Today's Aromatherapy: Using Essential Oils as Effective Medicines

Therapeutic use of essential oils is beginning to be recognized in the United States as a valid modality for treating illness. There is still significant resistance to the science of Aromatherapy, but such is the resistance from the institutional-medicine/pharmaceutical-industrial complex to most 'natural' health treatments. 'Big Pharma' is THE industry with the highest average profit margins on earth -- and is dedicated to producing, patenting, marketing selling new, unnatural (and therefore 'patent-able') chemical compounds that are supposed to answer every need of health and wellness. While some formulations do much good for the world (modern medicine has nearly eradicated several life-threatening illnesses from the planet), other medicines simply mask symptoms for a time, and others are downright dangerous.

Essential oils offer inexpensive, effective treatments for many ailments, free from side-effects of over-the-counter or prescription drugs. Whether the very limited and overtly skeptical presentation of Aromatherapy in the mainstream media is driven by the big money involved with institutional medicine remains to be clarified. In the meantime, YOU have the ways and means to include essential oils in your own natural medicine program. There are a great many resources available to the lay-practitioner to determine which oils and how they can best be applied for the improvement of your own health and wellness. Let's have a look at what the science of Aromatherapy is really about...

The term Aromatherapy was coined by a French scientist after accidentally discovering the remarkable healing effects of Lavender oil on burns sustained in the lab. He had thrust his burning hands into a vat of Lavender oil, finding the wounds to heal extremely quickly. Further investigation lead to his book 'Aromatherapie', and the modern medical use of essential oils began. Aromatherapy refers simply to the branch of medicine utilizing volatile aromatic compounds naturally distilled from plants. Essential oils can be as effective as any other natural remedy when employed with proper knowledge and skill. In fact, many pharmaceutical drugs are plant extracts manipulated to give the inventor patent protection on their formulation. But essential oils cannot be patented - ANYone with the right tools and know-how can produce them. At the same time, there is no major lobbying effort underway to educate the public about their medicinal properties - likely the reason America has not gone beyond 'aroma' to 'therapy' with essential oils.

The dichotomy of deriding aromatherapy for it's unfounded healing potentials and extolling its virtues as effective medicine is curious. Take the recent 'proof' of enteric-coated capsules of Peppermint essential oil being extremely effective in treating the sometimes debilitating symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS. IBS is a result of unchecked growth of 'unfriendly' bacterial in a weakened digestive system. Western medicine has been hard-pressed to find a safe and effective long-term treatment. Enter the steam distilled essential oil of whole peppermint herb - taken in capsules as to be well tolerated by those with sensitive stomachs, and to be released in the region of most effect - the intestines. The treatment has been widely accepted mostly due to it's 'proven' efficacy in controlled studies. Peppermint has the wonderful result of eliminating the disease-causing microorganisms, while leaving the natural and healthy 'bugs' in the digestive system to do their job.

Another widely-published effect of a particular essential oil is that of Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) for the treatment of oral and genital herpes. The herpes simplex virus, or HSV, is one that a patient is thought to have to live with for the rest of their lives once contracted. The virus remains dormant in the nervous system until times of stress reduce immune system function enough to allow recurrence of painful sores and legions. It's not fun, nor is it considered 'curable' by the American medical establishment. However, in many university studies performed in Germany, Lemon Balm (as well as other combinations of essential oils containing the same ant-viral compounds) has been shown very effective at reducing the pain, duration, and frequency of outbreaks through topical application. One professor has even proclaimed that repeated use before and during outbreaks can lead to complete remission of the disease. Again, Aromatherapy to the rescue!

Then, of course, there is the 'aroma' therapeutic aspect of essential oil use. The hard facts show the olfactory sense of the brain is wired directly to vital control centers of the gray matter - particularly those governing emotions, stress levels and, well we're not sure how this relates to your health, but sexual arousal as well. And with acceptance of the importance of one's mental health relating to their physical well being continuing to grow, Aromatherapy may eventually find it's place in hospitals and doctor's offices alongside stethoscopes, syringes and cotton swabs. Many, many studies have shown the self-evaluated improvements in mood and stress levels when inhaling particular essential oils - and because stress is considered by many health professionals as THE number one cause of disease, it's a short leap to believe the inhalation of spirit-lifting aromas can result in improved states of health.

Aromatherapy in a natural health, wellness and fitness regime is not a cure-all, miracle path to health, however. Like any other medicine or treatment, it has it's place, and should be used when it provides the best combination of safety and efficacy. How do you find out if essential oils can help you, your friends or your loved ones? Educate yourself! There are several wonderful books available on medical and clinical aromatherapy. Some will deal mostly with the psychological aspects, others mainly in treatment of infectious illness, and others touch on every conceivable application. Buy them, get them from your library, borrow them from friends - but educate yourself as much as possible, and find a degreed practitioner if need be. But most of all, give Aromatherapy a chance. The particular class of plant compounds called 'essential oils', which just happen to smell nice, have as much validity as any other field of medicine, and deserves to be appreciated with the same respect. Whether they work for you is up to your own knowledge and dedication to the practice!