Aromatherapy

By john | July 2, 2007

Used since ancient times to heal the body, mind, and spirit, aromatherapy refers to the inhalation or application of essential oils distilled from various plants. Those who use aromatherapy today say it’s effective in reducing stress, preventing disease, and even treating certain illnesses, both physical and psychological.

Modern aromatherapy dates to the work of French chemist Rene-Maurice Gattefosse in the 1930s. Gattefosse began to study the healing effects of plant oils after burning his hand in his family’s perfume factory. He plunged his hand in a nearby container of lavender oil for quick relief and found that his wound healed quickly and without a scar. This incident sparked his interest in the possible therapeutic effects of plant oils, a field he called aromatherapy.

Today, aromatherapy is still popular in Europe, where essential oils are inhaled, massaged into the skin, or placed in bath water for specific therapeutic purposes. Specific oils are believed to have either relaxing or stimulating effects. When absorbed by body tissues, they’re thought to interact with hormones and enzymes to produce changes in blood pressure, pulse rate, and other physiologic functions.

Benefits And Uses of Aromatherapy

Aromatherapists use specific oils, either alone or in conjunction with other therapies such as massage or herbal therapy, to treat specific ailments. Proponents claim that aside from creating pleasant sensations and promoting relaxation, aromatherapy can be used to treat bacterial and viral infections, anxiety, pain, muscle disorders, arthritis, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, skin disorders such as acne, premenstrual syndrome, headaches, and indigestion.

How the treatment is performed

In addition to the appropriate essential oil, aromatherapy may require other supplies, depending on the administration method being used. Massage requires a carrier oil and, for a full-body massage, a massage table. Inhalation requires a bowl of hot water and a large towel. An aromatherapy bath requires a tub filled with warm water. Diffusion requires a micromist, a candle diffuser, or a ceramic ring that can be placed on a light bulb.

Massage involves diluting the essential oil in the appropriate carrier oil and applying it to the exposed body part or the entire body using massage techniques. Bergamot, lemon, orange, grapefruit, and other citrus oils should not be applied before exposure to the sun.

For inhalation therapy, patient leans over a bowl of steaming water that contains a few drops of the essential oil, keeping his face far enough from the water’s surface to avoid a burn injury. With towel draped over his head and the bowl to concentrate the steam, the patient inhales the vapors for a few minutes.

For a bath, patient adds a few drops of essential oil to the surface of the water and then soaks in the tub for 10 to 20 minutes, inhaling the vapors as he soaks. Diffusion involves placing a few drops of the essential oil in the diffuser and turning on the heat source to diffuse microp articles of the oil into the air. The patient should be at least 3 feet (1 m) away from the diffuser. The average treatment time is 30 minutes.

Side Effects of Aromatherapy

Basil, fennel, lemon grass, rosemary, and verbena oils may cause irritation in people with sensitive skin. Very high doses (10 to 20 ml) of certain oils (wintergreen, sage, aniseed, thyme, lemon, fennel,clove, cinnamon, camphor, and cedar wood) can result in nonlethal poisoning.

Clinical considerations

Research summary

Because there’s no scientific evidence indicating that aromatherapy prevents or cures disease, it’s typically used strictly as a complementary therapy to conventional treatments.


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Topics: Alternative Medicines |

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