Can Essential Oils Be Effective for Pain Relief and Help with Pain Associated with Fibromyalgia - Research Paper Example

? Essential Oil for Fibromyalgia of Essential Oil for Pain Relief Outline Introduction & Background Main Body Conclusion Abstract People have been using essential oils for pain relief for centuries. But its usage has decreased since the medicine came into existence, and the reason is because people are more prone to using modern stuff as compare to natural things. They consider natural things as obsolete. The pain human body feels cannot be healed with some chemically made medicine however they do provide a temporary relief, which cannot heal the disease. Lynne K. Mathallan, the president of the NFA, while discussing the treatment for pain-related disease, stated that they are of the opinion that aromatherapy is one of the methods for making one feel relaxed. Fragrant herbs help in soothing and calming a person down which in turn relieves him of mental stress. It also helps to keep his nerves down and provides him with healthy sleeping habits. The focus of his statement was on the treatment which can provide relaxation, and for a treatment which can relax one and treat him at the same time, is massage with oil that have specially been designed for Fibromyalgia. This literature review includes various study shows that the use of essential oil has a very positive effect and can be very useful for health-related concerns including infections nausea, syndrome, premenstrual, tumors, depression, anxiety and especially for pain. Introduction & Background The word “Aromatherapie” was first introduced by Henri Maurice Gattefosse (Damian & Damia, 1995). He used this word to explain an unplanned use of essential oil to cool his accidental burn, which he encountered in his perfumery laboratory. By using essential oil his burn healed quick and then he became known as the “father” of modern Aromatherapy (Damian & Damia, 1995). By using Essential Oils, many pain related diseases can be healed, and one of the greatest painful diseases is Fibromyalgia, in which most of the parts of the body feel sever pain. The meaning of the word fibromyalgia means “fibro” in Latin. These are referred to “fibrous tissues.” The word myo on the other hand is a Greek word that means “muscle” while algos refers to “pain.” The entire word therefore stands for “muscle and connective tissue pain” (McCarty & Koopman, 1993). According to data, about 2-4% of people are affected by Fibromyalgia. Females have a higher ratio of suffering this disease as compare to males with the ratio of 9:1 (Al-Gebori, Rajab, Al-Osami, & Turki, 2011). The intense pain is a direct response to the pressure that is exerted and characterized as Fibromyalgia. What causes the ailment is yet not known. It could well lead to the syndrome in adverse situations known as the Fibromyalgia syndrome. Fibromyalgia is also associated to other psychological conditions namely stress and anxiety. Main Body In Aromatherapy treatment, the use of Essential Oils is the main element. In this treatment essential oil is used in different conditions, such as massage, inhalation, room sprays diffusers, baths, scented candles, compresses (Damian & Damia, 1995). Essential oils are taken out various aromatic plants. These plants contain a vast amount of medicinal healing properties. The results of using essential oil can be remarkable on the physical when used in therapeutically. The use of essential oil is a better option than medicine. Someone going through chronic pain will find comfort, which he has never experienced before (Martin, 2006). As discussed above that the use of essential oil can prove to be very effective in order to get relief from pain and especially for the disease of Fibromyalgia there is no other better treatment than the use of essential oils. National Fibromyalgia Association in their website explains about this disease. “Fibromyalgia is a common widespread pain that leads to illness, aches, terrible pain in the body, restlessness and also lack of sleep. The patients suffering from this disease are constantly in and out of such pains" (National Fibromyalgia Association , 2009). The patient of FM experiences sever pain in most of the parts of his body, that include neck, back, shoulders, pelvic girdle and hands. As it is quite common, when somebody is a having a little headache or backache, with some massage he feels relieved and comfortable (Wallace & Clauw, 2005). Massage really soothes the body. A study by Sarac &  Gur (2006) suggests that there is no cure for FM however massage is a better option to get relieved from FM. There are massage therapies that help one with this disease. The massage is done with some oil specially made for Fibromyalgia patients. A similar finding was presented in another study by Lundebergb, Carlesonc, Sonnerforsa, Uhrlina, & Svensson (2006) that massage with oils can give patients some relief from FM but to suggest that its effectiveness more studies are needed. Medicine is less effective for this disease. Medicines