Using Essential Oils as a Complementary Treatment for Psoriatic Arthritis

By Holland

3 min read

I’m not known as someone who supports homeopathic treatments or concoctions. As a sick teen, my mom was desperate to get me better and brought me to some questionable herbalist stores for help. Not only did the concoctions taste awful, but surprise, they did nothing.

That being said, waking up unable to make a fist or take a step without almost collapsing can open one’s mind up. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Here's how I found myself turning to essential oils for relief.

The pains of psoriatic arthritis

I was barely 30. The year I began experiencing crippling pain in my hands and feet. My ability to work was diminishing. Eventually, my doctors encouraged filing for disability. Psoriatic arthritis along with Crohn’s disease rendered me jobless.

My doctors felt I wouldn’t keep a new job for long if hired. They wanted my focus to be on diminishing inflammation and healing. The more I became educated on immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, like psoriatic arthritis, the more frustrated I grew. It wasn’t uncommon to get approached online by “natural healers” and snake oil salespeople.

Stumbling across essential oils

One thing that kept sticking out was essential oils. Even my science-minded and scientist friends used them in some way. So, I grew curious when a friend of mine who began to use oils for recurring migraines was hosting an oil party. I feel it's important to point out that essential oils should be used as a complement to treatment. They should not be your end-all, be-all. Think you have the flu or an infection? Go see a doctor.

As I entered the lion’s den, I fastened my skeptic hat firmly upon my head. The “party” went well. I even learned a few things about oils and how they work. I also may have rolled my eyes during a few parts of the presentation.

One of the other ladies at the oil party said that her physical therapist used the same rub on her after completing a session. Due to a bad car accident, she needed PT and came to the party with the intent of buying a tube for her “bad days.” The host was kind enough to give us all some samples to try at home. And try I did.

Using essential oils for the pain

Admittedly, my hands felt better the first time I used the rub. Even the most painful parts of my toes and the plantar fascia area of my feet felt relief for the first time ever. Not even my prescription anti-inflammatory gel provided a better feeling. However, this is not a cure. I wasn’t about to run a mile after applying.

A full-size tube of this rub is also expensive for the average person’s budget. I think it’s important for samples to be available, for this exact reason. Buying a tube, I considered, was an investment for my wellbeing.

I still use the rub to help with inflammation. It has worked better than over the counter topical rubs, and it smells better, too. I do not buy into the hoopla that a lot of the multi-level marketing companies utilize. They use tactics similar to snake oil sales from back in the old-timey days. The FDA watches these companies a little more closely today than in prior years. I am happy to admit when something helps.

When the psoriatic pains becomes just too much

I asked my scientist friend why she chose to utilize oils and she put it simply. “If something feels good, you feel good. And the oils can help you feel good.”

I recognize my biologic treatment does much of the heavy lifting. Also, it's hard to ignore that the placebo effect exists. But there are some days where the pain, stiffness, swelling, and overall uncomfortableness are just too much. That is when I use the rub.

