I have been dealing with a torn meniscus for over a year now and I’ve been trying a lot of things in an attempt to avoid surgery, the latest of which is rosemary oil.

My friend, Lorelle, sent me a link to a Facebook reel touting the medicinal purposes of rosemary. It literally showed some rosemary sprigs taped to a person’s knees so I decided to GTS to see if there was something to it.

Sure enough, there were a ton of articles talking about the benefits of rosemary for knee pain and swelling. Listen, this is a no-brainer for me, what have I got to lose except a few tablespoons of quality olive oil? Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs for cooking and bread dipping, so it took no convincing for me to give this a try.

I went out to my garden and cut a few sprigs of rosemary, poured enough olive oil to cover them and simmered them for about 10 minutes. The alternative method is to put the sprigs of rosemary in a jar with the olive oil and place in a sunny window for several days.

Every evening I have been putting the oil on my knees and massaging it in for a few minutes.

My verdict is this. It works as good as Tiger Balm. What I mean by that is, it did not make a huge difference and certainly didn’t cure my knee of its ailments. But it did give me some relief from stiffness and the feeling of swelling which is always worse at the end of the day. It is what I had been using the Tiger Balm for and I do think the rosemary oil works 100% just as well.

In researching how to make the oil I did discovered that Rosemary is literally a miracle herb. Not only relieving joint pain and swelling, it is said to promote hair growth, improve memory, relieve menstrual cramps, improve circulation and memory. In a clinical study, daily intake of Rosemary was shown to help prevent thrombosis. I did read that if you are pregnant, Rosemary is an herb to avoid. Boasting anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, nueroprotective, antidpressant and antihysteric (got to love this one) properties, it seems there is nothing Rosemary can’t do.

I have to tell you the calming – which I guess falls under the antihysteric property – really made an impression on me. The day that I made the oil, I went to a Yin yoga class and the aroma of Rosemary was still on my hands. I did have an incredible class. Holding those poses for 3-5 minutes I was in a nearly meditative state, which never happens for me. I take at least one Yin class a week and I’m telling you this class with my Rosemary hands was an entirely different experience.

Most of the claims of Rosemary have not been clinically studied, but Rosemary has been the symbol of fidelity and remembrance since ancient times. I trust that sort of thing. People knew stuff back when they had to rely soley on themselves and what was available in nature to survive. Speaking of ancient times, there are many legends and folklores regarding Rosemary.

It is said that a Rosemary plant will never growing taller than Jesus, and also that if it lives longer than 30 years, it will begin to grow horizontal instead of taller. In fact, the name Rosemary may be credited to the Virgin Mary. It is said that after placing her cloak on a Rosemary bush the flowers turned from white to blue and it was then called Mary’s rose. I also read that anyone who smells Rosemary on Christmas Eve, will have a happy coming year.

So there you have it! Have you ever used Rosemary for anything other than eating? Or any other herb for that matter? Please share with me in the comments.