It is said that over 25 million Americans suffer from some sort of chronic back pain, several million of whom deal with sciatic pain on a regular basis. It’s no wonder considering that the sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body beginning in the lower back, running through the buttock, and down the leg. Its nerve endings, which are derived from spinal nerves L4, L5, S1, S2, and S3, supply almost the entirety of feeling in the skin of the leg, the muscles of the back and thigh, as well as those of the leg and foot. It is often accompanied by or precedes lumbago, and may be the first sign of a slipped or prolapsed vertebral disc.
Sciatic pain is caused by compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve. This is known as sciatica.
Some of the most common causes for sciatica include:
• Degenerative disc disease
• Irritation of the sciatic nerve during pregnancy
• Piriformis syndrome
• Spinal disc hernia
• Spinal stenosis
• Spondylolisthesis
Symptoms of sciatica include:
• A burning sensation in the thigh
• Cramping sensation in the thigh
• Deep, severe pain that starts on one side of the lower back
• Leg or foot numbness
• Pins and needles or a tingling sensation in the legs or thighs
• Shooting pain from the buttock down the leg
It is common for symptoms to become aggravated during movement that increases pressure on the sciatic nerve such as sneezing, coughing, laughing, squatting, or bending awkwardly or to the side.
More often than not, sciatica comes from overstraining the muscles and ligaments whether it be from daily activities, exercise, a sedentary lifestyle, sleeping on a less than suitable mattress, obesity, or lifting heavy objects all day long or with incorrect posture. Having poor posture in general is a huge factor in the development of sciatica.
One of the best preventative measure for sciatic pain includes strengthening the core muscles in order to take strain off of the back. Daily exercise and stretching is especially important for those with weak core muscles, muscle tone, and poor posture.
You can learn more about proper exercise and stretching for sciatic pain here.
Essential Oils for Sciatica
It is important to note that sciatic pain is a symptom, so treating the pain alone will not fix the root cause. When symptoms flare, it is important to take bed rest (1-2 days if possible), take a natural analgesic, and apply pain relieving and anti-inflammatory essential oils.
Essential oils can provide excellent relief from all sorts of back pain including sciatica. They penetrate deeply into the muscle tissue, encouraging tight contracted muscles to release their tension, thereby increasing blood flow to the area and allowing the body to repair itself.
When sciatic pain is too intense for massage, use the oils listed below as a cold compress to help further reduce pain and inflammation.
Some of the best essential oils for sciatica include:
• Birch
• Cajeput
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Peppermint
• Rosemary
• Spike lavender
Other great oils to consider are:
• Basil
• Black pepper
• Camphor
• Cardamom
• Cinnamon bark
• Clary sage
• Clove bud
• Cypress
• Eucalyptus
• German chamomile
• Helichrysum
• Juniper berry
• Lavender
• Roman chamomile
• Sweet marjoram
• Thyme linalool
• Vetiver
Diluting these oils properly and then massaging them into the back during times of less or no pain is extremely beneficial for relieving sciatica.
Massaging the points Bl 40, Bl 23, Bl 47, and Bl 54 are especially good for relieving lower back pain and sciatica.
Please refer to the below chart for the appropriate acupressure points.
Essential Oils for Sciatica – Back Pain Blends
For the blends below, things are slightly different than the usual toss everything into some carrier oil method. These blends are synergistic and the EOs are mixed in their own little bottles without carrier oil.
To use them, add each EO to an empty essential oil bottle and then add 4-5 drops of that blend to 1tsp or 1TB of carrier oil based on your needs.
DO NOT mix the total amount of EOs in the recipes below into the carrier oil or you may find them very very strong. The essential oils in these blends are known for their warming, cooling, or pain relieving effects.
Sciatica Blend #1
• 10 drops Peppermint
• 10 drops Rosemary
• 10 drops Spike Lavender
Add 4-5 drops of this blend to 1tsp of carrier oil for acute pain or to 1TB of carrier oil for little to no pain.
