The History And Use Of Aromatherapy
Aromatherapyis a kind of nature-based complementary and alternative medicine which involves the use of aromatic plant oils which are said to contribute to psychological and physical well-being.A number of studies have conclusively proven that use of aromatherapy can help alleviate stress, cure insomnia, headache and much more.Some lab studies have shown that certain essential oils have antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, calming as well as energizing effects.
The principal reason why aromatherapy is not as widely popular in the medical fraternity is because the exactly how it works in now well understood.The prevailing theory, which is not much anyways, is that the fragrant oils trigger the release of certain hormones and chemicals in your body which are responsible for its effects.Smells are also known to trigger memories and cause changes in one’s mood. This is attributed to the same mechanism as that causes essentials oils to trigger release of chemicals.
Aromatherapy is believed to have been around for millennia.It is historically linked to the burning of aromatic plants in old religious rites, and the use of aromatic oil as infusions and unguents as mentioned in the Bible and ancient Greek and Egyptian texts.The rise of Aromatherapy , in its modern iteration as an alternative medicine is mainly attributed to the French chemist and perfumer, Rene Gatafosse.Gatafosse coined the term “aromatherapy” when he published a book of the same name in 1937.In that book he proposed the health benefits of aromatic plant oils and supported these claims through anecdotal and case-based evidence.
It was only in the 1980s when Western countries became interested with the use of aromatic essential oils as an alternative to traditional medicine.Attesting to its popularity is the large body of literature that has been made about the effects of scents to the human brain as well as emotions.
Insomnia, muscle crams, nausea etc. are treated using essential oils of which rosemary, lavender and peppermint are the popular ones.These aromatic plant oils are often diluted so they can be applied topically, or through a soothing massage.Other application techniques include water immersion and inhalation.