Healing with Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Christine

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Healing
with Essential Oils and Aromatherapy




Laurance Johnston, Ph.D. and
Pamela
Parsons, M.S.






There's Rosemary,
that's for remembrance - Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet
A popular alternative medicine therapy,
aromatherapy or essential oil therapy is a natural, gentle
treatment
that can be used as an adjunct and sometimes as an alternative
to the
many conventional pharmaceutical medications that people with
physical
disabilities, including spinal cord injury (SCI) and multiple
sclerosis
(MS), frequently rely upon.
By expanding
the healing armamentarium available to us, these oils have
the potential to reduce our reliance on these pharmaceuticals
and
exposure to their side effects.
Smells can trigger vivid memories,
involving
sights, sounds and emotional impressions of events in our
distant past.
A whiff of oatmeal cookies evokes in-depth childhood memories of
my
grandmother baking her culinary morsels of affection in a wood
stove in
her Northern Minnesota kitchen. In addition to such memories,
smells can
initiate a cascade of physiological responses affecting our
entire body
and mental outlook.
These responses form the basis for an
ancient
healing tradition now called aromatherapy -a term coined by Rene
Gatfosee, a French chemist for the perfume industry.Â
He worked with volatile plant essential oils for
fragrancing
until one day he had an explosion in his lab and was badly
burned.
He plunged his arm into the nearest vat of liquid, which
happened
to be lavender.
To
his amazement, the pain stopped immediately, and no blistering
or
scarring occurred. As a
result, he changed his focus completely to the medicinal effects
of
these oils.
Aromatherapy can be confusing to the lay
person. As
natural things have become more popular and aromatherapy
became a
buzz word, commercial interests began to slap the term
aromatherapy on everything that had a fragrance.
A lay person tends to think, "Aromatherapy
is
everything that stinks." Well,
you cannot have aromatherapy without essential oils, but you can
have
essential oils without it being aromatherapy.
The difference is in the application and intent.
Aromatherapy is
the use of essential oils with the goal of causing a positive
change
physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually.
For example, many shampoos contain
essential oils.
But that is not aromatherapy. True
aromatherapy would be when you choose particular essential oils
to add
to your shampoo for a specific intent, e.g., to encourage hair
growth,
fight a specific physiological condition of the scalp, help
clarify the
mind, encourage memory, and help center and relax yourself
before a big
day.
Ancient
Origins: Alchemists labeled aromatic plant oils as essential
because
they believed that the fragrances reflected the plants true
inner
nature. Throughout history, the oils have been used for healing
and are
still key elements of many of the worlds non-Western healing
traditions.
For example, Indias Ayurvedic healing
tradition
routinely uses essential-oil fragrances to obtain the right doshic balance needed for good health
Indian sages believed fragrances affected
manâs
consciousness, and encouraged rituals of worship that
incorporated
flowers. To this day,
flowers are an integral part of daily worship and activity
throughout
India. Everywhere you go,
you will see people making flower garlands used daily to adorn
household, village, and field and temple shrines.
They are blessed at temple and then given back to the
worshipper
who wears it throughout the day. It
is believed the constant exposure to these highly evolved
fragrances
refines and elevates consciousness.
Ancient Egyptians really are to be credited
for the
most complex uses of the oils. To Egyptians, fragrance was of
the utmost
importance as the goal was divinity. Bathing, anointing and
using
fragrances would emulate and lead to holiness.
In death, people must smell of this holiness to be
acceptable to
the gods, and therefore the sacred oils that corresponded to
each organ
would be used on the body after death.
Their ancient wisdom receded due to
history,
politics and religion. After
Alexander the Great conquered Egypt, the victors wanted all
essential
oil formulas, especially aphrodisiacs and those that gave power
over
others.
Because the Greeks had no spirituality
goal, the
priests gave incomplete formulas with missing ingredients. The
Romans
took the abuse of oils to great heights having a fortune in oils
go
through their fountains, and using them in orgies of food and
drink,
etc. Christian priests
condemned this lasciviousness and forbade their use. The schism
began
between the holistic consciousness-influencing and specific
medical and
cosmetic applications of essential oils.
Modern
Times: In recent years as natural, health-care alternatives
have
been sought out, aromatherapy has seen a remarkable renaissance.
In
Europe, it is considered an effective, reimbursable treatment
that is
increasingly being integrated with conventional medicine.
Many investigations demonstrate
aromatherapys
