Ananda Mahony
NaomiTreating chronic pain...Aromatherapy
September 19th 2006 00:39
photo: slovegrove/agency: dreamstime.com
Aromatherapy is a process that combines body and facial massage, whilst incorporating the use of essential oils extracted from plants. These essences are made up from aromatic oils that appear in various parts of the plant. The essence is circulated throughout the plant at various times of the day, so that at a certain time it will be concentrated in a specific area of the plant. e.g. leaves in the morning.
The oils can occur in the root (calamus), flowers (lavender), leaves (rosemary), bark (sandalwood) and sometimes in resin (myrrh). Some are even found in the rind of fruits.
In plants themselves, these oils act as natural pesticides, fungacides, bactericides and some even have hormone properties.
The extraction process is complex and expensive; it takes 2000 pounds of rose petals to make 1 pound of rose oil.
Treatment is carried out after a consultation with the aromatherapist. Some complaints are hard to diagnose and it takes a very skilled practitioner to matche the right treatment with the right disorder. Aromatherapy is more successful when used to treat systematically, rather then the disease as a whole. It is particularly effective in the management of stress and anxiety, wound healing, acne, scar resorption, stretch marks and some women find it helpful during the arly stages of labor. It is also great in calming infants who suffer form colic or are hard to settle.
Below are some common ailments and the suggested aromatherapy remedies:
Acne: bergamot, cajuput, camphor, cedarwood, juniper, lavender, sandalwood, tea tree.
Headaches: rosemary, chamomile, lavender, lemon, marjoram, peppermint, rose.
Indigestion: basil, black pepper, cardomon, chamomile, cinnamon, sage, clove, coriander, eucalyptus, fennel, frankincense, hyssop, juniper, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, marjoram, melissa, myrrh, pennyroyal, peppermint, rosemary, sage, thyme.
Mental fatigue: basil, cardamom, clove, peppermint, rosemary and thyme.
Stimulants: black pepper, camphor, eucalyptus, pennyroyal, peppermint and rosemary.
Aromatherapy is also a great way to reward yourself with a bit of pampering. Just lie back, breathe in the oils and relax!!!
Resources
Alternative medicine by Dr. Andrew Stanway/Rigby LTD
Image: Photo: Slovegrove Agency: dreamstime.com
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