Aromatherapy

What is it?

Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of essential oils, from flowers, trees and shrubs and their fruits, blooms, leaves, stems and roots.

The oils are obtained by steam distillation, expression (squeezing the oil from peel), maceration (immersing the plant in hot oil to release the essence) or enfleurage (pressing flowers between oiled glass plates).
What does it involve?

Essential oils are usually either massaged into the body, to be absorbed through the skin, or inhaled by means of vaporizers. They may also be added to steam inhalations or baths, added to compresses or spread throughout a room with diffusers.

Who practices it?

Nurses, doctors, massage therapists, osteopaths and trained aromatherapists are some of the people who practice aromatherapy.

What's it used for?

It's often used to relieve stress, headaches, insomnia, tension and pain, and to aid relaxation and general wellbeing. It's increasingly being used in cancer care and in sports therapy.

What's the evidence?

Research on different oils has identified their individual constituents and different effects from stimulant to sedative.

Clinical trials have confirmed that aromatherapy can aid relaxation and help relieve anxiety.

A randomized, controlled trial of 288 cancer patients, in four UK cancer centers and a hospice, showed that aromatherapy helped to provide short-term relief of anxiety and depression in those patients undergoing chemotherapy.

The NHS Complementary and Alternative Medicine Specialist Library lists some research on aromatherapy. It's aimed at health professionals, but much of it is accessible in plain language summaries.

There is one review study on aromatherapy and cancer care in the Cochrane Reviews, which provide independent evidence on specific healthcare topics. Use the search box to search for aromatherapy.

Scientific research concerning the biological activity of essential oils and their components is available at the Essential Oil Resource.

See also: 

 





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