Healing With Aromatherapy Treatment

An aromatherapy treatment is one in which essential oils extracted from plants are used to treat specific conditions. People often wonder, can you get cured just by smelling oil. The crux of aromatherapy treatment is that inhaling or absorbing essential oils harvested from plants can aid healing and affect your mood.

Essential oils are extracted from plants using steam distillation or other extraction methods. In an aromatherapy treatment, the essential oils are usually placed in a bath, inhaled or rubbed into the skin.   A combination of these methods can also be used. An aromatherapy treatment is holistic in nature and will be administered only after making a thorough evaluation of the person’s entire medical condition. The aroma therapist will ask a series of questions about not only the immediate symptoms, but how some other condition or influence may be hiding behind the visible symptoms.

The series of questions help the aroma therapist in choosing the right combination of essential oils to suit the client’s needs. The aroma therapist may also make suggestions about certain lifestyle changes which can help in improving the quality of life for the client.

The next part of the aromatherapy treatment involves a full-body massage. There are various massage techniques like the Shiatsu, Swedish massage or an Effleurage massage which is specially suited for infants and the elderly. The aroma therapist will choose the massage technique depending on your requirement. The massage part of the aromatherapy treatment is accompanied by music and continues for up to one hour which is followed by a final consultation with the aroma therapist. For maximum benefits, it is suggested that the aromatherapy treatment be repeated periodically.

Though there is no scientific data available on the efficacy of aromatherapy treatment there are various theories about how it works.

Theories about Aromatherapy Treatment

There are two ways in which aromatherapy treatment is thought to function. The first is through the use of the olfactory nerves which connect to the limbic system in the brain. Limbic system controls our reactions and emotion and stores long-term memories.

That is the reason why smelling a particular perfume reminds you of that person even when that person is not around. Humans reportedly can distinguish 10,000 different smells - which sounds impressive, until you realize that dogs can easily distinguish at least 2 million!

The second theory regarding aromatherapy treatment is simpler to understand. The essential oils of some plants have medicinal properties and thus, can help with certain skin conditions. Some oils have antibacterial properties, like peppermint oil.

However, one should keep in mind that the role of aromatherapy treatment in treating diseases is largely unproven scientifically. Essential oils have been touted as curing everything from upset stomachs to asthma. A good rule of thumb is to never treat an ailment with aromatherapy until you\'ve checked with a doctor.

Hazards

Though aromatherapy is fast gaining popularity and is known to help in combating stress, it has its own drawbacks. Some people are allergic to various plants and essential oils. Do a spot test using the diluted essential oil on a small patch of skin prior to starting a treatment with the essential oil. This should be done 24 to 48 hours in advance of the treatment.

Some essential oils, like bergamot are phototoxic – which means that they react with sunlight to form a compound that can burn your skin. Also, remember that undiluted essential oils are far too strong to put on bare skin.

An essential oil should never be ingested as the compound that\'s safe to put in a hand lotion can turn toxic if eaten.

Finally, aromatherapy treatment can affect conventional treatments. Some essential oils can either diminish or worsen medications.

Due to all of the above reasons, it is mandatory to consult a licensed, professional aroma therapist before beginning any course of aromatherapy treatment. A competent practitioner will take a complete medical history and make note of any medications you\'re already taking to avoid complications.

Testing with the Personal Touch

Despite the lack of scientific study or evaluation of aromatherapy treatment, it remains hugely popular. However, whether to get carried away by the hype or reject aromatherapy as another trendy new age fad is a difficult decision to make?

The best way to reach a decision on this is to try a version of aromatherapy treatment yourself. No scientific studies are needed to tell you many essential oils smell great. Using essential oils to keep your home fresh and healthy is a simple way to start with an aromatherapy treatment. In case you notice any drawbacks, you can simply discontinue the use and if it works well, then voila, you can start your fragrant healing journey!