Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is the systematic use of plant oils (known as essential oils) to treat or prevent disease. It is a form of complementary therapy that treats the whole person, rather than just the symptom or disease, by assisting the body's natural ability to balance, regulate, heal and maintain itself.

Aromatherapy works with nature, and not against it, using good quality essential oils in a soothing combination of beautiful aromas, massage, aromatic baths and other treatments to regulate, balance, heal and maintain your entire being.

This gentle, holistic approach is far removed from the conventional 'sledgehammer to crack a nut' allopathic medicine method of treating disease by using drugs that have opposite effects to the symptoms.

What are the benefits of aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is one of the most popular complementary therapies. It offers a wide range of highly effective treatments for both acute and chronic stages of illness and disease.

It can also be used in a preventative approach to overall health, by establishing a regime of regular aromatherapy treatments and home-use products to help strengthen the immune system.

Perhaps the main benefit of aromatherapy is that it is one of the best ways to combat stress, the scourge of modern society, without resorting to habit-forming and health-damaging drugs.

Scientists and doctors have known for a long time that negative and positive emotions really can change the complex chemistry of our bodies, and that these changes can have a negative or positive effect on the immune system. For example, research has shown that prolonged stress can cause the body to over-produce cortisol and adrenalin, the hormones that are normally secreted to produce a burst of energy as part of the 'fight or flight' response to danger.

Prolonged periods of emotional and psychological pressure leads to over-production of these hormones, which weakens the integrity of the immune system by reducing the level of T-helper cells, and inhibits the production of natural killer cells.

Using aromatherapy instead of drugs restores that body’s natural balance and strengthens the immune system.

How do essential oils work

essential oils are volatile, so they easily evaporate at normal temperatures. They consist of tiny aromatic molecules that are readily absorbed via the skin, and through breathing, enter the lungs. These therapeutic constituents next enter the bloodstream and are carried around the body to deliver their beneficial healing powers. Because essential oils are highly concentrated, only a small quantity is needed to bring about results.

Research continually re-affirms the efficacy of aromatherapy treatments. A recent USA study, for example, has confirmed the long-held belief of aromatherapists that jasmine is a powerful relaxant and an effective aid to restful sleep. Dr. Bryan Raudenbush and his colleagues at the Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, West Virginia, found that people who slept in rooms fragranced with jasmine slept more peacefully and reported higher afternoon alertness than when spending the night in a lavender-scented room, or one with no added fragrance at all.

What is the advantage of a holistic approach

One of the reasons aromatherapy is so successful is that it uses a holistic approach, where the aromatherapist takes account of medical history, emotional condition, general health and lifestyle before planning a course of treatment. This enables the whole person to be treated – not just the symptoms of an illness – which is in direct opposition to the modern trend of only treating the presented condition.

Common conditions such as headaches, backache and irritable bowel syndrome are often the result of stress rather than being physical problems. Endless pill taking is unlikely to provide a long-term solution because the drugs mask the symptoms without addressing the problems. By looking at the causes of the stress and providing treatments to ease and manage it, an aromatherapist can alleviate the condition much more efficiently.

Is aromatherapy safe

The essential oils used in aromatherapy have been tried and tested on humans for thousands of years, with great success. When they are used correctly, we can be absolutely confident that they are safe and effective.

Also, in today’s today's environmentally conscious and caring society, it’s good to know that the long history of essential oils means they do not need to be cruelly tested on animals, in the way that many drugs and beauty products are.