There’s growing evidence that frankincense essential oil is as useful today as it was back in Biblical times.
Modern researchers are beginning to understand the many marvels of frankincense, a substance once considered more precious than gold.
Frankincense Oil for Pain Relief
(This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase anything, I receive a referral fee, at no extra cost to you.)
It appears that frankincense contains potent anti-cancer compounds, as well as natural anti-inflammatory agents. Many holistic health experts consider chronic inflammation the root cause of disease.
The good news is that is seems as if frankincense can help control this process, by naturally reigning in excess inflammation. There’s more good news. This resin, given by the Wise Men 2,000 years ago to a newborn King, is now widely available to all of us. In fact, frankincense essential oil is one of the most popular aromatics used today.
Frankincense research is still in its infancy. Despite the fact this resin has been used since antiquity.
One 2015 study that appeared in the Scientific Reports medical journal noted that frankincense has been used in traditional Asian medicine for thousands of years. Often, these two resins are used together for natural relief from pain and inflammation, the authors noted.
This research looked at the positive effect of these resins on curbing arthritis inflammation in animal models. Similar human trials though are lacking.
How to Use Frankincense Essential Oil for Pain
Frankincense essential oil is one of the remedies I use to treat my own nerve pain. Like many adults, I suffer from excess inflammation. I control it without drugs. I don’t want to take medication because of the side effects. So I’m thankful we have so many natural remedies to choose from.
I try to mostly eat foods that don’t promote inflammation. Also, I take a variety of herbal anti-inflammatory formulas. If my pain flares up, I use essential oils.
But I do need to point out that I’m not a medical professional. So I can’t make a diagnosis or offer a treatment plan. Nor can I promise that any natural remedy will work for you. All I can do is share my personal experience of using essential oils.
Frankincense Essential Oil for Pain Relief
Ironically, while writing this post, my pain did flare. So I added some frankincense essential oil to a carrier oil. Then I topped it off with a couple of drops of copabia oil.
This is derived from a South Amerian tree. Copaiba essential oil is also considered a good natural inflammation fighter.
Just remember when using essential oils to mix them with a carrier oil before putting them on your skin. A standard recommendation is 2 percent essential oil.
A 2 percent dilution means 3 drops of essential oil to 1 teaspoon of carrier oil. But reduce the amount of essential oil in half if you are using this on your face, or on large areas of your body. Also used the reduced dilution with the elderly.
Is Frankincense Oil Good for Pain?
To date, there’s still relatively little mainstream medical research on aromatherapy. However, essential oils have been used for ages to treat a wide range of problems, both physical and mental.
One study I did find on frankincense and inflammation was published in the Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. It noted that frankincense contains boswellic acids that can naturally curb inflammation. The authors also pointed out that frankincense resin extracted from the Boswellia serrata tree has been used for hundreds of years to treat diseases associated with chronic inflammation.
Do You Need a Carrier Oil For Frankincense?
Frankincense essential oil is very strong. So you need to put it in a carrier oil before putting it on your skin. Carriers are oily, and, as their name implies both protect your skin and help “carry” the therapeutic compounds to your cells.
One of the mistakes many people make when using essential oils for the first time is to skip the carrier. I know I did. But it’s not a good idea. Essential oils are potent. You run the risk of sensitizing yourself if you use them straight, or “neat.” Also, it’s believed that carriers help the aromatic oil work better.
Some good carrier oils are olive, grapeseed or fractionated coconut oil. The latter is very popular as a carrier because it spreads easily and is absorbed well.
Frankincense is just one of my personal pain relief remedies. When I use it, I sometimes mix it with copaiba essential oil, another essential oil that’s said to have the ability to fight inflammation.
I’m a huge fan of rotating pain-relieving essential oils. That’s because they work better that way. I own a number of speical pain relieving blends sold by different companies.
Where Can I Buy Frankincense Essential Oil?
For general pain control, I sometimes use frankincense essential oil either by itself or mixed with other oils. The frankincense essential oil you see below is sold by Plant Therapy, one of the trusted companies I feature on this site. This is family-run business based in Idaho, and it’s an excellent alternative to MLM network oils, if you don’t prefer to shop that way.
Anyway, below you can see two types of Plant Therapy Frankincense. The first is pure frankincense oil. The roller bottle on the right already contains a carrier oil, so it’s ready to use. The pure frankincense will last longer. But the roller bottle is more convenient, especially if you plan to use it when you’re away from home.
