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Peppermint Oil for Neuralgia

Sep 1, 2011 | By Shelley Moore
Peppermint Oil for Neuralgia
Photo Credit Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images

Peppermint oil is not only a flavoring but also a natural remedy for many health conditions, both internal and external. One topical use is for reducing pain of the viral disease shingles. Another involves relieving a specific type of nerve pain, or neuralgia, that some people develop after shingles. Consult a qualified health care provider before using peppermint oil for any health problem.

Shingles and Neuralgia

Shingles, technically called herpes zoster, develops due to a reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus in some people who have had chickenpox. The main symptom is a blistering rash that is painful, but not dangerous. A condition called postherpetic neuralgia sometimes occurs, causing the skin to remain painful along certain nerve lines after the rash dissipates. Like shingles, postherpetic neuralgia is not curable, but several medications treat the pain until the condition resolves. Some people find the pain resistant to medication, however, and postherpetic neuralgia can last several months or even longer.

Mint Therapy

Peppermint has proven calming and numbing effects, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. Taken orally, peppermint is a traditional remedy for an upset stomach and to help digestion; externally, peppermint oil is used to relieve headache pain and to soothe skin irritation caused by hives and poison ivy. However, research is insufficient to regard peppermint oil as helpful for relieving pain associated with shingles or for nerve pain, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Case Study

The May-June 2002 Clinical Journal of Pain describes the case of a woman with postherpetic neuralgia that had been resistant to standard pain treatment. This patient had success treating her neuralgia with topical peppermint oil; pain relief lasted up to six hours after application. The report indicated this may be the first evidence of peppermint oil having strong analgesic benefits for nerve pain.

Dosing and Precautions

In the Clinical Journal of Pain article, the patient applied "neat" peppermint oil containing 10 percent menthol, the active ingredient in peppermint. A standard treatment for skin irritations is a cream or ointment containing between 1 and 16 percent menthol, applied up to four times per day, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. A rash is possible when using peppermint oil topically; don't use it without talking to your doctor first. Do not get peppermint oil on the face of a baby or child, as it can cause severe breathing difficulties in youngsters.

References

Article reviewed by SueH Last updated on: Sep 1, 2011

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