Treating Gout with Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, Part 3

PART 3 - Treating gout - the Third Two Weeks

A six-week program for treating gout using diet, essential oils, and aromatherapy

This post will be the third of three that outlines how you can greatly improve your problems with gout. The program is in 2-week segments and we will cover the third two weeks in this post. If you missed the first two parts, you will find them here: Treating Gout with Essential Oils and Aromatherapy, Part 1 and Treating Gout with Essential Oils and Aromatherapy, Part 2.

A Recap - What are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are the concentrated essences of flowers, fruits, herbs, and plants, and have been proven to be extremely potent when used medicinally, and is one of the holistic remedies for gout. For hundreds of years, all around the world, essential oils and aromatherapy have been used successfully in the treatment of many adverse conditions, and gout pain relief is one of them. Gout and aromatherapy have been companions for many years. photo credit: Ozchin The essential oils we will be using during the third two weeks are Lavender, Ginger, Rosemary, and Geranium, all of which are very helpful in treating gout. Here is a brief explanation of what each of these oils does:

Lavender

Lavender is my favorite essential oil. It's fantastic for stress relief. Just take a sniff from the bottle and instantly relax. It's the only essential oil you can put undiluted directly on your skin. Here are the properties that help with gout:

• Analgesic - helps deaden pain
• Antidepressant - reduces or prevents depression
• Anti-inflammatory - reduces swelling and inflammation
• Antirheumatic - prevents and/or relieves rheumatic pain and swelling. Remember, gout is a form of arthritis called "gouty arthritis."
• Antinfectious - helps detoxify the body
• Tonic - helps to strengthen the entire body or specific organs

Ginger

Gout, or any form of rheumatism or arthritis,  can be worse in damp weather.  Ginger has warming properties that add a spicy, warming, soothing sensation that is so necessary during cold and damp weather, and also stimulates the circulation in the areas where this is needed. Here are the features of Ginger that can help with gout:

• Analgesic - numbs pain, which helps during a gout attack;
• Anti-inflammatory - alleviates swelling and inflammation through circulatory action, and offers gout pain relief;
• Antiseptic - fights germs and infections;
• Antispasmodic - relieves spasms and cramps and benefits relaxation and calmness;
• Tonic - helps to strengthen the entire body or specific organs;
• Diaphoretic - promotes perspiration, helping skin eliminate waste;
• Warming.

Rosemary

Rosemary creates circulation and warmth,  soothing sore muscles,  aches and pains.

Here are the ways Rosemary can help you in treating gout:

• Analgesic - numbs pain, which helps during a gout attack;
• Anti-inflammatory - alleviates swelling and inflammation through circulatory action, and offers gout pain relief;
• Anti rheumatic - prevents and/or relieves rheumatic pain and swelling. Gout has been associated with rheumatic arthritis and is often called "gouty arthritis";
• Antiseptic - fights germs and infections;
• Restorative, Tonic - helps to strengthen the entire body or specific organs;
• Stimulant - induces temporary improvements in physical function.  For example, a stimulant can promote enhanced alertness, wakefulness, and locomotion.

I always find that putting a couple of drops of Rosemary in my shampoo makes my hair stronger.  This doesn't have anything to do with gout, but I'm passing it along for the ladies!

Geranium

Geranium is a lovely essential oil that has the following properties to help with gout pain, and to prevent a gout attack:

• Antidepressant - aids in alleviating and preventing depression;
• Antiseptic - fights germs and infections;
• Anti-inflammatory - alleviates swelling and inflammation through circulatory action, and offers gout pain relief;
• Antispasmodic - relieves spasms and cramps and benefits relaxation and calmness;
• Bactericidal - destructive to bacteria;
• Diuretic - aids in the elimination of toxins in the body by increasing urine flow.  This helps flush the uric acid and monosodium urate crystals out of your system;
• Cicatrisant - cell-regenerative for skin, healing for scars;
• Tonic - helps to strengthen the entire body or specific organs.

Again, we will be using Sweet Almond Oil and Jojoba Oil as the carrier oils for massaging. Sweet Almond Oil is made from the kernel and contains glucosides, minerals, and vitamins, and is rich in protein. It relieves soreness and inflammation. Jojoba Oil is really a wax and never becomes rancid. It contains protein, minerals, and a substance that mimics collagen. It is excellent on inflamed skins and is very penetrative, so it gets the essential oils to the joint quickly.

The Third Two Weeks, What to Do:

The first step is to continue to follow the diet outlined in Part 1.   Here is a recap: 1. Eliminate these foods from your diet because they can bring on an attack of gout:

• Alcohol, especially beer because it contains YEAST
• Caffein drinks
• Chocolate
• Red Meat
• Port
• Lamb
• Processed meats, such as bacon and hot dogs
• Shellfish/seafood
• Anything made with yeast, such as bread

2. If you are subject to gout attacks (even if you're not!) drink adequate amounts of water each day. This helps flush the uric acid from your system. 3. Take the following vitamins in addition to a Multi-Vitamin Supplement:

• 1,000 mg of Vitamin C
• 250 mg of Vitamin E
• B-Complex Supplement
• Beta-Carotene
• Fish Oil Capsules

Here's the treatment plan for this two weeks

4. Make a blend of these three essential oils as follows. Put the blend in a separate bottle and keep it in a dark place:

• Ginger..................8 drops
• Rosemary............15 drops
• Geranium..............5 drops

5. During this two weeks, you will alternate between the above blend, and the blend from Part 2. Each day take a warm bath to which you've added four (4) drops of your Essential Oil Blend for that day. You do not add the Epsom Salts to your baths any longer. 6. Massage your whole body each morning and evening with the following Essential Oils mixed with 2 tablespoons Sweet Almond Oil and 2 teaspoons Jojoba Oil:

• Rosemary.......................8 drops
• Lavender........................7 drops
• Geranium.......................10 drops
• Ginger............................3 drops

Follow this plan for the next two weeks. For maintenance, after the six weeks, make a blend of any combination of the essential oils you have used during this program and use 4 drops each day in a warm bath. At any time you feel it is necessary, you can repeat the complete 6-week program. I have put together a list with the items you will need for the third two weeks from amazon.com. I have found that their prices are better than at a Health Food Store. Click Essential Oils for Weeks 5 & 6 to purchase these items. As before, you have the option of purchasing them individually so, if you already have some, it is not necessary to buy them again!