Does peppermint relieve pain? Yes, it can. Tradition proves it, and now science does as well. Your peppermint pain reliever comes in many forms.
How Peppermint Works to Relieve Pain
The oil has a cooling and soothing effect on the skin, and it has a cooling effect on the body. This is what has made it so famous as a sinus, sore throat and sinus remedy. It “cools” away the inflammation, reducing the pain and congestion. That means you may want to consider a peppermint pain reliever.
Where Peppermint Works in Your Body
Naturopaths have used this herb for many years to treat stomach and intestinal pain. In addition to cooling down the gut, researchers in Australia discovered that peppermint has an antispasmodic effect. [Source] The herb acts on the nerve fibers in the colon, which cause abdominal pain. This antispasmodic effect reduces the number of nerve fibers that send signals to the brain. This breakthrough could lead to a mainstream treatment for abdominal pain that originates in the colon.
The benefits of peppermint are not limited to the lower digestive tract. It also affects pain positively in the upper digestive tract. However, the oil relaxes the sphincter muscle that separates the stomach from the esophagus. That’s why people who suffer from gastrointestinal conditions like GERD may want to avoid using it unless they can get enteric-coated capsules.
Menthol—peppermint’s main essential oil (EO)—helps relax muscles in general. This is why so many muscle balms contain menthol crystals. It’s the menthol that gives a peppermint pain reliever its power.
Why We Use Peppermint in Our Arnica Pain Relief Lotion
When we began looking for an EO to complement the pain-soothing power of arnica, peppermint was the alternative to using lavender EO. We wanted an oil with a pleasant aroma as well as pain-reducing properties. Peppermint seemed a logical EO to experiment with.
Using peppermint with arnica-infused oil creates a pain relieving profile that fewer people are allergic to. Lavender is a known contact sensitizer. [Source] In contrast, allergies to mint are uncommon, though possible. [Source]
We encourage you to try our Original Arnica Lotion if you’re looking for a natural way to stop mild pain from advancing into more intense discomfort. Catching inflammation in its early stages is the best way to keep soreness tolerable.
