If you have neuropathy, follow your doctor’s treatment plan. You may have heard that some people use essential oils as complementary treatments for their neuropathy. (Complementary treatments are used with, but don’t replace, mainstream medical treatment.) There’s little research to back it up, but a few studies suggest that some essential oils may help ease some of the symptoms of neuropathy. Here’s what you need to know....
Neuropathy is a condition that happens when your nerves don’t work the way they should because your nerve cells have been damaged or destroyed. It can affect the way you feel things, and can cause numbness, tingling, and pain. The condition can also cause weakness and change the way you move.
Neuropathy often shows up in your hands and feet. It’s especially common among people with diabetes, 60% to 70% of whom develop neuropathy at some point. Neuropathy can also happen due to conditions that affect your blood vessels, cancer treatments (including chemotherapy), and vitamin deficiencies.
What the Research Shows
Keep in mind that no guidelines recommend essential oils as a neuropathy treatment, and the handful of studies on the topic aren’t big enough to be conclusive, however, one 2017 study from Turkish researchers included 46 people with diabetes-related neuropathy. For the study, about half of the group got their hands and feet massaged using essential oils for 30 minutes, 3 times a week, for 4 weeks. Those people reported a 66% drop in neuropathy-related pain, compared to a 9% drop in pain for those who got medical care but no massage. The researchers used a 5% dilution of lavender, combined with other healing essential oils mixed with coconut oil. (Wannabee uses beeswax as well to make a salve.)  Massage boosts blood flow and assists with absorption, which can prompt the release of certain pain-relieving chemicals.