Along with other emu products like meat, leather and decorative eggs, emu oil has been marketed as a useful medicinal and cosmetic product. Manufacturers claim the oil helps ease discomfort associated with sore muscles and joints, as well as painful skin issues like sunburn, insect bites and wounds. Always ask your doctor about alternative herbal products like emu oil as pain relief tools.
Definition
Manufacturers extract emu oil from the fat of the large bird Dromaius novaehollandiae, known as the emu. Although emus are native to Australia, there are emu farms in other countries, including the United States. The resulting oil is said to have healing properties when applied topically. Emu oil is available either as a standalone product, or as an ingredient in pain relief creams and ointments. According to the University of Massachusetts, the typical emu oil product contains about 5 percent emu oil, and a mixture of ingredients such as aloe vera gel, menthol and the cartilage-building medicine called glucosamin.
Theories
Drugs.com notes that emu oil as a pain relief tool is still largely untested. Theoretically, the oil's pain-relieving and healing properties come from anti-inflammatory compounds. These compounds may be useful in soothing painful swelling associated with arthritis as well as pain from burns and wounds. The American Emu Association also claims that emu oil helps other pain-relief ingredients penetrate more deeply.
Tradition
Aborigines originated the use of emu oil as a pain relief tool, according to Drugs.com. After hanging the skins from trees to drain the fat, the Australian natives collected oil for everything from cooking and tanning leather to treating pain. Sometimes the emu skins skins were wrapped around wounds or sore joints and muscles to create a kind of medicinal bandage. Other medical conditions emu oil has been used for include skin problems like eczema, psoriasis and burns.
Considerations
The Arthritis Foundation notes that initial studies on emu oil's inflammatory effects are encouraging. The Foundation cautions, however, that because emu oil is a topical rather than oral herbal medicine, it may not penetrate deeply enough to help arthritic joints. In addition, the product is not useful for people opposed to killing animals for food or medicine.
Application Methods
Rub emu oil directly onto affected areas. Drugs.com notes that manufacturers usually recommend two to three applications a day, but always check with your doctor. Never take emu oil orally, or apply near your eyes.
Side Effects
No side effects or drug interactions from emu oil have been documented, according to the University of Massachusetts. Drugs.com recommends that pregnant and nursing women not used the product until it can be proven safe for babies during the pregnancy and nursing stages. While manufacturers label emu oil products hypoallergenic, always test a small part of your skin to rule out contact allergies.
Member Comments