I was dismayed and irritated to read that one of today’s google news top headlines was “Aromatherapy Falls Short”. Under the headline it showed that almost 200 news outlets were already running the story that you can read here. I read the article and had to shake my head at this pathetic attempt at a study and how badly it tested aromatherapy.
Aromatherapy involves using essential oils to facilitate healing. There are a wide variety of treatments that fall under the aromatherapy umbrella. A therapist can call something aromatherapy when they put a certain scent in the air. Aromatherapy might involve a massage where the therapist mixes essential oils with the massage oil. Or Aromatherapy could involve using essential oils with prescribed methods of inducing them into the skin.
The test of aromatherapy in this study involved repeatedly putting on and ripping off a piece of tape. It seems to me these study authors have not experienced a true treatment, because there is no relevance between how a patch of skin feels after you have smelled a certain scent, versus how you feel after a true aromatherapy treatment. And yet it is headline news that aromatherapy doesn’t work after this study!
Last Saturday I learned how to give a raindrop essential oil aromatherapy treatment. The best part of this lesson was being the recipient. There is a prescribed set of pure essential oils, spread on the body in specific places, in a specific order, with specific strokes and massage moves. The effect on the body is pretty significant. I showed up for the treatment feeling somewhat tired from a long weekend of moving. After my 45-minute raindrop essential oil aromatherapy treatment, my head was extremely clear and lucid. My energy level had skyrocketed and I was in a great mood. There is little doubt that my body and wellbeing was significantly better after this treatment.
I admit my experience does not negate a study. But the details of the study were so far off from a true aromatherapy treatment, I don’t see how the authors could use it to debunk aromatherapy. Trust me, you want to check out an aromatherapy treatment yourself. There should be little doubt that your experience will leave you better off than before the treatment.
I agree with you. We have just started using essential oils and aromatherapy and have really enjoyed the benefits of it.
Posted by: Joe | March 31, 2008 at 10:59 PM