Ancient Frankincense And Myrrh May Be Effective For Knee Pain

Arthritis and knee pain can be a serious hindrance to mobility, and many of the medications to treat them carry undesirable side effects or may be addictive. For those looking for alternatives for their pain, the answers may lie in some very ancient remedies – frankincense and myrrh.

The familiar gifts given to the newborn Christ-child by the Magi were not just presents with funny names in the Christmas pageant. To people in Biblical times, as well as to ancient Egyptians, Chinese, Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans, frankincense and myrrh were considered very valuable commodities, prized for their multiple healing properties, including relieving knee and joint pain.

The Queen of Sheba included gifts of frankincense and myrrh among the treasures that she brought to King Solomon. The Egyptians used them in embalming and for medicine.

History affirms the value of the treasures, but why were they so valuable? It is because their essential oils could be used to treat a wide variety of ailments and illnesses. Knee pain and arthritis are among those ailments that have historically been helped with these precious substances.

Both are anti-inflammatory. In fact, one researcher, Marc Schrueder, has said that “myrrh is the number one anti-inflammatory oil known today.”

A number of studies confirm the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of myrrh and frankincense. Some studies report that they are more effective and work more quickly than NSAIDs and opiates in relieving pain. Another study shows that myrrh has a more effective anti-inflammatory response than hydrocortisone, thus relieving knee pain.

One such study found that those applying an extract made of frankincense and myrrh to the kness reported up to 70% better mobility in those joints as well as a 50 to 60% decrease in swelling of the knee joint. Pain was reportedly reduced as well.

Rochelle Clark, a Licensed Massage Therapist, says that many of her clients have experienced “profound pain relief” when using Young Living Frankincense oil for arthritis and knee pain.

Part of the explanation could lie in the fact that both myrrh and frankincense are very high in a compound called sesquiterpenes, which deliver oxygen to the cells. Also, myrrh has one of the highest levels of anti-oxidants of any substance, 158 times that of blueberries. Its effect is high even when inhaling the essential oil of myrrh or by applying it to the skin in very small amounts, according to the Essential Oils Desk Reference.

The ancient treatments of frankincense and myrrh were once only available to the very wealthy, but now are much more widely available. No longer does one need to be royalty to relieve knee pain this way. And no longer must one rely completely on pharmaceuticals for knee pain. Who knew that frankincense and myrrh were among the natural options for those suffering from arthritis and knee pain?