Aromatherapy for swollen legs
If your legs are tired or swollen from the winter cold, from excessive standing or sitting, from a shortage of exercise or from travelling long distances by airplane, you can relieve the symptoms through the application of aromatic oil!
Unless you are suffering from a serious health condition, it is said that the main cause of foot swelling is vein and lymph flow stagnation, often related to waste products still in the body. A way to deal with this through self-care is by foot massages or stretching, encouraging circulation and supporting excretion of these unneeded and toxic waste products. For more information on this type of massage, see here.
We can also devise measures to encourage fluid excretion with low-salt drinks such as mineral water or fennel tea, or other such herbal teas.
Today we’ll look at how aromatic oils and massage can support the elimination of swelling in a synergistic effect.
Juniper has a diuretic effect, with excellent properties to promote water metabolism by improving the function of the kidneys. Juniper Oil is a well-known essential oil traditionally used to reduce water retention. Cypress and Virginia Cedarwood, essential oils of the cypress family, generally have a vein tonic effect which will help eliminate swelling by supporting vein function.
Rosemary, while locally promoting blood circulation and reducing pain, is reported to have an effect on reducing leg swelling, and is therefore good for swollen legs associated with cold feet or poor circulation.
Geranium, Patchouli and Bergamot have all been shown to have reduced swelling in the legs too. Also, Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus, Lemon eucalyptus, Eucalyptychornis)has been reported to help with suppressing pain and inflammation from this type of swelling.
Other citrus essential oils such as lemon, grapefruit, lime, etc. will also help reduce swelling by enhancing the lymphatic function.
Peppermint has a function that gives a cool feeling to the skin, in addition to reducing swelling caused by hot summer weather and hot flushes.
For the base oil, there is evidence that Sesame oil has an effective action for swollen legs,so I would recommend its use here. Using sesame oil for massage improves the blood circulation and leaves the feet feeling refreshed. Another alternative is Ayurveda, which is also known as an effective oil for excretion of toxins.
In the next article we’ll be looking at 2 different aromatic blends. One is a warming aroma oil for relieving water retention associated with cold feet and poor circulation. The other is a cooling foot spray for reducing puffiness associated with hot weather etc.
See here –
