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Frankincense and Myrrh and Carrier Oil with Massage
This is our favorite study because it specifically demonstrates what we are accomplishing at Wise Men Healing Balm. This study was conducted to determine the effect of massage with frankincense and myrrh with a carrier oil in treating chronic low back pain. The study concluded massage with Frankincense and Myyrh essential oil can be added to traditional treatments as an easy-to-apply complementary health application with no significant side effects to relieve pain and reduce disability in an individual's daily life in chronic low back pain patient care. The scores of the frankincense and myrrh massage group was found to be statistically higher than the control group. Study info. We believe the results would have been more impressive and aligned to uses we suggest at Wise Men Healing Balm if they were targeting patients with neuropathy, sciatic nerve pain and rheumatoid arthritis in the hands.
Frankincense has been shown in studies to inhibit the production of key inflammatory molecules associated with conditions like arthritis, asthma, painful bowel disorders like IBS and many more conditions. It can be useful in helping prevent the breakdown of the cartilage tissue and has been shown to significantly reduce levels of dangerous and painful inflammation, making it a natural treatment option for pain-related conditions that affect the muscles, joints and tendons. Study Info.
Frankincense and Myrrh can Suppress Inflammation
Research in Scientific Reports indicate that frankincense and myrrh can suppress inflammation and prevent/treat rheumatoid arthritis. An extensive 2011 Scientific Report concluded that frankincense and myrrh may be beneficial as an anti-inflammatory agent especially when combined together. This was supported by a 2015 study that showed strong evidence for frankincense and myrrh as an inflammation suppressor. Study Info.
University of Jena and Louisiana State University (USA) has clarified the molecular mechanism behind the anti-inflammatory effect of the frankincense resin. They uncovered the molecular mechanism of boswellic acid. They claim Frankincense reprograms inflammatory enzyme into an anti-inflammatory protein. Study Info: [1],[2].
The Synergy of Frankincense and Myrrh
In Chinese medicine, frankincense and myrrh have been combined as drug pairs in the same prescription for thousands of years, and their combination has a better therapeutic effect on diseases than a single drug.
In the past, most of the studies on frankincense and myrrh focused on single-flavor medicines, and all aspects of research were relatively in-depth. However, in recent years, with the rise of network sciences such as systems biology and network pharmacology, drug combination has become a hot topic in modern drug research and a new trend in the development of modern drugs.
After the combination of frankincense and myrrh forms a blend, a series of changes take place in their chemical composition, such as the emergence of new chemical components. At the same time, the pharmacological effects of the combination seem magically powerful, such as synergistic anti-inflammation, synergistic anticancer, synergistic analgesic, synergistic antibacterial, synergistic blood-activation, and so on.
Study info.
Frankincense and Myrrh Synergy
In brief, frankincense and myrrh, as two traditional natural medicines, have extensive and significant pharmacological effects, and their combination has magical synergistic effects. There is lots of hope to expand the clinical application of frankincense and myrrh for pharmaclogical use. Study info.
Frankincense has anti-inflammatory effects that may help reduce joint inflammation caused by arthritis.
In one 2014 study, both oral and topical boswellic acid reduced cartilage loss and joint lining inflammation in osteoarthritis in mice [5].
In humans, frankincense extract may help reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis [6],[7].
Another study found that oliban oil, another name for frankincense, reduced osteoarthritis pain when applied to the skin for 6 weeks. Study Info.
Potential remedy for nerve pain
This study found that a mixture of frankincense and myrrh alleviated neuropathic pain in mice.
An aqueous blend of myrrh and frankincense plant extracts can be used to relieve pain sensation. In this study, the effect of combined water extract of frankincense and myrrh on neuropathic (nerve) pain in mice was investigated.
The results showed that the aqueous blend was able to alleviate allodynia (nerve pain) and thermal hypersensitivity (heat intolerance) in the subjects.
Study Info.
Acids from the boswelia sap can prevent the release of leukotrienes, which are inflammatories, as the active principle in treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases. Study info