Plant Therapy Frankincense Oil
Plant Therapy Frankincense Roll On
&
Wise Men Pain Cream
Another option is to use a ready-made product that contains frankincense and myrrh and is specifically designed for pain. The The Wise Men Essential Oil Balm With Myrrh and Frankincense contains contains these two resins, both brought to Baby Jesus by the Wise Men. Using two or more aromatics at once is a common practice. That’s because it’s believed that each aromatic enhances the other.
This balm is also ready to use. So you don’t need to get a separate carrier oil and there’s no mixing required before using it.
Disclaimer
These statements have not been approved by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Women who are nursing or pregnant should not use essential oils unless directed to do so by a healthcare professional.
For More Reading
Frankincense Myrrh and Inflammation Study
Boswellia Serrata and Inflammation Study
My journey to living relatively pain-free was a multi-year process of trial and error. I embarked upon a number of healing modalities. In the process, I learned a lot about my body. I also learned how to reduce chronic inflammation naturally, from the inside out.
This involved getting rid of all sorts of toxins, including emotional ones. I also used homeopathic remedies, special herbal anti-inflammatory remedies and, last but not least, special essential oil blends designed for pain reduction. Everyone is different. We each have to find the special mix of healing methods that works for us. But I developed an online guideline of what worked for me, which, hopefully, can give you ideas on what might potentially help you.
I compiled this into an easy-to-follow course, which includes articles and videos. Because money is tight, I priced it so that everyone can afford it. You can learn more about my course by clicking on the image below.
Natural Pain Management StrategiesSign Up For My Course
Frankincense Essential Oil for Natural Pain Relief
Hello. This sounds great. How many drops of frankincense and how many drops of copiaba would you use in a 10ml roller ball? Thank you.
Laura, that’s a pretty big roller ball. I’m not sure the exact number of drops, but if it were me, I’d use a 2 percent solution. That’s a commonly recommended ratio. This would be the equivalent of 3 drops of essential oil to 1 teaspoon of carrier oil. I’d use it half strength if I planned to apply it to a very wide area of my body. Thanks so much or reading and I hope I’ve helped.
I use frankincense regularly as well, and I was just told recently that adding marjoram EO to it is like an herbal morphine. I don’t know about that, but it did help my pain flare!
Hi NA, thanks so much for reading. This makes sense, since aromatherapists often like to recommend blends because it’s believed a synergy is created when two or more oils are mixed together. I’ll have to try this recipe myself.
So how is this mixed? How much of each oil n how much carrier?
Hi Dhea, thanks for reading. This is a really good question. If you’re using a 100 percent pure essential oil that’s not already diluted in a carrier oil, or added to a salve, a 2 percent dilution is widely recommended. This is 3 drops of essential oil to 1 teaspoon of carrier oil. It doesn’t sound like much. But essential oils are very potent.
What does EO stand for
Essential oils. That’s a good question.
Did you use the Frankincense and Marjoram topically?
Yes, only topically. At the moment I’m working on another post on why you shouldn’t ingest essential oils unless you have strict medical supervision with a well-trained practitioner. I urge my readers to ignore all social media posts telling them otherwise.
I agree. Essential oils are meant to use topically or in a diffuser to inhale. EO’s are the living part of a plant herbs and roots are the dried part. Herbs such as teas are meant to ingest.
Linda, I never looked at it this way. That is so true. For the most part that’s how EOs are meant to be used. Thanks so much for reading my blog.
This combination in a 10ml rollerball works wonderfully. I have had chronic pain for years and have used everything available for treating it. Recently I began my journey with essential oils. I wish I had begun earlier. I used this on my low back pain and knee pain and I got relief in both areas within minutes!! Thanks for the post.
How would one apply the appropriate ratio of frank and carrier oil in a roller bottle?
On pained areas? Other areas as well for absorption?
Angela, go for a 2 percent dilution. This is 3 drops of frankincense essential oil to one teaspoon of carrier oil. I hope this helps.
I am afflicted with restless leg syndrome. I have tried,many things and most everything makes it worse. I have not gound anything that works oyber than Mirapex wbich is,RX. YES I have used magnesium oil. Has anyone tried anything that works,other than the,Mirapex. It is,a pretty substancial affliction
Cindy, if it were me I’d see a good homeopath. I’ve had a restless body at night, and the right remedy helped me. If I couldn’t find a homeopath I’d consider acupuncture or chiropractic care. Good luck and I hope you find a solution.
For restless legs syndrome panaway works wonders. I put about three drops in my palm and about 6 drops of carrier and rub it on leg and within minutes the leg movement is gone.
Hi Shirley, that’s really good to know. Essential oils can be so helpful.