effectiveness, including double blind studies designed to
eliminate the
psychological placebo effect. Unfortunately, the U.S. medical
establishment has not accessed many of the studies because they
have
been published in other languages or represent proprietary
information
of the flavor and fragrance industry.
Studies have yielded many interesting
findings.
For example, keypunch-operator errors were cut in half
after
piping lemon scent through the ventilation system. As a result,
Japanese
corporations use various scents to increase worker performance.
In another example, New York subway
passengers
became less aggressive when the cars were scented with pleasant
food
aromas. And finally,
eucalyptus oil keeps truck drivers as alert as does caffeine.
Isolation:
Essential oils are routinely extracted from plants by
using steam
distillation.
As
the steam percolates through the plant material, it pulls off
volatile
oils, which are then condensed. Huge quantities of raw plant
material
are often needed to obtain a small amount of oil. In the case of
rose
oil, it takes 2,000 pounds of petals to produce one pound of
oil!
Essential oils are highly concentrated. For
example, the chemicals in one drop of oil are equivalent to
thirty cups
of a tea prepared from plant material. These oils are also
highly
complex, containing from 100 - 400 different chemical compounds
in one
oil, giving it a wide range of seemingly improbable properties
within
the same oil.
Because of the cost of making essential
oils, most
commercial product fragrances are chemically synthesized.
Although such
synthetics may superficially smell like the real thing,
synthetics do
not work in the body in the same way, are not readily
eliminated, and
tend to provoke more allergic reactions.
How
Essential Oils Enter the Body: Although numerous ways exist
to
administer essential oils, the most common are through the nose
and the
skin.
Nose:
Volatile oils can affect the body through the highly sensitive olfactory system. When cells located in the upper part of
the nose
capture odor molecules, signals go to the brains limbic region,
a
primitive portion of the brain. This region controls the bodys
basic
survival functions, in part, by influencing key
hormone-secreting glands
affecting the entire body. Hence, a smell can quickly influence
your
entire body.
These actions are below the threshold of
consciousness. Hence, the most important functions necessary to
our
survival are powerfully affected by smell - and we don't know
it. You
don't need to be aware of the smell at all to be affected.
The same is true for odors that bring
disharmony
and imbalance. For example, the pheromones of fear and violence
can
trigger the same in another, increasing violence.
You can inhale essential oils in many ways:
Several drops can be placed in bath water, in a nearby
bowl of
warm water, on a humidifier or light bulb, in the melted wax
surrounding
a lit candle, or on a handkerchief. You can also purchase
inexpensive
diffusion devices.
Skin:
Oils absorbed through skin pores and hair follicles enter
bloodstream
capillaries and circulate throughout the body.
Because you smell the fragrances as the oil is rubbed on
your
skin, it is difficult to separate from inhalation the
synergistic
effects due to topical administration.
Unlike many chemicals or drugs, essential
oils do
not accumulate and are quickly excreted from the body.
Furthermore,
unlike medications that must be swallowed and systemically
absorbed,
locally applied essential oils bypass the stomach and liver and,
therefore, are not compromised by metabolic alteration. They go
directly
to the spot (e.g., sore muscle, bruise, etc.) where they are
needed the
most.
Because essential oils are highly
concentrated,
they are usually diluted before being applied to the skin
through
oil-based mixtures, such as salves, creams or lotions; alcohol
or
water-based tinctures; or with a compress (a water-soaked
cloth).
Applications:
In psychoaromatherapy,
essential oils are used to either stimulate or relax the brain.
Some
oils can have calming and tranquilizing effects; others are
energizing
and can help relieve depression. These oils can relief stress
and
anxiety and promote a general feeling of well being.
In therapeutic
aromatherapy, essential oils treat medical conditions. For
example,
they can fight infections, promote wound healing, reduce
inflammation,
affect hormonal levels, stimulate the immune system, heat the
skin in a
liniment, promote blood circulation and digestion, and lessen
sinus or
lung congestion.
Aesthetic
aromatherapy focuses on beauty issues such as hair and skin
care.
Aromatherapy can treat many ailments,
including
those frequently associated with spinal cord dysfunction. For example, Aromatic
Thymes magazine (spring 1999) published a case study in
which
aromatherapy was used to enhance the health of a quadriplegic in
the
acute injury phase. Specifically,
essential oils were used to prevent respiratory infections,
promote
mucus clearing, fight depression, and promote sleep.
Although a few applications are listed in
the
attached table, readers are encouraged to look at the resources
referenced below for particular remedies relevant to their
needs.
Specific
Aromatherapy Applications


