Topical Oils, Ointments, and Patches for Pain

These topical Chinese herbal formulas are designed to help stop pain, reduce inflammation, improve the flow of chi and blood, and promote healing from the outside in. If you have the type of condition that would benefit from these topical formulations, or from any of the other additional treatments that I offer, I will include them in your acupuncture or massage session at no extra charge. For example, I often use them along with tui na (massage), zhi ya (acupressure), ba guan (fire cupping), gua sha (jade and horn massage tools). The oils, ointments, and patches can also be used overnight so that you can sleep better, and can be applied throughout the day when you are between treatments to help reduce pain and promote healing. Topical preparations like these are not to be used on broken or damaged skin and should not be wrapped or have heat added (heating pad, hot bath).

 

This amazing oil is made by Blue Poppy in Colorado and represents their version of "Po Sum On," a classic Chinese herbal pain-relieving formula that has been in production since 1907. This oil can help with most types of pain including muscle knots, aches, strains, joint pain, sprains, headaches, and bruising. This is a very aromatic formula so it can even be used as a vapor rub for chest or sinus congestion. I also sometimes use this formula as a base when I do tui na (massage), zhi ya (acupressure), ba guan (fire cupping), or gua sha (jade and horn massage tools). The foundation of this formula is tea oil, pressed from Camelia sinensis seeds, the plant that gives us green and black teas. This oil is rich in vitamins and essential fatty acids, promotes healing, relieves pain, is anti-inflammatory, and penetrates quickly into the deeper layers of tissue. The chief aromatic oils in the formula are peppermint, which is cooling, and cinnamon, which is warming, making this formula like a natural icy-hot. The mint also helps cool inflammation, while the warming cinnamon increases micro-circulation to to stop pain and facilitate healing. In addition, the formula contain skullcap root which, like peppermint, cools inflammation, and dragon's blood resin, a powerful pain-relieving herb that also promotes tissue regeneration. On the continuum of very hot to very cold, Dr. Bob's Medicated Oil is slightly cooling so it is better for conditions where there is some inflammation, or for pain that feels better with the application of cold. I tend to use this cooling oil more in the warmer months and the warming ointment below more in the cooler months.

 

This wonderful healing ointment is used to treat sore muscles, bruises, strains, sprains, stiff joints, and aching, inflexible tendons and connective tissues. It can also be used to relieve the pain and numbness of peripheral neuropathy, applied after cast removal to moisten skin and increase local circulation, or as an ideal follow-up to a hot compress in the treatment of second or third stage trauma (vs. acute trauma). I sometimes also use this as a base when I do tui na (massage), zhi ya (acupressure), ba guan (fire cupping), or gua sha (jade and horn massage tools). The foundation of this salve is a blend of sesame oil and beeswax, a deeply penetrating, nutrient-rich blend that nourishes and repairs cells in the skin and joints. In addition, there are many warming herbs that increase circulation and stop pain: dang kuei, angelica, safflower, arnebia, rhubarb, and peach pit, and the resins of dragon's blood, mastic, myrrh, catechu, and amber. On the continuum of very hot to very cold, this ointment is slightly warming so it is better for conditions where the tissue is cold to the touch, where there is lack of circulation, or if there is pain that feels better with the application of heat. I tend to use this warming ointment more in the cooler months and the cooling oil above more in the warmer months.

 

Like the oil and ointment above, these easy to use medicated patches are formulated to help with conditions like the minor aches and pains of muscles and joints due to arthritis, strains, simple backache, bruises, and sprains. This formula is based on a traditional recipe used by martial arts practitioners to help recover from injuries incurred during practice sessions. A key element in this formula, aside from the penetrating aromatics, is the dragon's blood resin, which is also found in the oil and ointment above. This is the rare red resin of the dragon's blood tree, which is only found on the island of Socotra, located in the Arabian Sea. Dragon's blood resin is commonly used for treatment of injuries because it helps break up stagnant blood and promote regrowth of damaged tissues. This large plaster is like an herbal patch that can be cut to size, affixed directly over the area of pain, and worn for up to 24 hours at a time. One of the biggest benefits of these patches is that they can be worn overnight, making them ideal for conditions like back or shoulder pain that can become aggravated while you sleep, either from lack of movement or because you inadvertently lay on the painful area while sleeping. Wearing a patch overnight can help reduce pain so that you can sleep better, which is particularly beneficial because of how essential a good night's rest is to the healing process. These patches contain many herbs to stop pain, reduce inflammation, and improve blood flow: catechu, rhubarb, dandelion, dragon's blood resin, drynaria, gardenia, honeysuckle, safflower, teasel, and myrrh. On the continuum of very hot to very cold these patches are slightly cooling so they are better for conditions where there is some inflammation or where there is pain that feels better with the application of cold.