I am trying both marjoram and cypress together as they are supposed to help with restless leg syndrome. I put them on my legs. It also says to diffuse them together. I do not invest oils but it suggests that also. Also, I use ylang ylang on my legs over top of the two above. The book suggests it and it also helps with the smell of the other two oils.
have you tried CBD oil for this before bed? worth a try!!
Yes, I’ve tried so many things. I liked it, but I must constantly switch my remedies around. But it worked while I was using it. Thanks so much for reading my blog.
I also suffer from restless legs and went to a life style change center and they took me off all my meds and insulin and was having horrible restless legs and they put me on the herb Passion Flower or Hops (you can get at Walmart) and I have been off my Mirapex now for two and a half years. I had been on Mirapex for years. My BC/BS review doctor told me that Mirapex was a very hard drug to give up. But praise God I’m off everything. I was on high doses legalized opiates for 16+ years. Doctor prescribed!
So glad to hear you’re doing better.
I’m being treated for CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome); I have pain from others to my toes. Not only do I suffer from pain but have problems with muscle spasms too, is there anything that will help me with both problems? Also how would I find a homeopathic doctor who might treat my condition? There aren’t many regular doctors who specialize in treatment of my disease, so I’m not sure how to find an homeopathic doctor who can help me. Thank for any information that can help me.
Hi Karen, I’m so sorry to hear that you’re dealing with this. Muscle spasms are just horrible. I don’t have them nearly as much as I used to. But I remember how terrible they were. If it were me, I’d probably start by asking for a word-of-mouth recommendation at your local health food store. Or you can ask a chiropractor you trust. If I were searching for a homeopath, I’d want one who knows about the 6th Organon. Because of my faith, I’d also want a practitioner who didn’t dabble in anything that conflicted with my faith, such as divination. Good homeopaths exist. But they can be difficult to find. If all else fails, you can try the National Center for Homeopathy. They should be able to refer you to someone. It’s my personal opinion that many different healing methods can potentially help. The trick is to find a really good practitioner. I see an incredible chiropractor and he’s helping me a lot. The healing process is similar to chiropractic care. I’ve done a lot of other things as well, including herbs. I also use essential oils and I’ve changed my diet. No gluten, milk, junk food or GMOs. Best of luck to you. Let me know how you’re doing.
Again, I mix both cypress and marjoram for spasms. My mother has them terribly.
Do you mix with a carrier? My husband has them terrible
Yes, any essential oil must first be mixed with a carrier oil before putting it on your skin. All you need are 2-3 drops per teaspoon of essential oil. We’re supposed to use less essential oil if we plan to use the mixture on a large part of the body, and less if we’re using it on the face. Like 1 drop of essential oil per teaspoon of carrier. Same if the person who’s using the oil is elderly. Less essential oil should be used. Thanks for reading my blog.
Karen are your muscle spasms better? I found mine decreased when I started taking a magnesium orotate supplement.
Is there an essential oil that will help with ringing in the ears. I have it very badly! I am desperate!
Mallory, I don’t know of any essential oil or herbal remedy that will eliminate ringing in your ears. At the very most, it’s possible essential oils can help you relax, and maybe take your mind off of it. I’m not a doctor and I can’t give medical advice. But I have used a lot of natural healing methods. If it were me, I’d see a homeopath. There are specific remedies for this symptom. You will probably find best results working with a skilled homeopath. Best of luck to you. Let me know how you’re doing.
Hi, I have ringing in my ears and have looked for remedies, the best thing I have found is rubbing helichrysom essential oil with carrier oil in front of and behind my ear… Also taking ginkgo biloba. I hope you can find relief it is very hard to deal with
Ann, thanks so much for sharing and for reading my blog. I know someone with this condition and he has a terrible time with it.
I’ve had ringing in my ears for most of my life and it drives me batty. I m now 70 years old. If you should stumble upon something that works, please let me know.
I wish I knew what caused it in the first place.
Barb
Barb, I can’t give medical advice but if it were me I’d work closely with my doctor and also check in with a good homeopath. Good luck.
I have tries many blends just a few days ago i tried yarrow, copaiba frankincense and German chamomile using jojoba oil in which i had blended Boswellia carterii resin with. the resin was extracted from raw resin by boiling and collecting the non water soluble resin this is what i use as a carrier and this blend wiped out the leg and knee pain within 10 minutes of rubbing it in it is one of the best of anything that has worked for me in years and this is including morphine sulfate which I am getting away from as much as possible and these oils can and will do that for most people when they find the blend that works for them ginger and orange also seems to help a bit and very well for a few friends
thank you for all your help and also to you people out there who share your experiences it makes me feel good when i see people who are willing to help others with pain problems just go’s to show what can be done when good people who care work together big pharma may hate us for posting our findings but they do not care about you in any way but to get your money
also a special hank you to the writer /owner of this site is it organic palace Queen ?
