Free Pain Relief Newsletter  Click Here Pain Relief Articles -  Get Well With Smell Exercise:  A Natural Reliever For Chronic Low Back Pain 4 Natural Home Remedies to Ease the Pain of Sunburn Getting A Grip on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Exercise Your Way To Pain Relief Benefits of Alternative Medicine Neck Pain Management Migraines - Food and Diet Tendonitis Pain Relief Treating Arthritis - Naturally Getting Well With Smell Guided Imagery - The Healing Power of Imagination The Healing Power of Food Healing With Herbs Healing With Movement Healing With Water Self-Healing With Homeopathy Laughter Is Good Medicine Treat Your Own Back Pain Healing With Your Mind Getting Well With Smell By Gerri Shapiro, MS Ed. Aromatherapy is not about fragrance - it's about healing. The healing properties come from highly concentrated extracts taken from herbs, flowers and other plants. These extracts, called essential oils, are inhaled or applied to the skin in various ways. How do essential oils work? Essential oils affect your body through your highly sensitive sense of smell. When cells in the upper part of your nose capture odor molecules, they signal your brain's limbic region. This controls your body's basic survival functions and influences key hormone-secreting glands. That is why a smell can quickly influence your entire body. You can inhale essential oils by placing them in your bath water or in a bowl of warm water, on a humidifier, in melted wax surrounding a lit candle, or in a diffusion device. Aromatherapy massage is a popular way of using essential oils because it works in a number of ways at the same time. It produces benefits from absorbing the oils into your skin, from inhaling the oil's vapors, and from the physical therapy of the massage itself. What are the uses of aromatherapy? Aromatherapy can help ease a wide assortment of aches, pains and injuries. It is particularly effective for stress, anxiety, muscular pains, digestive disorders, PMS and menopausal symptoms. It can also be useful as a first aid measure for minor burns and cuts. Aromatherapy can be used to stimulate the immune system, improve circulation, help combat infections and ease abdominal spasm. It has also been used to lower blood pressure, combat insomnia, alleviate tension headaches and help deal with anxiety and mild depression Research Insomnia In a study reported in the British Medical Journal Lancet, elderly patients slept "like babies" when lavender aroma was wafted into their bedrooms at night. These patients had complained of difficulty falling asleep and had to take sleeping pills to get to sleep prior to aromatherapy. Postpartum Discomfort In a double blind study, 635 women applied lavender oil to their perineal area after child birth. The women reported a distinct improvement between the 3rd and 5th day. (The discomfort was the worst during this same time for patients in the control group). Stress In a study conducted at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York, patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reported 63 percent less claustrophobic after getting exposed to the aroma of vanilla. In another study, 122 patients who were in an intensive care unit reported feeling much better when aromatherapy was administered with the oil of lavender (compared to when they were simply given a massage or allowed to rest). Some Healing Properties of Essential Oils Pain Relief Lavender and lemongrass oil help dull pain by numbing nerve endings. Chamomile, juniper, and tea tree oil help diminish pain through anti-inflammatory action. Black pepper, ginger, peppermint and thyme oil help relieve pain by producing heat and increasing circulation Lemon, marjoram, clarysage or myrtle oil help relieve pain through relaxation. Insomnia Sleep-promoting oils such as bergamot, chamomile, cary sage, rose and sandalwood, can be inhaled or rubbed on the skin with massage oil or lotion. Headaches When inhaled, a variety of oils, including lavender, peppermint, chamomile and lemongrass - may help relieve headaches. Stress Bergamot, chamomile, rose and valerian oil may help relieve stress. High Blood Pressure Oils which have helped to lower blood pressure include orange, tangerine, geranium and clary sage. Bacterial Infections Oils isolated from bay laurel, clove bud, oregano and thyme may be used to treat infections of the skin, gums, sinus and throat. Cuts and Wounds Sprays or salves that contain essential oils from eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, tea tree or basil may help to heal cuts and wounds. Viral Infections Oils with antiviral properties include bay, bergamot, cardamom, eucalyptus, garlic, lemongrass, rosemary sage and tea tree. Precautions People with sensitive skin or lung conditions should not use essential oils, as they may cause irritation. 1. Do not apply undiluted directly to skin. 2. Do not take internally. 3. Do not use if pregnant, nursing or on young children. 4. MORE IS NOT BETTER A Gentle Alternative Aromatherapy can be used for almost any condition in your body, mind or emotions that could be improved by stimulating, calming or balancing. Whether inhaled or absorbed, essential oils have been proven to be an effective treatment for a wide variety of health challenges. When used as recommended, aromatherapy is very safe and offers an alternative treatment for many minor disorders for which doctors cannot always find a gentle solution.