Outcomes of the Implementation of Aromatherapy - Essay Example

Implementing aromatherapy  Aromatherapy, which refers to a form of alternative medicine used to ensure the wellbeing, cognitive function or health ofindividuals with the use of essential oil, has become increasingly popular in the recent years. Although the effectiveness of this therapy as part of the medical treatment is not scientifically proven, there are various kinds of evidences to prove the therapeutic potential of essential oils. The effectiveness of aromatherapy has become an important topic of investigation in several researches conducted in the area. The results of these studies and the reports from the practical implementation of the therapy in various health-care environments confirm the effectiveness of aromatherapy. The results of various clinical studies have emphasised the effectiveness of aromatherapy for different types of psychosomatic and stress related problems. It has been identified that “aromatherapy is particularly effective for stress, anxiety, and psychosomatic induced problems, muscular and rheumatic pains, digestive disorders and womens problems, such as PMS, menopausal complaints and postnatal depression” (Aromatherapy Benefits Clinical Trials: Healing Applications 2007). Aromatherapy not only has a positive impact on one’s mind and behaviour, the therapy offers relief to patients who suffer from lack of sleep, postpartum discomfort, extreme cold, stress, and lack of male sexual response. People usually go after psychotherapeutic treatments to heal emotional stress. However clinical aromatherapy has been proved highly beneficial for the prevention and treatment of emotional stress. Butje, Repede, and Shattell (2008), in their journal article entitled ‘Healing scents: an overview of clinical aromatherapy for emotional distress’ deal with “the physiological effects of scent, reviews the research on aromatherapy, presents practical information on the use of clinical aromatherapy for emotional distress, and suggests resources for additional training and education” (Butje, Repede, & Shattell 2008). Takeda, Tsujita, Kaya, Takemura & Oku (2008) elaborate on the major differences between the physiologic and psychological effects of aromatherapy body treatment. The authors conducted some remarkable studies on seven female and 6 male volunteers who were offered 3 trials of aroma treatment. The purpose of the study was to assess the anxiety, feelings, and mood of the participants before and after the treatment making use of the State Anxiety Inventory (SAI), the Visual Analog Scale, and the Face Scale respectively. The results of the study pointed towards a considerable decrease in the SAI scores of feelings of fatigue, and a noticeable increase in the positive and comfortable feelings and mood among the participants and this prompted the researchers to conclude that “the aromatherapy body treatment provides a stronger and continuous relief from fatigue, especially fatigue of mental origin” as compared to massage alone (Takeda, Tsujita, Kaya, Takemura & Oku 2008).  In a reflective exploration of the various studies conducted in the area of aromatherapy it becomes palpable that the therapeutic use of essential oils with the aim of ensuring the physical and psychological well being of patients has been highly effective. Significantly, aromatherapy produces several positive results when it is applied in combination with modern nursing techniques. It is essential, however, to have a clear idea about the various factors that affect the successful implementation of aromatherapy and the various courses on the topic can be highly valuable in this respect. One should also be aware of the various impending risks involved in the aromatherapy due to allergic reactions, safety precautions, etc. Therefore, a careful implementation of aromatherapy by trained practitioners can be one of the most effective means of promoting wellness in individuals. In order to assess the outcome of implementation of aromatherapy, a plan to implement the therapy with 5 people, adults between 20 and 45, was prepared. According to this plan, the aromatherapy was to be implemented on individuals with different backgrounds and different health issues. Thus, aromatherapy was implemented on a 45 year-old woman with wound infection, in a childbirth background, in nursing and midwifery practice, on nurses with work-related stress in an ICU setting, and in the management of anxiety and depression in cancer patients. In other words, the plan to assess the outcome of implementation of aromatherapy was to implement the therapy with five adults between 20 and 45 in different health-related backgrounds. A careful assessment of the outcome of implementation of aromatherapy on various individuals belonging to different health-related backgrounds confirms that the overall effectiveness of the therapy is indubitable and there is large-scale evidence on the success of the therapy in these backgrounds. Thus, the implementation of aromatherapy on 45-year-old woman with wound infection was effective in reducing the after-effects of the infection. With the permission of the orthopaedic surgeon, essential oils were applied on the wounds and the treatment included a daily footbath with Thymus vulgaris et alcohol, Citrus limon, and Melaleuca alternifolio. The ultimate outcome of the treatment was that the wound closed at the end of 3-week aromatherapy. As Shirley Price and Len Price maintain, “the use of essential oils is a sure way of avoiding the phenomenon of developed resistance in microbes as experienced with antibiotics, because the aromatic essences are able to destroy even resistant strains selectively.” (Price and Price, 2007, p 83). Similarly, the outcome of implementation of aromatherapy in childbirth background also provides evidences of the effectiveness of the therapy. Studies in the field confirm that an RCT using aromatherapy is a possible intervention to assess a range of intra-partum outcomes. The study conducted by Burns, Zobbi, Panzeri, Oskrochi, and Regaliab (2007) “shows that it is feasible to undertake an RCT on aromatherapy in labour. There were no associated adverse effects of using the EOs on maternal or neonatal outcomes. The results of this study form a good basis for undertaking an RCT on a sample large enough to identify statistical significance on outcomes important to women and midwives.” (Burns, Zobbi, Panzeri, Oskrochi, and Regaliab, 2007, p 843). In the same way, the outcome of implementation of aromatherapy in the other health-related backgrounds also proved highly positive in favour of the therapy and the effectiveness of the therapy is unquestionable. In conclusion, it is essential to establish that the implementation of aromatherapy in various health-related backgrounds is becoming increasingly popular due, mainly, to the evidences of its effectiveness. The various studies conducted in the area, including that of Burns, Zobbi, Panzeri, Oskrochi, and Regaliab (2007), Butje, Repede, and Shattell (2008), and Takeda, Tsujita, Kaya, Takemura & Oku (2008), establish the importance of the implementation of aromatherapy. References Aromatherapy Benefits Clinical Trials: Healing Applications. (2007). Retrieved 10 June 2010 from ICBS, Inc: http://www.holisticonline.com/Aromatherapy/aroma_benefits.htm Burns, E., Zobbi, V., Panzeri, D., Oskrochi, R & Regaliab, A. (2007). Aromatherapy in childbirth: a pilot randomised controlled trial. BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 114: 838-844. Retrieved 10 June 2010 from: http://www.cfpc.ca/local/user/files/%7B847213CD-3816-4E1C-AB14-B6465A2B4BD4%7D/BJOG%20Aromatherapy.pdf Butje, A., Repede, E., & Shattell, M.M. (Oct 2008). Abstract. Healing Scents: An Overview of Clinical Aromatherapy for Emotional Distress. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 46(10). Price, Shirley and Price, Len. (2007). Aromatherapy for health professionals. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 83. Takeda H., Tsujita J., Kaya M., Takemura M., & Oku Y. (July 2008). Differences between the physiologic and psychologic effects of aromatherapy body treatment. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 14(6), 655-661.   Read More