Pain:
Often applied through massage oils, lotions, liniments, or
compresses,
essential oils reduce pain by different mechanisms:
Numbing: Some oils - such as clove bud, frankincense chamomile,
lavender,
and lemongrass - dull pain by numbing nerve endings,

Anti-inflammatory:
Oils such as chamomile, geranium, juniper, lavender,
marjoram,
myrrh, rose, and tea tree diminish pain through
anti-inflammatory
actions.

Heat: Some
oils “ e.g., as bay laurel, bay rum, black pepper, cinnamon,
clove
bud, ginger, juniper, peppermint, and thyme - relieve pain by
producing
heat and increasing circulation.
Brain:
Some oils -
such as frankincense, ginger, and lemongrass - interfere with
the
brains processing of pain signals.
Neurotransmitters:
Oils such as birch (containing aspirin-like compounds),
cayenne,
and ginger hinder the production of neurotransmitters that carry
pain
messages from nerve endings to the central nervous system.
Relaxation:
Using
chamomile, clary sage, lavender, lemon, lemon eucalyptus, lemon
verbena,
marjoram, melissa (lemon balm), myrtle, and petitgrain (a
citrus-related
plant) may help relieve pain through relaxation.
Insomnia:
Sleep-promoting oils -
including bergamot, chamomile, clary sage, frankincense,
geranium,
lavender, melissa, mandarin, neroli (orange blossom), rose,
sandalwood,
and tangerine - can be inhaled, rubbed on the skin with massage
oil or
lotion, or used in bath water.
Headaches:
When inhaled, a variety of oils - including lavender, melissa,
peppermint, basil, chamomile, lemongrass and marjoram - can
relieve
headaches of different origins.
Stress:
Some oils - including bergamot, chamomile, lavender, lemon
melissa,
marjoram, neroli, petitgrain, rose, sandalwood, and valerian –
relieve
stress (even slowing brain waves).
Depression:
Antidepressant qualities are found in some oils such as
angelica,
bergamot, cardamom, chamomile cinnamon, clary sage, clove,
cypress,
lavender, lemon verbena, lemon, melissa, orange, neroli,
petitgrain,
rose, and ylang-ylang (a tropical Asian tree).
Stimulation:
Many oils - including angelica, basil, benzoin (from a southeast
Asian
tree), black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, cypress, ginger,
jasmine, peppermint, rosemary, and sage - will stimulate and
keep you
alert.
High Blood
Pressure: Oils have been shown to lower blood pressure,
including
neroli, orange, melissa, tangerine, rose, ylang ylang, geranium,
and
clary sage.
Bacterial
Infections: Oils isolated from bay laurel, cinnamon, clove
bud,
garlic, oregano, savory, and thyme are powerful antibacterial
agents
(albeit potential skin irritants). More gentle antibacterial
oils
include bay rum, benzoin, cardamom, eucalyptus, frankincense,
geranium
lavender, lemon, lemongrass, marjoram, myrrh, myrtle, pine rose,
sage,
and tea tree.
These oils can treat infections of the
skin,
bladder, bowel, ear, gum, sinus, skin, and throat. The nature of
the
infection will determine whether the oils are inhaled or rubbed
on the
skin.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can be
treated with
baths, sitzbaths, and massages using certain essential oils. For
example, a massage oil containing niaouli, cajeput (both a type
of tea
tree oil) or sandalwood can be rubbed into the abdomen and
kidney region
of the lower back.
Cuts and wounds can be treated with sprays
or
salves that contain essential oils isolated from eucalyptus,
lavender,
lemon, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, tea tree, or basil.
Viral
Infections: Often ingredients in cough drops and cold and
flu
medications, many oils also have antiviral properties. These
oils
include bay, bergamot, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon bark,
clove bud,
eucalyptus, garlic, geranium, holy basil, juniper, lavender,
melissa,
lemongrass, lemon, marjoram, myrrh, oregano, rose, rosemary
sage, tea
tree, and thyme.
In conclusion, get well with smell!