Aromatherapy is healing art which has been used for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians used essential oils in incense and massage oil to heal and to promote a desired mood or atmosphere. In her book "Natural Beauty at Home" Janice Cox points out that the ancient Greeks, Romans and Babylonians also used essential oils in medicines and perfumes. Aromatherapy's longevity in being used to treat certain conditions and heal attests to its many advantages as a healing art form.
Pain Relief
Using essential oils to treat muscle aches and pains, and conditions like arthritis or chronic headaches, is a natural, drug-free way to achieve temporary pain relief. According to an article by Steven D. Ehrlich, NMD of the University of Maryland Medical Center, when people who suffer from headaches use topical peppermint oil, or when cancer patients use topical chamomile oil they seem to require fewer pain medications. Additionally, certain essential oils, such as eucalyptus, can be mixed with a carrier oil, such as almond or grapeseed oil, and applied directly to painful muscles or joints. OrganicFacts.net reports that eucalyptus oil contains the compound eucalyptol, a common ingredient in popular over-the-counter pain-relieving ointments and creams.
Relaxation
Essential oils can provide a natural alternative to harmful or chemical means of relaxation. Instead of having a drink or using prescription or illegal substances to unwind, aromatherapy can be used to induce relaxation and stress relief naturally. Certain essential oils, such as lavender and bergamot, contain the compound linalool, which a study by University of Tokyo researchers, published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, has shown to induce relaxation and reduce anxiety. Inhaling the aromas of these oils, either by using an oil diffuser or by using the oil in a bath, can help people to release stress or to create a relaxing atmosphere.
Depression Relief
Essential oils can be used to promote a positive mood or to obtain natural relief from psychological disorders such as depression. Essential oils may be used as a natural supplement to psychotherapy or psychopharmacology in individuals suffering from mild to moderate depression. The University of Maryland Medical Center's article on lavender reports that lavender has been used to treat depression and may have a soothing and sedative effect. In her book, "The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy," Valerie Ann Worwood recommends a mixture of bergamot, lavender and geranium essential oils to assist in alleviating feelings of depression.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Lavender
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Aromatherapy
- Organic Facts: Health Benefits of Eucalyptus Essential Oil
- "Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry"; Stress Repression in Restrained Rats by Linalool Inhalation and Gene Expression Profiling of Their Whole Blood Cells; Akio Nakamura et al; May 2009
- "The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy"; Valerie Ann Worwood; 1991
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