Aromatherapy - Claimed Health Benefits and Explanation of the Scientific Basis - Research Paper Example

?Aromatherapy Claimed health benefits and explanation of the scientific basis for these. Physical activities have so many benefits that are associated with them. Exercising helps a lot in therapy for cardiovascular diseases and also helps in preventing attack by certain chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and cancer. Physical activity also helps in the management of stress and depression. However, excessive exercising can be harmful to your body. Since there is no specific dosage for physical activities, many people tend to overdo their workouts. Intense workouts may end up bringing fatigue or injuries to the body rather than relaxing it. This is especially so if one is struggling under certain pressure like they need to lose weight, they need to perform well in a sporting activity and such things. The effect of that kind of exercising is physical and psychological injuries. This is where massage comes in (Capellini, 2010). Massage is a tool used to manipulate the body muscles and connective tissues. The outcome is increased strength, flexibility and relaxation. It also helps to improve blood circulation, get rid of lactic acid in the muscles, open up the respiratory pores, reduce anxiety, reduce depression and improve sleep. A combination of physical activity and massage is therefore very important. It helps to increase bone strength and mineralization in infants, as well as reduce anxiety in patients with breast cancer. A clinical trial carried out in Japan on the effect of aromatherapy massage indicated that the massage was very effective in reducing anxiety. The massage was also proved to improve the immunology of the participants (Paraska, 2012). Women who have reached the stage of menopause face certain health risks such as breast cancer, heart related problems and problems related to the functioning of the gallbladder. The common type of therapy that is given to these women is the hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which may have adverse reactions in their bodies such as hot flushes, pain and depression. Phytoestrogens can reduce such risks more than HRT. The best way to administer Phytoestrogen is through aromatherapy (Myung-Haeng Hur, Yun Seok Yang and Myeong Soo Lee, 2007). Evidence for the above, with reference to scientific peer reviewed articles & clinical trials. Many patients of chronic diseases tend to be anxious of the recurrence of the diseases. This anxiety may lead to fear and stress and eventually depression. This affects their immunological performance and increases the probability of the disease to re-occur. Aromatherapy massage was observed to reduce this. In a study done between 2003 and 2005 to patients with breast cancer, aromatherapy massage conducted for 30 minutes twice a week had the following results. In the psychological measures, state anxiety was reduced more significantly than trait anxiety. In immunological measures, both trait and state anxiety were observed to reduce at a great deal. Depression also reduced during and after the massage was done. The massage was therefore recommended to be the most effective therapy in reducing anxiety than even the conventional medicines (Imanishi J, Kuriyama H, Shigemori I, Watanabe S, Aihara Y, Kita M, Sawai K, Nakajima H, Yoshida N, Kunisawa M, Kawase M, Fukui K., 2007). Aromatherapy was also observed to significantly reduce the effects of the risks that are associated with the menopausal stage. In a study done on 25 climacteric women at the menopausal stage in Korea, aromatherapy administered once per week in eight weeks respectively reported a decrease in abdominal pains, depression and hot flushes. The aromatherapy had been administered through massage at the arms, the back and the abdomen of the women (Myung-Haeng Hur, Yun Seok Yang and Myeong Soo Lee, 2007). History, origins or philosophy Aromatherapy, which is the use of essential oils mainly from plants for physical and psychological relief, is dated back a thousand years. The Chinese burned aromatic plants to create harmony. The Egyptians used oils from cinnamon, myrrh, clove and other herbal preparations for spiritual and medicinal use. They had distillation machines that helped them to extract the oil from the plants. The Greeks and the Romans then borrowed the Egyptian’s knowledge and improvised better distillers that were used to extract oil from more than 500 plants for aromatic and medicinal use. During the 15th, 16th and the 17th century, many more plants were distilled to create essential oils, and shops selling such oil and perfumes were established. During the 19th and the 20th century, there was advancement in scientific knowledge on how to separate various constituents of oil into chemicals and drugs. The oils were later proved to be more useful medically than aromatically in 1937 by a French chemist, Rene Gattefosse who wrote a book “Gatefosse’s Aromatherapy” on the same. Other Aromatherapists such as Jean Valnet and Robert Tisserand emerged in the late 20th century and used the oils to treat injured soldiers during war, in the manufacture of cosmetics and for aromatic benefits. This is what has developed into today’s use of essential oils for cosmetic, spiritual and therapeutic use (History of Aromatherapy, 2007). Other information (eg. Practical explanation of how to apply, any restrictions etc.) The oils to be used for aromatherapy massage vary from one type to another depending on the intended use. There are generally agreed upon guidelines that should be followed in choosing the oil. There are those for muscle pain, nausea, anxiety, digestive use, insomnia and menopause. Essential oils are very strong and should be used together with carrier oils. The recommended mixture ratio for a person between the age of 13 and 65 should be around ten drops of the essential oil in 20ml of the carrier oil. The massage can be done basically at home or by hiring a professional. Expert masseuses are the most recommendable since they are well equipped with the necessary skills and tools for the work. They also have appropriate knowledge of the mixing ratios and on the right amounts of the oil that should be inhaled or absorbed orally or through the skin (Lecours, 2013). Current context, identification of where this fits in with models of medicine or current approaches to health. Aromatherapy massage is a practice that is currently being done in all parts of the world to promote health. It has been observed to help in relieving body pains, reducing depression and it forms a part of therapy for many diseases. The aroma from the oils relieves stress, uplifts the mood, has a calming effect and enhances a better memory. In the field of medicine, the oils from Rosemary, Eucalyptus, Cloves, Thyme, Geranium, Peppermint, Lavender and Myrrh are being used to treat fungal skin infections, respiratory ailments, headaches, bad breath, toothaches, arthritis and joint pains. They are also an appropriate therapy for breast cancer, menopausal infections and other chronic diseases (Hill, 2012). References Capellini, S. (2010). The complete spa book for massage therapists. Clifton Park: Milady/Cengage Learning. Hill, B. (2012, March 1). Aromatherapy . Retrieved April 22, 2013, from http://birchhillhappenings.com/aroma.htm History of Aromatherapy. (2007). Retrieved April 22, 2013, from Aromaweb.com: http://www.aromaweb.com/articles/history.asp Imanishi J, Kuriyama H, Shigemori I, Watanabe S, Aihara Y, Kita M, Sawai K, Nakajima H, Yoshida N, Kunisawa M, Kawase M, Fukui K. (2007, July 4). Anxiolytic Effect of Aromatherapy Massage in Patients with Breast Cancer. Retrieved April 22, 2013, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18955225 Lecours, L. (2013). How to Do Aromatherapy Massage. Retrieved April 22, 2013, from ehow.com: http://www.ehow.com/how_4578729_do-aromatherapy-massage.html Myung-Haeng Hur, Yun Seok Yang and Myeong Soo Lee. (2007). Aromatherapy Massage Affects Menopausal Symptoms in Korean Climacteric Women: A Pilot-Controlled Clinical Trial. Korea: Advance Access Publication. Paraska, K. (2012). Health promotion in nursing practice. Sudbury: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Read More