Aromatherapy for Health

Aromatherapy is the practice of using essential oils to elicit positive effects on physical and emotional health and well-being. According to Jane Buckle, R.N., M.A., "The most common aromatherapy field is aesthetic, the sense of well-being derived from enjoying perfumes, scented candles, baths, and other fragrances." At the other end of the continuum is medical aromatherapy, also called aromatic medicine, that uses aromatherapy to treat disease.
Essential oils are the aromatic oils extracted from flowers, roots, leaves and rinds. Each oil has a particular fragrance and is associated with specific effects on health, although strong scientific evidence to support these claims is still lacking.

History

For more than 6,000 years, essential oils have been used for therapeutic purposes. The ancient Egyptians used such oils as frankincense, myrrh and cinnamon in religious rituals, incense and medicine. Dated around 2700 BC, the oldest-known medical book in China contains hundreds of treatments involving the use of aromatic plants, and the ancient Greeks also believed in their healing properties. Studies on the effects of essential oils began appearing in Europe in the 19th century. Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, a French chemist, is credited with founding the science of aromatherapy in the early 1930s. The 1970s and 1980s brought aromatherapy to popularity as a form of alternative healing in the United States.

Methods

Aromatherapy utilizes several methods to deliver scent molecules that are believed to contain healing properties. Essential oils can be inhaled from a cloth or directly from its container; put into a diffuser that gently heats the oil to release its fragrance into the air; diluted in a carrier oil, such as soybean or almond, and used in massage; added to a candle; diluted and sprayed into the air; or applied as a compress. Essential oils should never be taken internally.

Health Claims

Aromatherapy is employed in treating a wide variety of health problems, including stress, pain, insomnia, skin conditions and depression. Examples include using lavender oil to promote relaxation or sleep, rosemary oil to relieve muscle pain, peppermint oil for relief of fatigue, lemon oil to improve memory and concentration, and tea tree oil as an antifungal agent.
Supervising research nurse Cherie Perez of the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, teaches cancer patients to use essential oils to boost their ability to fight infection, to stimulate lymphatic drainage and to manage anxiety and nausea.

Warnings

According to the University of Maryland, those with a history of allergies, pregnant woman and asthmatics should avoid all essential oils. Cherie Perez, R.N., of the MD Anderson Cancer Center says people with high blood pressure should avoid hyssop, rosemary, sage and thyme. Some essential oils, such as cinnamon, can be irritating to the skin and must be diluted. Essential oils are flammable and should not be used near an open flame. Convincing scientific evidence about the oils' efficacy is lacking, and concerns remain about the safety of some essential oils.

Obtaining Treatment

In the U.S., no overseeing board licenses aromatherapy practitioners, and no standardized aromatherapy education has been developed. Many aromatherapists are licensed in such a profession as nursing, massage therapy or chiropractic medicine. The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy can provide contact information for aromatherapists. Books on the subject are plentiful, and essential oils are widely available in natural food stores and on the Internet, leading many people to treat themselves with aromatherapy.