What Is Aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy is a term created in the 1920?s by the French scientist Rene Maurice Gattefosse for the use of essential oils in the treatment of disease. The essential oil, also known as the essence of the oil, is the process of extracting the chemical properties of that oil so that it may be used for treatment. In France some essential oils cannot be used without a doctor?s prescription. In other countries around the world, including the United States, aromatherapy is not recognized as a viable form of treatment for any disease.
The name aromatherapy is a little misleading and an entire industry has evolved around this misunderstanding. Aromatherapy is actually defined as the use of the chemical properties of the oils, and their supposed ability to cure disease by applying them directly to the patient, as opposed to the strength of their scent. While there is an arm of aromatherapy that does deal with the relaxation properties of certain scents, the main focus of the practice is on applying oils to cure disease and not on creating scents to reduce stress.
The Critics Speak Out
There is very little solid research available to back up the claims that practicing therapists make about their oils and treatments. Some critics have said that, aside from making the room smell nice and reducing stress, aromatherapy has very little value at all. Many medical doctors put aromatherapy in the same category as acupuncture and other alternative medicines but many therapists claim that their oils and treatments are very effective. The problem is that there is no value in conducting a truly scientific study on oils and their effects because you really cannot patent an oil treatment. If there is no money to be made then there is usually very little interest in researching something.
However there is a danger to aromatherapy that could cause American medical authorities to take a closer look at the practice as it becomes more popular here and in other Western countries. Essential oils are, in their most basic form, chemicals extracted from different plants. As chemicals they cause a chemical reaction when they come into contact with something. The practice of aromatherapy involves combining these oils into mixtures that are intended to treat disease and alter a patient?s mood. However, if a therapist creates an incorrect mixture, or uses a mixture that a client is unknowingly allergic to, the results can be fatal. Since the practice deals with applying a mixture of chemicals to the human body in the hopes of treating disease, and with an alarming number of new therapists popping up every year, it may be in the best interest of the medical authorities to start giving aromatherapy a closer look.
Aromatherapy is a term created in the 1920?s by the French scientist Rene Maurice Gattefosse for the use of essential oils in the treatment of disease. The essential oil, also known as the essence of the oil, is the process of extracting the chemical properties of that oil so that it may be used for treatment. In France some essential oils cannot be used without a doctor?s prescription. In other countries around the world, including the United States, aromatherapy is not recognized as a viable form of treatment for any disease.
The name aromatherapy is a little misleading and an entire industry has evolved around this misunderstanding. Aromatherapy is actually defined as the use of the chemical properties of the oils, and their supposed ability to cure disease by applying them directly to the patient, as opposed to the strength of their scent. While there is an arm of aromatherapy that does deal with the relaxation properties of certain scents, the main focus of the practice is on applying oils to cure disease and not on creating scents to reduce stress.
The Critics Speak Out
There is very little solid research available to back up the claims that practicing therapists make about their oils and treatments. Some critics have said that, aside from making the room smell nice and reducing stress, aromatherapy has very little value at all. Many medical doctors put aromatherapy in the same category as acupuncture and other alternative medicines but many therapists claim that their oils and treatments are very effective. The problem is that there is no value in conducting a truly scientific study on oils and their effects because you really cannot patent an oil treatment. If there is no money to be made then there is usually very little interest in researching something.
However there is a danger to aromatherapy that could cause American medical authorities to take a closer look at the practice as it becomes more popular here and in other Western countries. Essential oils are, in their most basic form, chemicals extracted from different plants. As chemicals they cause a chemical reaction when they come into contact with something. The practice of aromatherapy involves combining these oils into mixtures that are intended to treat disease and alter a patient?s mood. However, if a therapist creates an incorrect mixture, or uses a mixture that a client is unknowingly allergic to, the results can be fatal. Since the practice deals with applying a mixture of chemicals to the human body in the hopes of treating disease, and with an alarming number of new therapists popping up every year, it may be in the best interest of the medical authorities to start giving aromatherapy a closer look.
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