The use of plant oils for therapeutic purposes, often in conjunction with massage. For relaxation and relief of pain. Also may affect performance – some oils are relaxing, others stimulating.
The National Society for Epilepsy advises that oils of rosemary, fennel, hyssop and sage may make seizures more likely; also that some oils contain camphor, a chemical that can cause seizures. Their full advice can be found at http://tinyurl.com/2coyzg.
For babies, there is some evidence that a scent they have become familiar with, in a comforting context, will help to comfort them at more difficult times such as during a heel-prick test. There is also some evidence in support of the traditional belief that lavender assists sleep.
There are a number of organisations that have screening and registration systems for members who practise aromatherapy and other kinds of therapy. However, practitioners do not have to belong to an organisation. Those that can provide lists of members include; the Institute for Complementary Medicine, tel: 020 7231 5855 www.i-c-m.org.uk; the Guild of Complementary Practitioners, tel: 0118 973 5757; the International Federation of Aromatherapists, tel: 020 8992 9605, www.ifaroma.org; the Interanational Federation of Professional Aromatherapists (IFPA), tel: 01455 637987, www.ifparoma.org; and the London and Counties Society of Physiologists (LCSP), tel: 01253 408443, www.lcsp.uk.com.
Nurses, who have done 60 hours of recognised massage training and practice, are theoretically able to use aromatherapy within the NHS. However it has not really gained mainstream acceptance in the UK. (For massage, see under Recognised approaches.)
Buckle J. Literature review: should nursing take aromatherapy more seriously? British Journal of Nursing 2007 Jan 25-Feb 7, 16(2):116-20.
Fleming, K. Aromatherapy massage is associated with small transient reductions in anxiety. Evidence Based Nursing, Oct 2000, 3, 118.
Goel N et al. An olfactory stimulus modifies night-time sleep in young men and women. Chronobiology International 2005, 22(5):889-904.
Goubet N et al. Familiarity breeds content? Soothing effect of a familiar odor on full-term newborns. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics 2007 Jun, 28(3):189-94.
