Gaultherie Essential Oil

Gaultherie Essential Oil is certainly the best muscle and joint painkiller in the entire pharmacopoeia. Widely used in the sporting world, its scent perfumes all locker rooms. Its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties almost instantly soothe many painful conditions: cramps, contractures, sporting efforts, osteoarthritis, arthritis, migraines, nothing seems to resist it.

It will be necessary to be limited to 10% maximum of Gaultherie in local application. In order to avoid salicylate poisoning, it is necessary to limit its use to 8 to 10 days, and if it is chronic pain, it should only be applied 5 days out of 7


History of Gaultherie Essential Oil

Sometimes nicknamed "trea of the woods" or "tea of Canada", the Gaultherie is a small shrub of less than 15 cm that grows in the forests of North America. It is particularly fond of dry and acidic soils such as pine forests, sandy hillsides and resinous forests.

It was the doctor to the King of Quebec at the time, Jean-François Gaulthier, who was the first to look into this plant with its evergreen leaves and its small white flowers which become very fragrant red berries.

The manufacture of EO requires prior to distillation, a night of maceration in hot water of the leafy twigs in order to lyse the glycosides they contain and thus release the volatile active compounds.


Indications of Gaultherie Essential Oil

Muscle pain (contracture, tearing, breakdown, lumbago)
Joint pain (osteoarthritis, arthritis, polyarthritis, synovitis)
Tendon pain
Migraines, headaches
Sport (muscular preparation, recovery after exercise)

Pain management

Anti inflammatory properties

Like aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, Gaultherie inhibits the formation of prostaglandins responsible for inflammation. A second immuno-modulating action has also been demonstrated: Gaultheriesalicylates allow both to inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL6 and IL8) and to stimulate anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL10).

However, we know for example that the cytokine IL8 is involved in inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Painkiller (analgesic) properties

Gaultherie has been shown to inhibit TRPV1 receptors. However, if these receptors are sensitive to heat, they are also involved in the transmission of pain. Their inhibition therefore allows a notable analgesic (anti-pain) effect.

The association between Gaultherie and Peppermint has been studied and found to be effective in the management of back pain. In the United States, a patch containing methyl salicylate and menthol has been approved for the treatment of moderate muscle pain.

All these elements therefore support the current use of Gaultherie in inflammatory joint pathologies, but also osteoarthritis, rheumatism, back and muscle pain.