Aromatherapy and Essential Oils for Healing

Introduction

Aromatherapy is a type of holistic therapy, one that offers healing possibilities on emotional, energetic, as well as physical levels. Aromatherapy works as people take a deep breath, with the aromatic molecules entering their blood stream and working their way throughout the person's body. A variety of aromas can help to gently assist any emotion or mood.

Main Item

Aromatherapy is more precisely defined as the practice of using the natural oils extracted from flowers, bark, stems, leaves, roots or other parts of a plant to enhance psychological and physical well-being. The inhaled aroma from these "essential" oils is widely believed to stimulate brain function. Essential oils can also be absorbed through the skin, where they travel through the bloodstream and can promote whole-body healing. Evidence for the efficacy of aromatherapy in treating medical conditions remains poor, with a particular lack of studies employing rigorous methodology, but some evidence exists that essential oils may have therapeutic potential.

Aromatherapy involves the use of essential oils which are used in highly-concentrated form. The oils are often extracted through steam distillation from a number of herbs, fruits, flowers, and roots. Each of these oils has its own individual chemistry which presents healing qualities. Geranium, spruce, lavender, eucalyptus, tea tree, myrrh, and lemon are types of oils that are regularly used in aromatherapy. The essential oils also have distinct chemical profiles that offer therapeutic properties. Each of them is classified according to properties such as:

• Antiviral
• Relaxing
• Balancing
• Digestives
• Analgesics
• Anti-fungal
• Stimulating
• Antibacterial
• Decongestants
• Anti-inflammatory

As well as other properties. A common example of an oil that is very versatile and widely used is lavender. Lavender is used to ease tension headaches, clean wounds, reduce inflammation and pain, relax people and help them sleep, and to assist in the repair of cuts and burns. Aromatherapy is used today in a number of health care settings such as hospitals in relation to cancer care for the relief of nausea, or in the care of seniors to reduce agitation while improving sleep. It is used to improve indoor air quality, as well as in massage therapy to reduce body pain and for relaxation.

Aromatherapy is enticing and excites people who have never experienced it before. Aromatherapy is refreshing and revitalizes people through aromas such as sandalwood, 'ylang-ylang,' or even peppermint in shampoo. Yet aromatherapy is not all about nice scents.

Aromatherapy and the oils used have the potential to be more effective than modern chemicals in the alleviation of disease, stress relief, and the promotion of health. Essential oils have the potential to cut a cold short, brighten your complexion, and boost your brainpower. They also smell great while they are doing it, using the power of nature to promote people's health without polluting their homes, their bodies, or planet Earth with substances that are synthetic.

Small bottles of essential oils line the shelves of a black metalic ornamental tree.

Use of Aromatherapy

The use of aromatherapy for health and pleasure is a holistic approach to a person's well-being.

At this time there are approximately 300 different essential oils that are being used in aromatherapy around the world in order to ease everything from insomnia to stress, migraine headaches to emotional issues. People have been using essential oils for many years, and these oils have begun to appear more commonly in commercial products that are used, as well as foods, drinks, cosmetics, and medications.

One essential oil can be used in many different ways. For example; peppermint oil is market through the pharmaceutical industry as, 'Colpermin,' and is sold because of the soothing effect it has on people's digestive systems. On a commercial basis, peppermint is in everything from aftershave lotions to candy. People use it to ease headaches, or to ward off mice or ants. Many essential oils work in numbers of ways to ease common ailments, making aromatherapy very versatile.

Essential oils are the very base of a plant, containing hundreds of elements that are beneficial to people in even the smallest drop. Extraction of essential oils from plants obtains its most potent medicinal properties. Extraction of essential oils is considered to be an art form.

Unlike perfume, something that is created inexpensively in a laboratory, an essential oil has to be extracted under very specific conditions. For example; to create a single ounce of pure rose oil 60,000 rose blossoms are used. Sandalwood is something that cannot be extracted from any tree that is not thirty feet high and at least thirty years old. Jasmine blossoms produce one of the most expensive and prized aromatherapy essential oils to be found and have to be hand-picked on the very first day they open, before the sun destroys the oil they create.

The effort people put into obtaining essential oils to use in aromatherapy is highly worthwhile in comparison to the incredible benefits the oils provide us. It doesn't matter if you use them to relax while taking a bath, during a massage, add the oils to your beauty potions, breathe them in through steam or perhaps some incense, or just allow them to flow through the air via a candle - you are not simply enjoying a wonderful scent. You are enjoying the best and most comprehensive medicine nature provides.

Using Essential Oils

The use of essential oils is a compliment to traditional or conventional types of medicine. It is important to always seek medical advice for serious health conditions. Essential oils are generally used in a couple of ways; through inhalation, and topically.

Topical use of essential oils includes using them in showers and baths in order to refresh and cleanse yourself. You can use essential oils directly on a skin wound, for strains and sprains, and to relieve tension and muscle pain. Essential oils can be used topically in personalized skin care products, as well as to ease a large number of common skin conditions.

Inhalation of essential oils is the most common use of essential oils for emotional and mood support. Inhalation is used in relation to respiratory conditions, as well as to purify and cleanse the air. Essential oils can be inhaled through the use of inhalers or from tissues, added to vaporizers, dropped into steaming water, or diffused and then sprayed.

Consultation with an Aromatherapist can help you to find the right essential oil or oils to use, whether you want to relieve a cold, lift your mood or relieve your emotions, or have a skin condition you want assistance with. An Aromatherapist can help you to achieve the best application methods and concentration levels of essential oils while ensuring your success with using them. Aromatherapy and essential oils can help you in everyday life in many different ways.

Author Credentials:

Thomas C. Weiss is a researcher and editor for Disabled World. Thomas attended college and university courses earning a Masters, Bachelors and two Associate degrees, as well as pursing Disability Studies. As a Nursing Assistant Thomas has assisted people from a variety of racial, religious, gender, class, and age groups by providing care for people with all forms of disabilities from Multiple Sclerosis to Parkinson's; para and quadriplegia to Spina Bifida. Explore Thomas' complete biography for comprehensive insights into his background, expertise, and accomplishments.

▶ Share This Page

Page Information, Citing and Disclaimer

Disabled World is a comprehensive online resource that provides information and news related to disabilities, assistive technologies, and accessibility issues. Founded in 2004 our website covers a wide range of topics, including disability rights, healthcare, education, employment, and independent living, with the goal of supporting the disability community and their families.

Cite This Page (APA): Weiss, T. C. (2012, June 7 - Last revised: 2020, November 22). Aromatherapy and Essential Oils for Healing. Disabled World. Retrieved October 13, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/medical/alternative/aromatherapy/aromatherapy-oils.php

Permalink: <a href="https://www.disabled-world.com/medical/alternative/aromatherapy/aromatherapy-oils.php">Aromatherapy and Essential Oils for Healing</a>: Information regarding Aromatherapy using essential oils reported to promote healing qualities for a variety of health and medical conditions.

Disabled World provides general information only. Materials presented are never meant to substitute for qualified medical care. Any 3rd party offering or advertising does not constitute an endorsement.