May a person experiencing lower-back discomfort anoint himself with plain olive/regular oil on Shabbat?

ShabbatProhibited Activities

Synopsis

Plain oil used for anointing is also used by healthy people and therefore does not reveal therapeutic intent, so it is generally permitted even for someone who is ill. However, Ashkenazi authorities restrict this in communities where anointing with oil is not a regular practice among healthy people.

Early Acharonim
Late Acharonim
Lenient
Strict
Lesser cited
Major authority

Discussion

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