P.s I will check back to see other comments on this site now and then sometimes these places are the better ones one thing for sure there are some very fine people here and i wish you all well
Hi Wayne, thank you so much for reading my blog. Essential oils have been wonderful for me, and, apparently, for many others as well. Feel free to check back any time and tell us how you’re doing.
My daughter has severe fibromyalgia. Any recommendations? I have a lot of oils on hand. Any help would be appreciated.
Hi Norma, I’m not a doctor and I can’t give medical advice. I can only share my own story of healing from chronic pain, which was very severe. Essential oils alone wouldn’t have done it. What I had to do instead was a total lifestyle overhaul, which included diet. I still eat a fairly restricted diet but I feel a lot better. I used a lot of herbal remedies and saw two wonderful homeopaths, as well as a chiropractor. It’s been a long haul. Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s an easy way out. But a lot of people are reporting improvements with natural remedies.
Norma,l my rheumatologist recommended turmeric caps. I take one am and pm. After about 3 weeks, I rarely have issues with fibro. It has worked wonders, and it’s actually good for us!
Turmeric seems to work great for some people and I’m glad to hear it helps you. It absolutely doesn’t help me, and might have even made me feel worse. We’re all so different. What helps one may not help another. I get more relief from berry powders, berry drinks and essential oils.
Do you rub this in with your hands, or just put it on with the roller.
Diana, for me it’s easier to just use my hands, but you could use a roller as well.
I have been seeking information on using EO for my Chronic Pain. Thank you for this article. Now I have some information for my toolbox 🙂
It’s a matter of finding what works for you. I’ve noticed that I have to rotate my essential oils. That makes them work better. So it’s good to have frankincense in the house. It mixes really well with copaiba oil, which is also considered good for pain.
What about taking frankincense orally.? Any other Leo’s you might recommend?
I don’t recommend taking essential oils internally to my readers. For pain, massaging it into the painful areas is more than sufficient. What you put on your skin winds up in your bloodstream. The carrier oil you use sort of “carries” it into your cells. There may be times when ingestion is appropriate, according to the Association of International Aromatherapists. But it should only be done under strict medical supervision, with a practitioner who’s well trained in how to use essential oils safely. That’s why you’ll never see me make a blanket recommendation to ingest. So please just use them externally. Thanks so much for reading.
When going through cancer treatment, I had a Naturopath on my team. Every Monday they’d go over all their case logs. I was already eating organic and gluten, but she is very knowledgeable about interactions of cancer meds, supplements and EOs. If it was urgent she’d call a meeting right then, else it would have to wait to Monday. It went ok until it didn’t and wound up in ICU for about a week. My last radiation follow up happened when my usual rads doc was on vacation. Whew! After all that, I just needed another set of eyes on balls on my file or the consequences. It’s 4 years after my diagnosis, my new doc still seem a bit surprised that I tell them no opioids and have a draft an exit plan within a month. While I’d like to stay at Emory because they are named one of the best in the country, it doesn’t matter if I can’t get an appointment. I agree we must each find our way of survival. Best of luck to all of us!!
So glad to hear you’ve gotten good medical care. I hope you’re feeling okay. Thank you for reading my blog.
I noticed that you showed two different kinds of frankincense (which I love), but I’m wondering which to use for different purposes.
Ellen, I think it’s just a matter of preference. It’s good to mix frankincense with copaiba essential oil too, or myrrh. I like using multiple oils together because it’s supposed to create a synergy.
So, anyway, to answer your question you could use either.
HI there thanks for this wonderful article I suffer from sciatica and have tried frankensense and myrh it seems to help a bit is there any other one you recomend
I do have another pain relief formula called Cooling Waters Anti-Inflammatory blend. It’s sold by Natures Fusions. I love it. But I still like to use different oils and recipes because my oils work better for me when I rotate them. So I may switch out to frankincense and copaiba for a few days, in order to take a break from Cooling Waters, which is awesome.
Thank you for the article, very helpful. The description on Amazon says that it helps with joint pain. Have you had experience with it helping nerve and muscle pain as well?
Hi Khristine, I suffer from nerve pain, chronically inflammed nerves. I use it as part of my rotation. Sometimes I use frankincense and copaiba and sometimes I use a special essential oil pain blend. I think it’s good to rotate the essential oils you use.
