet and restrain from some activities.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave them below. Or if you know other great essential oils for broken bones, don’t hesitate to share with us.
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