Previously, I’ve written about the efficacy of peppermint oil on pain. In that entry, I presented case studies but was not able to write my insights about my personal experience. Peppermint essential oil is one of the recommended oils for alleviating muscle pain. Though I have already read and aware of this, I can’t write my thoughts about muscle soreness or back pain before, because I don’t have muscular pain then. Since I have muscle pain today, it is the right time for me to write my thoughts about it. At least if you have questions about my personal experience with peppermint and muscle pain you can see my answer in this post. And the answer I give you is based on real first-hand experience in using peppermint in treating my muscle concern.
At the moment I’m writing this, I have rubbed diluted peppermint essential oil on my back. I applied it on my neck, shoulders spinal cord, and down to the upper part of the buttocks and hips. Right now, I am still waiting for the further effects of peppermint oil.
Effects of peppermint oil and muscle sore
So far, there are effects I have already observed after I applied peppermint oil. The description of my observations and realizations are written in the following paragraphs. Here are they:
- A few minutes after you rubbed peppermint essential oil, you will feel the cooling sensation of the oil. This is what causes back or muscle relief.
- If you applied diluted peppermint oil to your neck, you will instantly feel the cooling effect. This gives you a relaxing feeling.
- It is best if you massage yourself while applying the oil because it relaxes the muscle. I also think that massaging makes the oil penetrate the skin more quickly. While rubbing the oil on your back, you will feel the cooling effect of the oil on your skin, hence it seemed to me that the massage enabled me to feel the cooling effect faster.
- After I applied peppermint essential oil to my back, I stayed on my bed for a few minutes in a face-down position. I felt sleepy even just after staying a few minutes in this position. However, it is also important to note that the sedative feel also depends on other factors such as your room setup, time, mood, and routines.
- Just like when you are having a massage in a spa, I opted to have a bareback when I applied the peppermint essential oil. This enabled me to feel the effect of peppermint oil even more. If you are in a room with good ventilation then just immerse yourself in the natural room temperature. However, if you are going to use the fan, it is good not to position it directly toward you. This allowed me to concentrate on feeling the cooling effect instead of the air from the fan.
Tips:
- It’s safer to use diluted peppermint oil to prevent irritation. The dilution measurement I followed is 12 drops of carrier oil for 2 drops of essential oil.
- Use a roller bottle so you can easily apply the diluted peppermint oil without feeling too wet because of the oil.
- You can also make a balm should you want to easily apply it on your back. The good thing about using diluted peppermint essential oil is that it seemed more potent because it has fewer ingredients so it seemed more concentrated. Meanwhile, the balm is suited if you are applying peppermint oil preparation to yourself. Since the balm is not in liquid form, it won’t spill when you applied it.
For people who want to treat their muscle sore safely and privately, the use of peppermint oil is advisable. There might be instances when you have a ‘muscle sore’ and when some people ask if you have muscle soreness, you might say you don’t have a muscle sore. Honestly, I found myself having done this too and I hope that’s understandable. Sometimes there are circumstances where you don’t expect a question about ‘your health’ will be asked. Since you were surprised by the question, you just find yourself saying you don’t have a muscle sore. It’s like a reflex, an immediate response, wherein your body is already reacting without thinking first. You might have done it not because you wanted to deny you have a muscle sore, but because you want to protect your ‘peace’. Some people would keep on asking, say their opinions, and give recommendations once they know you have a muscle sore or certain condition. Personally, although I have a muscle sore, I want to think first about the best way I can treat it. I want to research it so I can know more about it, instead of being distracted by answering questions and listening to recommendations which can be confusing and thus unhelpful. Also, I want to focus on my ‘muscle sore’ and treat it well in a safe, careful, and loving way. Moreover, as much as possible I want to find effective therapy first before I can admit and talk that I have a muscle sore.
By seeing the effect of peppermint essential oil on muscle sore makes people like me who are very reserved when talking about ‘muscle sores or health conditions glad. It’s good to know that there’s a peppermint oil that I can have to treat health condition and make myself feel better.
Ps. I’m still observing and waiting for the further effects of peppermint oil on my muscle sore.
Allow positive effects to manifest 💋❤
Oil Therapy 