can give one temporary comfort, which does not last long (O'Malley, Balden, & Tomkins, 2000). Medicine cannot do what a natural resource can. One should never neglect the importance of using them. Oil is one of the natural resources, which sure can provide a great treatment for pain-related disease such as fibromyalgia (FM). Grace (2001) in his article emphasis on the application of aromatherapy treatments in case of patients with fibromyalgia. His findings make use of different case studies which are indicative of the positive impact of the use of essential oils on reduction in pain from FM. Whether a person is suffering from this disease or not, it is kind of hard to diagnose, as there is no laboratory test available which can diagnose this problem as of yet. Rutledge (2007) in a study concluded that patients of FM can benefit from exercise or a combination of exercise and oil treatment. However, the results found in this study are inconclusive. Another study by Ko, Hum, Traitses, & Berbrayer (2007) suggests positive effects of O24 Essential Oils for patients with Fibromyalgia as it is an effective way of mitigating pain in such patients. In this study, patients were provided O24 Essential Oils to be used for 4 to 6 weeks on different parts of the body to determine the effects of Essential Oils. Conclusion The use of essential oil is highly recommended for pain-related diseases. Massage therapies and natural resources are a great way to fight back with disease of this nature. It is not harmful to use oil and it could be used with much ease. It is a hassle free process. As mentioned in Essential Oil Safety by Tisserand and Balacs (1995), “Toxicity rarely occurs with appropriate use of essential oils and is primarily attributed to misuse and accidental ingestion, especially in young children” (as cited in Halcon, 2013). The reason why using oil is recommended for patients of FM is because as mentioned above FM is a pain-related disease, pain in a particular body parts, as the body feels soothing after given massage, pain can be relieved with massage using essential oil which are specially made for this disease. The patient should never neglect the importance of having proper sleep, and peace of mind. As it is said, if the mind is not at rest the whole body will feel its effects. Reference List Al-Gebori, A. M., Rajab, T. M., Al-Osami, M. H., & Turki, K. M. (2011). Determination of Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide (ACCP) and C-Reactive Protein (C-RP) Concentrations in Serum of Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) . The Iraqi Postgraduate Journal , 10 (1), 106-109. Alexander, M. (2002). Aromatherapy and immunity: how the use of essential oils aids immune potentiality . International Journal of Aromatherapy , 12 (1), 49-56. Damian, P., & Damia, K. (1995). Aromatherapy: Scent and Psyche: Using Essential Oils for Physical and Emotional Well-Being. Vermont: Inner Traditions / Bear & Co. Grace, U. (2001). Treating fibromyalgia syndrome with essential oils . International Journal of Aromatherapy , 11 (1), 20–25. Halcon, L. (2013). Are Essential Oils Safe? . Retrieved December 4, 2013, from University of Minnesota and Charlson Meadows: http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/explore-healing-practices/aromatherapy/are-essential-oils-safe Ko, G. D., Hum, A., Traitses, G., & Berbrayer, D. (2007). Effects of Topical O24 Essential Oils on Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Randomized, Placebo Controlled Pilot Study. Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain , 15 (1), 11-19. Lundebergb, T., Carlesonc, J., Sonnerforsa, H., Uhrlina, B., & Svensson, E. (2006). Corticotropin releasing factor in urine—A possible biochemical marker of fibromyalgia: Responses to massage and guided relaxation. Neuroscience Letters , 403 (1-2), 166-171. Martin, I. (2006). Aromatherapy for Massage Practitioners. Baltimore: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. McCarty, D. J., & Koopman, W. J. (1993). Arthritis and allied conditions: a textbook of rheumatology . New York: Lea & Febiger. National Fibromyalgia Association . (2009, 1 1). About Fibromyalgia. Retrieved 12 4, 2013, from http://fmaware.org: http://fmaware.org/site/PageServerb3b4.html?pagename=fibromyalgia_symptoms O'Malley, P., Balden, E., & Tomkins, G. (2000). Treatment of fibromyalgia with antidepressants: A meta analysis. Journal of General Intern Medicine , 15 (9), 659–666. Rowan, T. (2005 ). Pain Free From Fibromyalgia. AR, United States. Rutledge, D. N. (2007). Effects of Topical Essential Oil on Excercise Volume after a 12-week Exercise Program for Women with Fibromyalgia: A Pilot Study. Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine , 13 (10), 1099-1106. Sarac, A. J., &  Gur, A. (2006). Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies in Fibromyalgia. Current Pharmaceutical Design , 12 (1), 47-57. Wallace, D. J., & Clauw, D. J. (2005). Fibromyalgia and Other Central Pain Syndromes. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Read More