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The Past, Present and Future of
Aromatherapy
The earliest documentation of aromatherapy's auspicious
beginning was in Egypt around 5,000 years ago with documented
use in China and the Far East. The practicality of its use in
Egypt is almost identical to its use today, namely, health and
beauty. Many of the same essential oils are used today and in
combinations prescribed by the Egyptians thousands of years
ago.
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Until the coming-of-age of antibiotics in the
medical field, aromatherapy was still a viable
therapy for certain types of illness. After modern
medicine made its debut, the belief in the "old
ways" began to decline. The decline continued until
about twenty years ago, when society realized that
all the magic bullets touted by the medical field
were not working. By this time even the doctors and
nurses were looking toward alternative medicine to
complement current therapies. Thus, the name now
commonly used in the medical profession is
"Complementary Alternative
Therapies/Modalities(CAM)". Aromatherapy is
considered one accepted form of
CAM.
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The nursing organization began using aromatherapy about
fifteen years ago when they recognized the benefits for their
acute-care and long-term care patients. Other medical fields
have begun using aromatherapy in their treatment. For instance,
in psychology, the essential oils can be used to enhance
traditional painkillers which can be a boon to the
approximately 80 million people who are afflicted with chronic
pain. In the area of heart disease, the oils can be used to
relieve "anxiety" in the patients allowing the patient to begin
the healing process. Other areas are more practical such as
cleaning the work area (home and hospitals) with essential oils
as they do in Europe instead of chemical products. This has a
dual purpose: the antibacterial properties of the oils clean
and disinfect plus the scent affects the individual(s) in a
positive manner.
Aromatherapy has grown over the years and the main concern
today is using this modality safely. There is more to this
therapy than mixing a few oils and inhaling or massaging it
into the skin. Knowing the compounds and what effect they
produce, knowing the quality of the oils, knowing the proper
mixtures, where to buy quality products and the risks
associated with its use are fast becoming a concern.
Aromatherapy is becoming a very big business and along with its
growth comes a real need to begin the process of setting-up
legitimate certifications and accreditation standards. The
potential for fraud is evident. The oils do not come cheaply.
The process of extracting the oils from the plants or seeds is
very expensive. Whether or not the essential oil performs
properly is dependent upon its quality and the reputation of
the manufacturer. Mixing the wrong oils or setting-up protocols
for clients improperly can have dangerous consequences.
Generally speaking, the use of aromatherapy is safe; however as
more people become involved in this area there will need to be
some type of training and testing available to force people to
meet certain industry standards. A good first step would be to
seek out the nurses involved in holistic medicine, working out
of the major cancer centers, universities and hospitals who
have been schooled and trained in the use of aromatherapy and
find out where and how they received their certification.
The field of aromatherapy encompasses not only individuals
seeking health through alternative medicine, but also the
medical field seeking to use aromatherapy to enhance treatment
and patient care. Certification standards would guarantee that
individuals who prefer the use of aromatherapy will be offered
the safest and best quality products and patients under a
doctors care will not be denied the benefits of aromatherapy in
their treatment.
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