Essential oils are starting to become such a household name which really gets me excited. Instead of turning to allopathic medicine people are using natural medicine as their first line of treatment. Yes prescribed medication has its time and place. But why start so aggressively when Mother Nature has given us something more beautiful and safe. Essential oils!
Today we are going to discuss top 6 essential oils that can help with pelvic floor dysfunctions. I encourage you to read my previous post on 5 causes of pelvic floor dysfunctions as the oils we mention below work on correcting these 5 problem areas.
Also before we proceed I want to emphasis the importance of pure essential oils. You can read further on this in this blog post. But just a quick recap essential oils on the market are NOT FDA regulates. That means anyone can put a ‘100% pure’ label on their bottle and sell it with misleading intentions. Essential oil companies make their own standards and own regulations. So make sure you do your research before using essential oils for therapeutic means. You can grab my checklist here to determine if your essential oils get a passing grade. I have been using essential oils on and off for many years. But since I started using doTerra essential oils there has been a drastic improvement in my health and well-being. DoTerra oils are absolutely phenomenal in quality and its usage. Samples available!
6 essential oils that support healing and prevention of pelvic floor dysfunctions
Note: Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding!
1. Clary Sage: For hormonal support and relaxation.
Clary Sage is the queen when it comes to hormonal support. It is the first oil to turn to when trying to manage hormonal issues such as PMS or menopause related symptoms. It is soothing to the skin and relaxing to the body. Studies have shown Clary Sage can help regulate menstrual cycle and help sooth menstrual pain (1-3).
Estrogen is the glue that keeps everything knit tight together in our pelvic floor. Estrogen is what helps with pelvic floor healing. Estrogen levels drop after delivery and while breastfeeding. Many women continue to suffer from pelvic floor dysfunctions years later because of low (or imbalanced) estrogen. This is also seen during menopausal years when estrogen levels begin to (and continue to) fall. That is why pelvic floor dysfunctions are more common during or after menopause.
Clary Sage makes a wonderful blend to apply topically daily or when feeling imbalanced.
2. Lavender: For relaxation.
So how is promoting relaxation important for the pelvic floor?
Pelvic floor dysfunctions can be either caused by tight or loose pelvic floor muscles. Women who generally have a hard time to relax their mind or body tend to have tightness in their pelvic floor. On the side note they also tend to have tight jaws and shallow breathing.
My first assignment for these women is to meditate 5-10 minutes a day everyday to help relax the body and re-establish awareness. Most of the time women are not aware they are tight or they are tight because they have no awareness.
As women we are constantly on the go go go juggling mom work and work work and house work. It is repeated all day, everyday. Self care comes second and sometimes just never happens. We become stuck in fight and flight mode, which creates more stress and anxiety. Our stress hormone called cortisol goes up which increases inflammation and pain in the body. This also contributes to issues like low back pain, muscle pain, menstrual pain and pelvic floor issues.
So diffusing lavender in the evening or massaging lavender throughout the day helps relax and calm the body. You want your pelvic floor to contract when needed, not be constantly tight and contracted all day. Gripping the pelvic floor all day can cause the muscles to fatigue and give up. So relaxation is your first homework.
3. Peppermint: For energy, awareness and pain.
I love to diffuse peppermint first thing in the morning. I had to (sadly) recently give up coffee. Coffee was my go to in the morning to help energize me and wake me up. But now I add 2 drops of peppermint and 4 drops of wild orange in my diffuser. For less than 50 cents I got my self an instant pick me up. I also carry a roller bottle of peppermint to help me on the go. Especially after lunch at work or before a workout.
Doing your pelvic exercises or exercise in general is important for pelvic healing. Most people (including myself) do not exercise or do not start their pelvic floor homework because they had no energy or no motivation or in so much pain. Well a few drops of peppermint can help with all three!
Peppermint is uplifting and energizing. It is also amazing for pain and awareness. The tingling sensation you get from peppermint on your skin helps bring awareness in that area. Especially with exercise that requires isolation of particular muscle groups. I love to put peppermint on my gluts during glut work or inner thigh muscles when addressing weakness there. By the way working on both gluts and thigh muscles contribute towards strengthening and healing pelvic floor dysfunctions. So many wins with peppermint!