Sciatica Blend #2
• 2 drops marjoram
• 3 drops lavender (or spike lavender)
• 3 drops ginger
• 5 drops peppermint
Add 4-5 drops of this blend to 1tsp of carrier oil for acute pain or to 1TB of carrier oil for little to no pain.
Sciatica Blend #3
• 1 drop birch
• 1 drop cajeput
• 1 drop camphor
• 3 drops German chamomile
• 5 drops peppermint
Add 4-5 drops of this blend to 1tsp of carrier oil for acute pain or to 2TB of carrier oil for little to no pain.
Sciatica Blend #4
• 3 drops black pepper
• 3 drops juniper berry
• 5 drops eucalyptus
• 10 drops ginger
Add 4-5 drops of this blend to 1tsp of carrier oil for acute pain or to 1TB of carrier oil for little to no pain.
Sciatica Blend #5
• 3 drops marjoram
• 3 drops basil
• 4 drops lavender (or spike lavender)
• 4 drops peppermint
• 6 drops helichrysum
• 8 drops ginger
• 8 drops rosemary
Add 4-5 drops of this blend to 1tsp of carrier oil for acute pain or to 1TB of carrier oil for little to no pain.
You can use these blends 2-3 times daily for best results during times of discomfort or simple one a day for maintenance.
What have been your favorite essential oils for sciatica?
You may also enjoy:
Essential Oils for Pain Relief
Herbs for Back Pain Relief
Hello Tash,
My name is Lorraine and l love your blends. I would like to know how many drops for of each oil for a 10 ml bottle, Sciatica Blend #2.
Thank you – Lorraine
Is Blend #4 safe to use if I am pregnant?
I am dealing with a lot of issues including back pain from whiplash years ago, tinnitus from a med they had me in for hot flashes, mid back pain, sciatic pain mostly on left side back and down leg. I am not sure if there is a supplement that I should be taking or what. I am forever trying different blends of oils and getting soso help but still not much comfort. I also am sleep deprived from hot flashes as well as these pains. Any suggestions?
Which carrier would you use for #2 or any of your blends above.
Hi Tash,
I’m going to try your suggestions, but only have oils for blend 2 or 5.
Can I use normal lavender instead of spike lavender, and can I use roman chamomile instead of german chamomile?
That opens up more options for me, or I just get some more oils!!
Also, is apricot kernel oil ok as a carrier?
Thanks
Jane.
Yes to all of these things! The only thing is that German chamomile is much better for pain than roman so it’s definitely worth picking up in the future 🙂
Tash which is the strongest blend of the 5 for sciatica pain?
Blend #3! 🙂
Bless you Tash! I have been suffering from sciatica for 3 years now and even though I try to minimize things that may aggravate it more, it just keeps coming back 🙁 Those essential oils are new to me but look very promising. I just want to avoid surgery because I guess I’m just in denial as to how serious it is. I still believe I can eliminate my sciatica using natural methods like the stretches and also some remedies. I’ve been doing some stretches and exercises I found at http://curedsciatica.com the advice offered has helped to minimize the pain and keep it away for a few weeks at a time but I just find myself in the same situation again. I’ll definitely pick up some of the oils you’ve recommend. Besides that what else do you suggest I should do Tash? Should I continue with the natural route or just go for surgery? Thanks again!
Hi Linda!
Make sure you are also under the care of a professional since I am not a doctor 🙂 I also suggest giving your body time to REST! That alone has actually really helped with my flares as well as gentle massage and capsaicin patches.
Is there a oil that helps men with their postrate.you know keep the flag flying high.lol
Hi Verna!
You could try peppermint and myrrh diluted in carrier oil applied between the rectum and scrotum 2x daily. You may also try to get your hands on a blend called “Mister” by YL. It contains yarrow, sage, myrtle, fennel, lavender, and peppermint and apply it in the same manner. I hope this helps! 🙂