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Chapter 8: Aromatherapy And Healing

Synopsis

Fast gaining popularity as a new age fad, aromatherapy is only recently being taken seriously as a viable alternative treatment method to conventional medical remedies. For most ancient cultures this method of treatment has long been practiced with successful results.

More In Depth Healing Info

Confusing the attributes that come with using the term aromatherapy is mainly caused by the commercial sector seeking to capitalize in this area. For many people aromatherapy is usually linked to some pleasing scent emitted from essential oils.

The effectiveness in the aromatherapy element is in the application and intent. Aromatherapy is meant to create a positive change physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually which is supposed to directly impact the body condition of the person undergoing a session.

However when products are touted to use or contain essential oils for aromatherapy purposes without actually comprising of the much needed dosage, it is no longer considered aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy or commonly referred to as the practice of using essential oils for medicinal and therapeutic purposes covers many areas of healing properties. There are many essential oils used as remedies for various physical conditions and complaints. Essential oils are also believed to contain anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. There are also some essential oils that work well for various skin problems.

Chapter 9: Misusing Aromatherapy

Synopsis

The term aromatherapy has been so loosely used over the years for commercial reasons that it has become almost totally misleading.

Understood to mean a combination of two basic words -aroma and therapy, the word aromatherapy has been commercially used so widely that many false claims have been made over the years to promote and capitalize on it. A little time and research should shed light on this confusion.

Be Cautious

Aromatherapy is actually a serious foray to embark upon as it involves the use of pure essential oil and other natural ingredients that are considered safe to use only if done correctly. Not understanding the attributes and purity of aromatherapy, can lead serious repercussion as not all natural and pure oils are safe for human use. Some essential oils can even be toxic in certain circumstances.

Pregnant women and lactating mothers should be weary when choosing to use aromatherapy. The strong scents can be harmful to babies as their senses and immune system are not fully developed yet. Also some scents can be off putting to the baby and this may affect the baby's sleep patterns and feeding schedules, thus causing health issues from the neo natal stage.

Though aromatherapy has calming effects, using some essential oils to sooth and relax a cancer patient may have adverse effects. A doctor's permission should always be sought before trying this form of therapy. Some of the essential oils may have negative reactions to the prescription drugs already taken by the patient.

The choice made to use aromatherapy as an alternative to other medical options, should only be done after extensive studies have been made on the advantages and disadvantages.

Although most illnesses and diseases are found to be the root cause of stress, anxiety and other pressurizing conditions, opting to treat the medical condition by using aromatherapy may produce minimal positive results to actually combating the disease or illness.

Overenthusiastic use or indulgence of aromatherapy can lead to serious problems, especially when medical advice has been ignored in making this choice. Some studies continually show little of no evidence in demonstrating efficacy against bacterial, fungal or viral infections, thus rendering it a poor alternative to medically proven alternatives.

In most countries around the world, the aromatherapy use is still related to the indulgent relaxing aspect. Hence there is no regulatory body that strictly governs the content and potency of each essential oil used for the aromatherapy session.

Undiluted essential oils used for aromatherapy can sometime cause skin irritations and discolorations. In cases where the natural product has been exposed to chemicals in their growing stage, such as pesticides, chemical allergies can have a negative effect upon application. In more severe cases the presence of estrogens like elements, have been found to negatively affect the delicate skin of children.

Some cultures take the aromatherapy influence to the extreme. Ingesting certain ingredients is widely practiced and sometimes causes severe irreparable damage. As some of the essential can be quite toxic when ingested, medical advice should always be sought before advocating such a choice.

As with any bioactive substances the method of aromatherapy, using essential oils, and while safe for the general public can still have adverse effects when used by pregnant or lactating women.

Some of the ingredients and methods used in a particular aromatherapy session may cause negative side effects when interaction with other more conventional medicinal elements are present. Adulterated oils used in some aromatherapy sessions can also pose problems depending on the type of substance used.

Other safety issue like the unsubstantiated claims made by those advocating aromatherapy as a proven alternative treatment can be misleading at best.

Chapter 10: Acquiring Aromatherapy Products

Synopsis

Aromatherapy and essential oils are linked, and so when considering using this method for treatments or for other reasons, taking the time and effort to understand the fundamentals of aromatherapy is essential.

Essential because limited knowledge of aromatherapy can cause the wrong use of the essential oils, wrong methods of applications chosen or even the use of products which actually don't contain any essential oils at all.

What's Good and What's Not

Poor quality oils severely lack the optimum benefits it promotes itself to have. In the course of processing these oils many factors should be considered if the end product is to provide what it promises to. Some of the things to consider are; if there are added chemicals, preservatives, substandard quality of ingredients, poor processing environments and adulteration of the oils. All these factors are important because harmful side effects can occur if other than the required essential oil is contained in the packaging. At best only minimal therapeutic benefits can be derived.