WHAT IS IT?

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils, extracted from plants, trees, and herbs for therapeutic purposes. Although aromatic plant oils have been used therapeutically for thousands of years, the term "aromatherapy" was first used in 1928 by Rene-Maurice Gattefosse. Gattefosse was a French chemist who observed the curative capabilities of essential oils when he used them to trat wounds during the First World War. He later experimented with various oils, and classified them according to their "healing" properties: antitoxic, antiseptic, tonifying, stimulating, calming, and so on. In 1937 Gattefosse published Aromatherapie.

Marguerite Maury, who further explored Gattefosse's work in the 1950s, developed aromatherapy as a holistic therapy. She was also the first to tailor specific oils to an individual's health needs.

Today, aromatherapy makes use of 40 or so different essential oils, singly and in combination. They are helpful for treating stress and stress-related ailments, for invigorating the body, and for promoting general well-being. The oils are used in a variety of ways. They can be mixed with a bland carrier oil and applied to the skin during massage, they may be inhaled, or they can be added to your bathwater.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

A large body of research shows that smell, the most acute of our senses, has a powerful influence on our bodies and minds. The scent from essential oils are believed to activate olfactory nerve cells in the nasal cavity, which then send impulses to the limbic system; the area of the brain associated with emotions and memory.

Proponents of aromatherapy believe that the aromatic oils work both emotionally and physically. Emotionally, the oils may make you feel better by evoking a pleasant memory (the smell of apples might remind you of a pie that your favourite aunt once made, for example). Physically, essential oils they may help to relieve certain conditions by stimulating the immune, circulatory, or nervous system.

WHAT YOU MAY EXPECT

Generally we will use aromatherapy as part of another treatment, such as massage, or in tandem with another treatment.

As with our other therapies, we will need to know your general medical history, the level of stress in your life, and your reasons for seeking treatment. We can then work together to choose the oil or oils that will most effectively address your complaint.

It is important to tell us if you are pregnant, or thinking about becoming pregnant, because there are certain oils that you should avoid. We also need to know if you are using homoeopathic remedies, because the oils' strong smells can offset the effects of some homoeopathic treatments.

The benefits of aromatherapy can be obtained in a number of ways:

• By direct application of the of the oils to the skin. Massage with aromatherapy oils allows the substances to be readily absorbed into the skin. We mix essential oils with a carrier oil such as almond oil; it is this mixture that we use in our massage therapy.
• By inhaling the scents. Slowly breathing in the intense aromas of essential oils is often recommended for easing congestion due to colds, flu, or chronic sinusitis or bronchitis.
• By adding the oils to your bathwater. Adding 8 to 10 drops of an essential oil to your bath can create a relaxing atmosphere and allows the oil to seep into your skin.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Several studies have shown aromatherapy's ability to promote recovery in certain conditions and reduce stress. Researchers have found that the vanilla-like smell of heliotropin helped patients to relax while they underwent MRI scans. A study of patients who had undergone heart surgery found that those who received a foot massage with neroli (orange) oil were noticably less anxious than those who had he same massage with plain carrier oil.

Aromatherapy is frequently prescribed for a variety of complaints, including sinusitis, colds and flus, digestive problems, insomnia, migraine, and muscle aches and pains.