Coming from a former skeptic, I have zero regrets using essential oils as a complementary treatment for psoriatic arthritis. Let us know in the comments if you choose to give them a try.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The Psoriatic-Arthritis.com team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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kshomegirl1964 Member
I have had plaque psoriasis for 35 years. I have had success with biologics over the last ten years. Unfortunately I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. I was having severe back pain. An abscess on my spine. A laminectomy was performed from my L5 to my S1 I felt so much better. But as soon as I would go back on biologic I would get a blister in the incision in my back and It would become infected. This happened multiple times. I had a second surgery to clean out the incision. I had 40 days of IV antibiotics. 2 months later I am having an abscess clean out again. Is there anyone else with issue.
1. Vickie Wilkerson Moderator & Contributor
 Wow <inline-mention user-id="3311956" username="kshomegirl1964"/> you have really been through it. Sorry you keep having to deal with all of it. I have a knot on my back as well. So far it has not required surgery. I have had PsA for 7 years now. I hope this will be the last time you have to have the clean out done. Vickie W., Community Moderator
2. kshomegirl1964 Member
 Thanks Vicki I hope this time does the trick too. I'm really getting sick of being in the hospital.
kshomegirl Member
I am hoping my neurosurgeon will work with my Dermatologist and Rheumatologist for a plan going forward after my surgery. Antibiotics have NOT been effective.
phoenix Member
Jaime, I am curious as to which essential oil or mixture you use that is helpful. Also I drop things all the time for what seems no reason at all, and just thought it was a problem with my brain not communicating properly to my body. I had never made the connection between that and arthritis.
jimmy Member
Hi Jaime, I enjoyed your post. I have long been a user of essential oils - at least 30 years - not least because my wife trained as an aromatherapist back then, although she was still nursing. So there was always a mix to try for every ailment. Sometimes they were just a pleasant relaxing distraction and other times they were surprisingly effective. Everyday oils like tea tree and lavender are always kept in our cupboard with many others stored away safely. We have used them on our dogs, cats, bees and even our sheep with good success - way beyond placebo. For some ailments I wouldn't dream of using anything else. A few examples: I once sliced my finger through to the bone. God it hurt. But I was amazed at the anaesthetising effect of lavender oil poured over it. It really calmed it down until I got the 6 stitches (Don't try this at home) I have real trouble sleeping and valerian oil can be very effective. A few drops on a tissue, inhale deeply half a dozen times and/or put under your pillow. It works although too much can leave you a little drowsy next day. My wife puts a drop of rose geranium on our face masks and stores them in a plastic bag. It keeps the mask smelling fresh even after wearing it all day. Worth a try. I won't bore you with any more especially since I am not the aromatherapist.
truehealthtony Member
Hi Jaime, Thank you for sharing your story. WOW! That's some serious inflammation and pain. And barely 30 years old with PSA and Crohn's? And filed for disability recommended by your doctor? I am so sorry. I'm so glad that you had the opportuity to learn from your scientist friend about homeopathic remedies with essential oils in addition to using your Biologic treatment. I, too, have psoriatic arthritis. I was first diagnosed at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, D.C. back in 2010 with Ankylosing Spondylitis. My doctor could not pinpoint it exactly but he new I didn't have Rheumatoid of which I was happy to learn. It's the worst of the three (Anklosing Spondylitis, PSA, and Rheumatoid) and as an active duty Soldier and competative natural bodybuilder I had no idea what whas happening to me. It got very depressing but I pressed on and with my faith in Christ, I was able to persevere. I was unable to walk in the mornings when I woke up. When I got out of bed my Achilles were swollen twice their size. My knees were swollen, the Baker cyst formed behind both of my knees my hands were like baseball catchers mitt. My feet and toes were swollen and in pain. The very first time I had an indication of something wrong was when I woke up from pain in my right middle finger; it had swollen 3 times its size and had awakened me. The pain was excruciating and nothing that I had ever experienced before. It subsided throughout the day and did not reoccur for a while. That was back in, probably, 2007. Finally in 2010 things had gotten so bad that I had to go to Walter Reed’s rheumatology department to be tested and I was and that is when my doctor diagnosed me with ankylosing spondylitis. I had never heard of such a thing and I said what in the world is that? And then he told me. I went online to read Blogs on ankylosing spondylitis and the stories were frightening. As a person who’s not a fan taking medications, especially Biologics and other powerful medications with known severe side-effects, I was against taking it and had refused to take it for four years (2010-2016) but I finally had succumbed. In 2010 I had readjusted my healthy diet even more than it already was... I eliminated all whole grains from my diet. Just green leafy vegetables and an assortment of all kinds of vegetables, raw and cooked, whole fruits (berries), beans and legumes and lean healthy meats and fishes and my supplements of course. I made some improvements but I needed further help and that’s when I asked my doctor what would it look like if he put me on HUMIRA? I voiced how afraid I was of the negative side-effects and he told me that with my healthy lifestyle in conjunction with I’m not a smoker or a drinker of alcoholic beverages and that I don’t have a fatty liver, my chances of getting those side-effects are negligible. Well, I retired from the Army at the end of 2017 in the Washington DC area and my wife and I decided to move back south to be near her family because my health was declining. Now as a retired Soldier my goal was to go to school and get my Diploma in personal fitness training and specialize in nutrition and to work on bettering my health and wellness and by God’s grace that is what has happened. I was introduced to some homeopathic remedies as well and one-being wearable stem cell patch phototherapy technology. It’s truly amazing. I was introduced to it by my wife who was seeking out other ways to help my body heal itself. Have you ever heard of wearable stem cell patch technology?
nonib2 Member
 I, too, turned to essential oils. Since preteens, I've been interested in healing with plants, so I suppose it was logical that in the throes of PsA I'd find my way to essential oils. First, I had used lavender oil as a massage lotion for a grandson who as a very young boy suffered from the hangey symptoms related to low blood sugar and (thankfully temporary) brain injury. It was not uncommon for him to come to my room and ask me to "rub my arms." Diagnosed with PsA several years ago, I'd tried NSAIDs with some relief but was concerned about the gastrointestinal side effects as I was diagnosed with Barrett's esophagus and celiac disease close to that time. I eventually got over my apprension about biologics when the pain and disability level got just too much. That was a wash; I was allergic. A Excel spreadsheet is necessary to log all my allergies, so pharmaceuticals are pretty much out for me except for an occasional dose of ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Then I read an article written by another nurse who had also endured decades of health hurdles. She detailed her experiences and how essential oils were a large part of her regaining good health. I bought into the concept (literally, $$) and have no regrets. They help. I purchased the rub, have compounded my own rub, and these products are all that keep me from having to use steroids at times. Nope, they're not a cure for me but they make the difference between being up on my feet or lying in bed or on the couch a lot of the time. I'm rather much a newbie with them and have not completely finished making various lotions, sprays, etc., for several applications...but I will eventually get to them as winter sets in. Essential oils are not a 'snake-oil' treatment nor are they a cure; they've an effective way to treat the debilitating symptoms for me and I've shared some of the oils and products with family and friends. I purchase a high-quality brand and it is a cost. However, I'm willing to balance my budget to allow me to use them.
Lillian Member
I have been using essential oils for a long time. To avoid the high cost of pre-made products, I make my own. Currently using one for decreasing inflation, pain and soothing itchiness. I use organic food grade coconut oil (solid form without coconut smell) and a mixture of organic therapeutic grade essential oils of Rose Geranium, Camomile and Lavender. Works as well as anything else I've tried before and costs less. Also it has a pleasant, relaxing and calming effect that I enjoy especially when I use it just before I go to bed. Great article thank you!
Diane T Moderator & Contributor
Hello <inline-mention username="Holland" user-id="3289232"/> , This is by far a great article. This article brings back so many childhood memories. I remember my grandmother who was born in 1912, always brewing up smelly stuff for me. She would always say; this will make you feel better. My father who I see all the time and is 88 years old, still goes out and tries to make stuff for my psoriatic disease. These old people were on to something. Thanks for sharing and making my day. Diane (Team Member)

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