It Should Be "Aroma-Medicine": Aromatherapy's Struggle for Recognition Supported By Science
The body of research on the medicinal uses of essential oils continues to grow. Here's a look at Aromatherapy, and some of the latest published data.
Historical Aromatherapy Use
In simple terms, aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of essential oils, otherwise known as volatile oils, extracted from plants to assist with physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Records indicate that essential oils were used to support the body and the mind in ancient cultures. Traditional uses of these botanicals have carried on in many parts of the world. Rising recognition and usage is evident in the modern era.
Methods of Aromatherapy Application
The approach to realign the body is mostly through inhalation, direct contact absorption and to a lesser degree ingestion of the essential oil either as a dilute or for some mild oils undiluted. With inhalation, the oils are thought to penetrate the bloodstream via lungs to activate the limbic system and emotional centers of the brain. When applied to the skin (usually in a carrier oil), they activate thermal receptors and kill pathogens (such as bacteria and fungi). If taken orally, essential oils are thought to activate the immune system.
Validation of Aromatherapy through Modern Science
In western culture, validation of medical therapies comes through empirical research. Rising popularity of aromatherapy with main-stream society has prompted researchers to take a closer look at this ancient therapy. Although still largely unproven by a wide breadth of research, preliminary studies, both in vitro and clinical, show positive effects using this medicinal therapy.
Depression: At the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2009), researchers published a review of the effectiveness of aromatherapy to decrease depression and symptoms of depression arising from various types of chronic medical conditions. Continued use of aromatherapy for depression was supported with further controlled studies recommended.
Dementia: The standard treatment for dementia in conventional medicine is to use neuroleptics or antipsychotic drugs. In elderly people such drugs are poorly tolerated, especially for patients with severe dementia. Researchers from the Wolfson Research Center, UK (2002) conducted a double-blind, placebo controlled study on using aromatherapy (combined with the antipsychotic) as a treatment for agitation in people with severe dementia. After 4 weeks of treatment, results indicated that there was a 35% improvement in agitation and that the active treatment (using Melissa officinalis) was well-tolerated by the patients. Researchers support further studies to investigate using aromatherapy as an adjunct or alternative to conventional treatments.
Anxiety: Laboratory results (using animals) indicate statistically significant differences when aromatherapy was applied. Clinical trials are few. Yet, one joint review by the University of Newcastle and Northumbria, United Kingdom (2006), looked at the pharmacology of essential oils and found evidence that essential oils exert measurable psychological effects in humans. Researchers concluded that aromatherapy provides a potentially effective treatment for a range of psychiatric disorders, especially since the side effects are minimal (if non-existent) compared to conventional psychotropic drugs.
Travel Excitement in Pets: Response to therapeutic treatments administered to animals is often much quicker than in humans. At the Queen’s University of Belfast Canine Behavior Center (2006), researchers looked at the effects of aromatherapy (diffused lavender essential oil) to manage travel excitement in dogs. Researchers found that dogs spent significantly more time at rest than moving around and recommended the use of aromatherapy as a practical alternative to expensive and sometimes adverse responses of traditional treatments.
Conclusions
The empirical evidence for the use of aromatherapy for various illnesses is still in its infancy. Despite a lack of foundational studies within the field, popularity of aromatherapy among western population continues to grow. It is acknowledge by researchers and hospitals alike that less intrusive forms of treatment are needed and thus more research into the benefits of essential oils is warranted. As research continues, the science of aromatherapy will broaden and refine. It is certain that the reputed effectiveness in traditional medicine will see a broader validation by science research in the years to come.
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