Rosemary

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Rosemary is a plant that is used for cooking and flavoring but it also has amazing therapeutic properties that make it a popular therapeutic herb. The rosemary plant is native to the Mediterranean; it has long leaves with dark green color on top and pale green on lower portion of the leaves. The leaves are very aromatic along with the flowers and this is because these parts contain significant amounts of volatile oils.

Rosemary is primarily known as a treatment for muscle pain. Rosemary oil is extracted from the leaves and flowers of the plant and is known to reduce pain, inflammation, swelling and joint stiffness. The reason for rosemary’s effectiveness is possibly due to numerous natural compounds. Rosemary contains biologically-active compounds such as antioxidants, rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid, caffeic acid, ursolic acid, betulinic acid, rosmanol and camphor.

Rosemary oil is commonly included in joint and muscle pain preparations along with other essential oils. It is applied locally on the affected or painful area to reduce swelling, stiffness, pain and other signs of inflammation.

And because of the active ingredients that rosemary has, it is also effective in the relief of other health conditions like hair loss or alopecia, reducing blood pressure levels, improving cardiovascular health, improving nerve function and is known to improve memory. Rosemary oil and supplements is also known to increase the flow of menstruation, increase urine flow, as a treatment for indigestion and other health conditions.

For the treatment of muscle pain and joint pain, the best way to use rosemary is to choose products that have rosemary oil as ingredients just like creams, ointments, liniments and so on. It is also available as herbal teas, in dried and powdered form in capsules as supplements. It may also be in liquid extracts and in tincture form.

References:

Retrieved from https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/rosemary

Rosemary – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved May 22, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary

Cajeput

Cajeput (Melaleuca leucadendra and Melaleuca minor)

Cajeput or cajeput oil is oil processed from the leaves of the cajeput tree which is from the Myrtaceae family. Cajeput tree is native to Maritime Southeast Asia and Australia. There are about 200 species of the tree and one of the closest relatives is the tea tree which is processed to make tee tree oil. Cajeput oil is characterized by a strong camphor odor which may be comparable to eucalyptus oil. This oil is medicinal and therapeutic and has been used in traditional medicinal practice as well as modern day therapies.

Cajeput oil is used for the treatment of headaches, upper respiratory illnesses, chest congestion, bronchitis and other respiratory conditions. The oil is combined with other essential oils and is used to treat skin conditions like insect bites, acne, and herpes, it may also be used to improve digestion and reduce gas formation. And possibly the most popular use of cajeput is for muscle and joint pains. Diluted cajeput oil may be directly applied on the skin or it may be combined with other essential oils to create a topical pain relief medication.

The reason behind cajeput’s effectiveness is the presence of natural compound sesquiterpenes like alpha-terpineol, farnesol, linalool and cineole. Farnesol in cajeput oil is a natural antiviral and anti-parasitic while cineole has similar effects to eucalyptol and this is the reason why cajeput oil is effective as a counterirritant and topical analgesic.

Cajeput oil is always diluted or mixed with carrier oil. In the treatment of muscle and joint pain, it may be used as often as needed for the topical treatment of muscle pain, joint pain, joint stiffness and swelling as a result of inflammation. You can find cajeput oil in diluted preparations while most are combined with other oils to create a topical pain relief product.

References:

Cajuput oil- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retieved May 22, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cajuput_oil

What is Cajeput? (with picture). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-cajeput.htm