Aromatherapy Massage
Aromatherapy is a form of alternative or complementary therapy that uses essential oils, highly volatile aroma compounds that are extracted from the various parts of plants. The oil is created in special cells within the plant, and retains much of the plant's fragrance and other chemical compounds. Some essential oils are so complex that more than 200 chemical substances have been identified.
Massage is the global term for the manipulation of skin, muscles and connective tissues. Aromatherapy massage refers to the synergistic combination of any of the more than one hundred types of massage with the use of essential oils.
Essential Oils
Essential oils generally enter the body through inhalation or absorption. The actual process of how the body responds to essential oils is not fully understood, but, according to the National Cancer Institute, smell receptors may respond to essential oils by sending messages to the limbic system, which is the part of the brain responsible for controlling moods and emotions. Upon reception, the limbic system alerts the rest of the body through the nervous system how to react (such as how to relax or to become calm).
Essential oils have a variety of chemical compounds that affect the mind and body. These compounds include esters, alcohols, terpenes and aldehydes. Because each essential oil has a unique combination of compounds, each affects the mind, body and spirit differently. Some essential oils, such as lavender and chamomile, impart a feeling of calm. Others, including clary sage, are uplifting.
Synergism
Massage therapy is a powerful tool used to effect change on the mind, body and spirit. Depending upon the modality being applied, massage can relax and soothe, stimulate and energize, reduce pain or relieve stress. The combination of massage with aromatherapy can produce a synergistic result. For example, using lavender essential oil in a relaxing Swedish massage can increase the massage's relaxation effects.
Considerations
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) differentiates between drugs and cosmetics. The defining factor is the product's intended use. Drugs are "articles intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease." Cosmetics are "articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, or sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body...for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance."
As long as essential oil manufacturers don't make drug claims about the oils, they don't need FDA approval. Regardless, animal and laboratory studies have shown that essential oils do affect behavior, mood and emotion. Imaging of the human brain has underscored that essential oils affect the limbic system and neural pathways. Further, the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy cites studies that show a change in beta brain waves after inhaling lavender. The changes indicate that the lavender reduced stress and promoted a sense of calm.
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