Only if aroma could help you heal! Wait, it actually does and this is what the entire stream of aromatherapy is all about. Termed as an elusive and non-invasive form of healing, Aromatherapy concerns using essential oils as the base to ailment remediation. While in some cases it is still advocated as a traditional yet primary form of treatment, it has also started gaining precedence as a complementary or alternative form of healing, led by aromatic compounds.
How Long Has Aromatherapy Been Around?
Despite the renewed attention towards aromatherapy, you shouldn’t be led into believing this as a new, holistic healing method. Instead, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that aromatherapy has been around for almost 6,000 years, with our ancestors known to have explored the deepest secrets of this smell-based healing method.
How Does Aromatherapy Treatment Work?
Now that you seem pretty convinced about aromatherapy as the next big thing in the healing arena, it is necessary to understand the functioning and implementation of the same. As mentioned, the non-invasive modus operandi of this healing approach is easy to decipher and even easier to enact, provided you have experts doing the job.
However, the treatment approach is basically segregated into two schools of treatment:
Inhalation
Probably the most appropriate representation of aromatherapy, this method uses an aroma diffuser to spray the essential oils around. While the smell is quite pleasing in itself, it is ingested nasally or rather breathed in, as oil droplets and spray.
Besides the perks of a good aroma, these oils are also good at working as decongestants. Plus, consistent usage of the same is also known to have psychological benefits.
Coming to the working patterns, the aroma or oil diffuser is put to use, for spraying the concerned compound in strategic locations. Once spurted, the inhaled compounds readily rouse the olfactory setup of the body, thereby affecting the limbic system, directly.
Once the emotional repository is invaded, albeit progressively, the oils pacify the relevant senses like breathing, memory, blood pressure, and heart rate; thereby causing the body to heal, subtly and holistically.
Topical Treatment
The less obvious application concerns topical usage, where essential oils are directly added to massage-based products, skin care ointments, and bathing supplies. Once the concerned area of the body comes in contact with the essential oils, absorption and blood circulation improves significantly. Swallowing or directly consuming any essential oil, despite dilution, isn’t recommended.
Plus, aromatherapy, if implemented topically, works better when you apply oils to specific skin areas like palms that are loaded with hair follicles and sweat glands.
Regardless of the approach you follow, it is necessary to check for allergies. You can get an allergy test done by diluting the essential oil with the carrier oil and rubbing the mixture onto the forearm, to check for irritation, within 24 to 48 hours of application.
Aromatherapy Benefits That You Must be Aware of
As a complementary, additive, or even a primary form of healing, Aromatherapy as a procedure is laden with benefits. These include:
Internal Healing
Essential oils, when inhaled, allow you to mitigate issues concerning nausea, insomnia, and fatigue, precisely by targeting the limbic region of the brain. Plus, you can also get rid of mental issues like stress build-up, depression, agitation, and anxiety upon inhaling these oils.
Muscle-Specific Benefits
Massaging with essential oils helps lower muscular pains, body aches, and post-workout pain.
Pain Relief
Besides helping with muscular pain remediation, aromatherapy also allows you to keep menstrual pain to a minimum.
Hair-Based Benefits
Aromatherapy can help minimize the effects of balding, especially by letting you combat alopecia or other reasons for hair loss.
Additional Attributes
Essential oils, used and applied in any given form, can also help cure digestive issues, mouth sores, toothache, and issues related to psoriasis. However, you should be careful not to accidentally consume the oils.
Popular Oils and Conditions They Might Treat
Proper implementation of certain oils can help you treat a handful of physical conditions with ease. These include:
Basil extracted oils are helpful for curing depression and headaches, especially the ones that show up during pregnancy
Bergamot oil is known to be beneficial for treating issues related to digestive and urinary tract
Clove oil is more of a topical pain reliever with its analgesic capabilities useful enough to lower toothaches
How to Choose the Perfect Service Provider?
Aromatherapy, despite sounding like a straightforward, non-invasive healing strategy, requires expert guidance. Therefore, it is necessary to connect with the best Aromatherapists, by reading through organic user reviews and client testimonials. Also, you must check the oils they work with, as an extensive catalog is often a good trust-building indicator.
Bottom-Line
Despite aromatherapy being one of the more sought-after complementary strategies against a wide range of physical and mental conditions, it is still advisable to steer clear of some rare yet possible side effects like allergies, headaches, skin irritation, and more.
Therefore, as much as the essential oils are beneficial, it is important to get a health insurance plan in place to account for the untoward and less treatable conditions. Also, if you want to compare the best health insurance plans for picking up the best, it is advisable to reach out to the Bajaj Markets, to get a bird’s eye view of the options at hand.
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FAQs on Aromatherapy
What is aromatherapy used for?
Aromatherapy may promote relaxation and help relieve stress. It has also been used to help treat a wide range of physical and mental conditions, including burns, infections, depression, insomnia, and high blood pressure.
Does aromatherapy actually work?
Currently, there is no evidence-backed research showing any illnesses that can be cured through the use of essential oils or the practice of aromatherapy.
How does aromatherapy work in the body?
Aromatherapy is thought to work by stimulating smell receptors in the nose, which then send messages through the nervous system to the limbic system — the part of the brain that controls emotions. Many essential oils have been shown to be safe when used as directed.
Can aromatherapy be harmful?
Some oils produce toxins which can cause damage to the liver, kidneys, and nervous system, especially if taken internally. Swallowing essential oils can be hazardous, and fatal in some cases.
What is aromatherapy at home?
Aromatherapy is a holistic healing treatment that uses natural plant extracts to promote health and well-being. Sometimes it's called essential oil therapy. Aromatherapy uses aromatic essential oils medicinally to improve the health of the body, mind, and spirit. It enhances both physical and emotional health
