Geranium Oil Effective for Post-Shingles Pain
Once a person has had chicken pox, the varicella-zoster virus lies dormant in their body and can develop into a painful case of shingles many years after the original chicken pox infection.

The initial manifestation of shingles is a cluster of painful blisters that appear on an area of the skin, which typically heal within three to ten days. In some cases, the skin lesions are followed by chronic nerve pain near the area where the skin lesions occurred. It is believed that the chronic pain is due to the virus settling in the root of the nerve that supplies that area of the skin.

Shingles is more likely to occur in people with challenged immune function such as the elderly or those with cancer. Traditional allopathic treatment is prescription anti-viral medications such as Zovirax, Famvir or Valtrex. In addition to antibiotics, some mainstream physicians prescribe steroids, antidepressants, and in severe cases nerve blocks, because the pain can persist for months or even years.

In 2003 a preliminary study in The American Journal of Medicine (115:586-7) suggested that topical, undiluted Geranium essential oil is a superior and effective option for immediate relief from post-herpetic neuralgia (shingles). The more highly concentrated the oil, the better, with study participants reporting pain relief in direct proportion to the percentage of geranium oil present in their topical mixture. Capsaicin cream has also been shown to provide some relief, although it was outdone by the undiluted geranium oil in this study. Those using 100% Geranium essential oil had greater pain relief than those using 10% Geranium oil. The study noted that a few minor skin reactions occurred in those using Geranium oil, but all reactions resolved within one hour. Two other essential oils mentioned are Peppermint (Mentha piperita) and Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra).

Homeopathy for Chicken Pox by Peace Health

A Pox Upon Your Household: "Turn to Byonia, Antimonium crudum and Thuja occidentalis to uproot chicken pox while also treating the symptoms." Joette Calabrese | Practical Homeopathy, Inc.

Testimonies
1. Our nine-year-old daughter had the worst case of chicken pox I've ever seen, but she did great with Skin Restore. I wished I'd had this when our other children had the pox! I sprayed her every time she felt itchy, which only lasted a couple of days.

2. My elderly mother (seventies) had chicken pox as a child, but recently she was exposed to a grandchild in the first stages of the pox, and about two weeks later Mom began experiencing prickly sensations under her skin. She felt pretty sure it was shingles. I suggested that she apply Oregano on the bottoms of both feet several times daily and went over to her house and applied diluted Oregano along her spine, because the Essential Oil Desk Reference suggests that viruses can lay dormant along the spine. I also told her about drinking ½ her body weight in ounces of filtered water daily with squeeze of fresh lemon. She called me the next morning and said that not only were the prickly sensations gone, but she had no back pain, which she's had about as long as I can remember. [Note: The EODR also suggests that some inflammations are caused by viruses.]

3. When my son had the itchy chicken pox rash all over his body, including in his ears, we used Lavender and Tea Tree essential oils for the itching (he preferred the Tea Tree), rubbed Plague Defense on his feet and gave him a massage.  That seemed to pull him through very quickly.

4. When my children broke out with chicken pox, I remembered that a massage technique was reported as helping those with shingles, and since it is the same virus, I decided to give it a try with my miserable little ones. I applied diluted Oregano and Thyme ct linalool (highly anti-viral) along their spines. I did this once for two days and they basically were free from itching or oozing sores and all rested well. By the third day, they were almost back to normal, and it was basically a thing of the past. I truly believe every family should avail themselves of the knowledge of this massage technique. I have never heard one person say they regretted their decision to do so.

5. My sweet little 18-month-old granddaughter broke out with chicken pox, and after a bit of pleading, my daughter-in-law (she has a medical background and was leery of essential oils) decided to let me begin to treat the problem last night. I told her to give Carmen a bath using the Lavender and Goat's Milk Soap that I had just received from you. I mixed a chicken pox blend in a dropper bottle with the Natural/Organic massage oil. The oils I used were:
Tea Tree – 10 drops
Lavender – 10 drops
Sandalwood – 10 drops
Geranium – 5 drops
Clove – 5 drops
I also used Skin Restore frequently. After one treatment (overnight literally), her spots that were keeping her in misery were almost completely gone.

6. I use Ravensara when I think I have a spot that might develop into shingles, and it immediately stops all the itching with only a couple of applications. The shingles, or whatever it was, never did develop. I had a few more spots occur, and each time the Ravensara did the trick. I have also taken a capsule of it when I felt I needed to. I think this might help others who have itchy rashes.

7.  When our kids had chicken pox earlier this year, they said their best relief came from Skin Restore Spray. We alternated that with a coconut oil lotion made with Frankincense and Lavender. They also liked to take baths with bentonite clay. I had four kids with them at once, and we weathered chicken pox much better than I guessed we would. My 11-year-old son said it was the oils that helped so much! - Carissa