Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy can be defined as the art and science of utilizing naturally extracted aromatic essences from plants to balance, harmonize and promote the health of body, mind and spirit.
As a holistic medicine, Aromatherapy is both a preventative approach as well as an active treatment during acute and chronic stages of illness or 'dis'-ease. It is a natural, non-invasive treatment system designed to affect the whole person not just the symptom or disease and to assist the body's natural ability to balance, regulate, heal and maintain itself by the correct use of essential oils.
Benefits
Essential oils are the heart of aromatherapy. They have been used to:
- Heal wounds
- Improve Skin tone
- Regulate Hormones
- Relieve Menstrual cramps
- Stimulate sinus and lung congestion
- Relieve Tension Headaches
- Energize
- Relax Muscles
- Reduce Inflammation
- Improve Sleep
- Kill Fungai & bacterial infections
- Aid digestion
- Aid blood circulation
Treatment
Aromatherapy can be a stand-alone treatment or incorporated into bodywork and reflexology. When used with bodywork, care must be taken to complete an assessment so all allergies, current and past trauma, diseases and possible skin disorders are carefully considered. Emotional states should also be noted when working with the botanical kingdom because they do affect the human limbic system and just layering on oils and/or scents can easily overload the individual.
Quality is another consideration. Understanding grades, sources and extraction methods is are vital to capture the essence of a plant.
Research
Housed by the "Touch Research Institute".
The TRI distinguished team of researchers, representing Duke, Harvard, Maryland, and other universities, strive to better define touch as it promotes health and contributes to the treatment of disease. Research efforts that began in 1982 and continue today have shown that touch therapy has numerous beneficial effects on health and well-being.
~~~~~~~~~
The Wavelengths Natural Health site has gone to extensive lengths to list every single study and article citing aromatherapy, and also gives suggestions on how to search PubMed. Here is a link I have found interesting on Pain and Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy Database pain studies
Personal History and Background
My maternal grandmother was the first to expose me to the botanical world. Some of my fondest memories are associated with the scent of orange blossoms on an early morning breeze (my grandfather created groves all over California and they owned a home in Cutler, along with another in Anaheim) and freshly cut lemongrass. She didn't have a word for aromatherapy but she made sure I knew which fresh herbs were crushed and rubbed onto body parts, and which ones could be used when a person was so sick, they could neither eat nor drink.
Aromatherapy was just a natural extension of these early lessons. I had already developed an understanding of the applications and was ingrained with a healthy respect for this particular gift from the earth. In 1987 I obtained my official certification through the Institute of Holistic Arts in Winter Park, FL.