Hi Kristine, I have nerve pain, muscle pain, and muscle cramps. I have my pain emercency kit of essential oils I rotate using. My favorite right now is Deep Blue made by duTerra. I like some of the new suggetions I’ve read on here today. It’s always nice to have an arsenal at your fingertips.
It’s nice to have an arsenal at your fingertips. I’ve used frankincense oil for pain. I also use an amazing blend sold by Nature’s Fusions called Cooling Waters. It’s similar to Deep Blue, only it’s less expensive.
I’m going to give that a try.
I also have nerve pain and muscle pain along with joint pain. Nowadays I can only get up for a few hours before I’m lying down using 4 heating pads. One for the neck, back, and one for each knee. I’ve had two surgeries on my neck and one surgery on my lower back. Now they want to put a nerve stimulator from the bottom of my back to the top of my neck. I also have Inflamion Rhumetoid Arthritis. Any suggestions as Oxi!s aren’t working anymore.
Hi Cindy, I’m so sorry to hear about your battle with chronic pain. I need to point out that I’m not a doctor and I can’t give medical advice. All I can do is share my own story of finding relief with natural remedies. I look at essential oils as a bandage. They can help with breakthrough pain. I use them for this purpose, instead of drugs. However, in and of themselves they probably won’t lead to long-lasting relief. I’ve had to do a lot of lifestyle changes, including diet. I also take herbal anti-inflammatory remedies, homeopathic remedies and use essential oils. It’s a matter of trying different things and finding what works for you. Feel free to join my private Facebook group. The details are in the “About” section of this site.
Thanks for the informative article! I have suffered from from severe chronic pain for about 5 years now, I have had Frankincense oil just rolling around my house & NEVER thought to look into it. I know I’m smh too. I’m sorry you deal with the burden of chronic pain but very happy to see your positive articles on dealing with it naturally. I haven’t tried the Copaiba oil yet but have been reading great things about it & it is definitely my next oil purchase. I LOVE Plant Therapy oils & was just checking on the cost through your link. They have amazing prices & just had a tip for people. If you search, on Amazon, for Plant Therapy’s 1oz size in the oil you need (for ex: Plant Therapy Copaiba 1oz) they are usually an even better deal. I have paid less for P.T’s 1oz organic (they now have USDA cert. oils!) oils than I used to pay for regular 10ml non-organic E.O.s! Sorry for the long post but I just wanted to share my experience with Plant Therapy & the best bang-for-your-buck way to go. I never used to pay attention to the brand when buying oils but when I found out that essential oil ingredients aren’t regulated & the chemicals that can be added I felt I needed to find a good brand, I don’t work for Plant Therapy I just am a lover of oils (esp Frankincense) and wanted to share my experience so others don’t waste money like I was on oils (to heal naturally) that could be filled with chemicals which defeats the whole purpose! Thanks again for all the awesome articles!
Hi Sara, thank you so much for reading and for sharing your thoughts. There are many good essential oil companies. But Plant Therapy meets most of my needs. I’ve ordered a lot of Plant Therapy oils and love them. If you suffer from chronic pain, please feel free to join my private Facebook group. You will see where to find it in the “About” section.
How I can join your fb page
Ines, thanks for reading my blog. I think you mean joining my Facebook group. The details are in the About section. Scroll down.
Thanks for the info. I also suffer with chronic pain. I have Fibromyalgia, Severe back pain, Migraines, Trigeminal Neuralgia, and Nerve pain, just to mention a few. My massage therapist told me to use the frankincense on my rt. Trigeminal nerve, and my ear that I have so much pain. It helped a lot!
Hi Pam, I’m glad that you’ve found something to help you. Thanks for reading my blog. Feel free to join my private Facebook group. The details are in the About section.
Hi span,
I have a friend who suffers terribly from Trigeminal Neuralgia. I’d love to connect with you to review how your EO treatment is working.
You are more than welcome to connect either by email or on Facebook. (Details in the About section.) But please understand it wasn’t just essential oils that made me feel better. It was an entire lifestyle change that included diet. I don’t eat junk and will probably suffer a flare if I tried. This means if I go to a birthday party no cake, amusement park no ice cream, etc. It’s definitely worth it for me.
I’m new to using oils but am impressed with the benefits I’ve already received from adding Lavender, Bergamot and Tea Tree oils to Coconut oil. This really helped heal my skin. I really appreciate all of the info on your blog. Thank you!
Kathleen, thank you so much for reading my blog.
I often use frankincense & lavender in the diffuser during the night. I stumbled across that blend by accident and it’s what made me a believer in EOs or at least that blend lol. I was able to go from barely able to stand in the am to being able to stand upright easily. Now I also use a heated mattress pad during the night and that helps immensely as well.