4. Frankincense: For grounding, pain and inflammation.
Like lavender, frankincense helps calm our mind, body and soul. It helps keep us grounded and gets us out of the fight and flight mode. Frankincense helps reduce stress and anxiety. Frankincense also helps with pain and inflammation. I love to combine frankincense and peppermint on sore and achy muscles or joints.
Pain and inflammation in pelvic floor muscles or in the surrounding muscles can contribute towards pelvic floor dysfunctions. Frankincense is the king of oils. It offers so many health benefits in a single drop.
5. Lemon: (or any citrus oil) Great to promote healthy hydration. Support respiratory function.
Water intake is really important for pelvic floor function and healing. Yes even if you pee a lot already or suffer from leakage. Read my previous blog post on the importance of water for optimal pelvic floor function. A few drops of lemon or any citrus oil (I prefer grapefruit) can really make a tasty refreshing drink. You not only get the benefits of drinking water but also the health benefits carried by that particular essential oil.
Lemon is a cleansing oil. It helps detox and clean inside the body and out! It helps support respiratory function especially during allergy season. It also makes a nice soothing tea for a sore throat. Chronic coughing or sneezing is devastating for the pelvic floor. Many of us have experienced the embarrassment of leaking while sneezing and coughing. Essential oils like lemon can provide some relief from the pelvic straining due to chronic coughing and sneezing.
Coughing and sneezing can also effect our breathing and diaphragm function. Breathing and optimal diaphragm function is crucial for optimal pelvic floor function and healing.
6. Fennel: For constipation and digestive support.
Chronic Constipation can lead to or exacerbate existing pelvic floor dysfunctions such as prolapse or leakage.
Fennel tea was a common practice in our household. If someone suffered from gas or stomach aches or constipation, fennel tea would be the first remedy. Now we just add a few drops of fennel oil in warm water and drink. Or you can also massage 2-3 drops of fennel oil mixed in a tablespoon of carrier oil on your abdomen. I have found huge success with doTerra’s Digest Zen (Zen Gest) blend. The main ingredient is fennel and rubbing this oil on my (and my kids) abdomen has offered instant relief to digestive issues.
Fennel is often used after a meal to aid in digestion and metabolism. (Have you ever tried candy coated fennel? Yum!) It helps support weight loss by stimulating metabolism and suppress appetite especially sugar cravings (as it has a sweet taste).
Weight loss or at least maintaining a healthy weight can help alleviate some of the pelvic floor symptoms especially pelvic organ prolapse. Although fennel has been used in Ayurveda practices for hundreds of years, more research would be great to support the metabolic benefits of fennel.
Fennel also helps support hormonal balance (4,5). Massage on abdomen when suffering from PMS or menopause related symptoms.
Bonus: Clary calm.
Clary calm is a doTerra blend that is used to support women’s health including hormonal and emotional support. It is a massage blend that contains Clary Sage, Lavender, Fennel, Geranium, Ylang Ylang and more (see image above)! Fill this out for free samples.
References
1. Hur MH, Lee MS, Seong KY, Lee MK. Aromatherapy massage on the abdomen for alleviating menstrual pain in high school girls: a preliminary controlled clinical study.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:187163. doi:10.1155/2012/187163
2. Lee KB, Cho E, Kang YS. Changes in 5-hydroxytryptamine and cortisol plasma levels in menopausal women after inhalation of clary sage oil [published correction appears in Phytother Res. 2014 Dec;28(12):1897].Phytother Res. 2014;28(11):1599‐1605. doi:10.1002/ptr.5163
3. Han SH, Hur MH, Buckle J, Choi J, Lee MS. Effect of aromatherapy on symptoms of dysmenorrhea in college students: A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.J Altern Complement Med. 2006;12(6):535‐541. doi:10.1089/acm.2006.12.535
4. Khadivzadeh T, Najafi MN, Kargarfard L, Ghazanfarpour M, Dizavandi FR, Khorsand I. Effect of Fennel on the Health Status of Menopausal Women: A Systematic and Meta-analysis.J Menopausal Med. 2018;24(1):67‐74. doi:10.6118/jmm.2018.24.1.67
5. Rahimikian F, Rahimi R, Golzareh P, Bekhradi R, Mehran A. Effect of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. (fennel) on menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women: a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial.Menopause. 2017;24(9):1017‐1021. doi:10.1097/GME.0000000000000881
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