Treating Gout with Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, Part 1

A six-week program to relieve gout suffering using diet, essential oils and aromatherapy

Part 1 - The First Two Weeks

This post will be the first of three that outline how you can greatly improve your problems with gout.  The program is in 2-week segements and we will cover the first two weeks in this post.

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. 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.

What Oils Will We Use?

The essential oils we'll be using during the first two weeks are Fennel, Cypress, and Juniper, and are great for treating gout. Here is a brief explanation of what each of the oils does: Fennel Fennel has a long list of properties that benefit the health.  The properties that help with gout are as follows:

• Anti-inflammatory - reduces swelling and inflammation.
• Depurative - a detoxification alterative which purifies the blood. Most alteratives also promote cleaning action of the spleen, liver, kidneys, and bowels.  Alteratives typically produce a gradual, beneficial change in the body, and restore the body to normal functioning.
• 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.
• Stimulant - induces temporary improvements in physial function. For example, a stimulant  can promote enhanced alertness, wakefulness, and locomotion.
• Tonic - helps to strengthen the entire body or specific organs.

Cypress Cypress has the following properties:

• Anti-inflammatory - reduces swelling and inflammation
• Anti-rheumatic - prevents and/or relieves chronic rheumatic pain and swelling. Gout has been associated with rheumatic arthritis and is often called "gouty arthritis."
• 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.
• Tonic - helps to strengthen the entire body or specific organs.

Juniper Juniper essential oil promotes elimination of uric acid, and helps cleanse the blood.  It's properties are:

• Anti-inflammatory - reduces swelling and inflammation
• Anti rheumatic - prevents and/or relieves chronic rheumatic pain and swelling. Gout has been associated with rheumatic arthritis and is often called "gouty arthritis."
• 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.
• Tonic- helps to strengthen the entire body or specific organs.

These are the three essential oils we will be using during the first two weeks.

The First Two Weeks

The focus for the first two weeks is detoxifying your body and flushing out the excess uric acid and monosodium urate crystals which are responsible for your gout pain. These are the steps: 1.  The first thing you must do is eliminate the foods from your diet that are prone to bring on an attack of gout.  These include:

• Alcohol, especially beer
• Caffein drinks
• Chocolate
• Red meat
• Pork
• Lamb
• Processed meats, such as bacon and hot dogs
• Shellfish/seafood
• Anything made with yeast, such as bread

2.  It's always wise, if you are subject to gout attacks, to drink adequate amounts of water each day.  This helps flush the uric acid from your system and may prevent a gout attack.  So, make sure you drink a lot of water each day.  It's really not that hard.  If you ask yourself, "Can I drink 1/2 a cup of water every hour of the day?", the answer will be "Yes, I can do that." 3.  Take the following vitamins, in additional to a Multi-Vitamin Supplement:

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

4. Make a blend of the three essential oils as follows:

• Fennel.....30 drops
• Cypress..16 drops
• Juniper...10 drops

You can usually buy a small, brown glass bottle that has a dropper, or a plug like the one in the essential oil bottle,from the pharmacist.  If you can't find one, you should be able to find one of those empty plastic bottles that people buy to put shampoo in when they travel.  They usually have a plug in the top that would allow you to dispense the essential oil blend drop by drop.  If you do use the plastic bottle, keep it wrapped in a dark cloth or bag so it doesn't get exposed to the sun. 5.  Each day take a warm bath to which you've added one cup of Epsom Salts, and four (4) drops of your essential oil blend. Follow this routine for the full two weeks.  The next post will have the steps for the second two weeks. I have put together a list with the items you will need for the first two weeks from amazon.com.  I have found their prices to be better than those at a health food store.  Click Essential Oils For Weeks 1 & 2 to purchase the items.  You have the option of purchasing them individually so, if you already have some, it is not necessary to buy them again!