By Sangita Maharjan RN

Aromatherapy

Holistic treatment based on the external use of essential aromatic plant oils to maintain and promote physical, physiological, and spiritual well being.

a part of herbal medicine and one of the fastest growing field in alternative medicine.

Used for the relief of pain, reduce anxiety, and promote relaxation.

The History of Aromatherapy

Nearly 6000 years old

used in Greece, Rome and Egypt.

By Egyptian physician Imhotep, God of medicine and healing and Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine.

The History of Aromatherapy contd…

In modern era, the term is coined in 1928 from the French term aromatherapie by a French chemist, René Maurice Gattefossé.

Discovered the healing properties of essential plants oil.

Used In world war I and World war II by Dr Jean Valnet, a French army surgeon

and Marguerite Maury, a surgical assistant

The Benefits of Aromatherapy

The Benefits of Aromatherapy contd

With holistic perspective, preventive health care and useful complementary treatment

Essential oils have antiseptic, and some have antiviral, anti inflammatory, pain relieving, antidepressant, stimulation, relaxation, digestion improvement, diuretic properties and expectorant properties.

widely used at home, clinics and hospitals.

How does Aromatherapy work?

How does Aromatherapy work?

The effects of an aroma can be relaxing or stimulating.

Work at psychological, physiological, and cellular levels.

affect body, mind and all the delicate links in between

Produced Only steam distillation or expression or squeezing methods.

Methods of application

Three ways:

through ingestion,

through olfaction, the fastest effect, triggers olfactory sense and trigger responses in limbic system.

through topical application, via diffusion, compression, massage.

Evidence Based Research and Clinical Practice

Human can the capability to distinguish 10,000 different smells.

Smell controls our moods, emotions, memory and learning.

doctors have found that a life without fragrance can lead to high incidence of psychiatric problems.

smelling lavender increases alpha waves in the back of head.

Fragrance of Jasmine increases beta waves in the front of the heads.

Evidence Based Research and Clinical Practice contd.. A study conducted in Japanese fragrance

company found that Japanese have reported less mistakes by key punch operators when exposed to fragrance.

British Medical Journal Lancet, elderly patients slept "like babies" when a lavender aroma was wafted into their bedrooms at night.

Han et al.(2006) found a mixture of essential oils topically applied to the abdomen of 67 nurses had a statically significant effect on reducing menstrual pain

Evidence Based Research and Clinical Practice contd..

Warnke et al., Edward-Jones et al, Bowlers et al. tested tea tree against several staphylococcal strains including MRSA, four streptococcus strains, and three candida strains including candida krusei

decrease in prevalence of MRSA, most effective against MRSA in dressing.

peppermint, and lemon reduced malodor and volatile sulfur compound in intensive care unit patients.

A Japanese study found that black peeper stimulated swallowing reflex in people with dysfunction following stroke

A paper by Lesho suggests that essential oils would be useful to reduce the incidence of hospital acquired and ventilator associated pneumonia

Implication for Nursing Practice and Theory

Aromatherapy resonates with various theory of nursing.

Watson’s Theory of Caring

Barret’s Theory of Power

Nightingale’s Theory of Nursing

Erickson’s work which led to the modeling theory

Roger’s Nursing Theory

Added to holistic nursing board examinations in the United States

Implication for Nursing Practice and Theory

In the United States and Great Britain, the contemporary practice of aromatherapy is often associated with naturopathy and Western herbal medicine.

The fastest growing therapy among nurses in the united states.

In the United States, many hospital-affiliated centers for the study of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) offer aromatherapy as well as other alternative approaches.

Risks of aromatherapy

Not all essential oils, however, should be taken internally.

Oral consumption only under the care and supervision of an experienced practitioner.

Cautious use during pregnancy, have allergy, high blood pressure or epilepsy.

Cautious use in young children or babies.

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or any of the dissociative disorders .

REFRENCE

Aromatherapy.com (n.d).The balance and harmony of body, mind. Essential oils. Retrieved 01/26/2014 from http://www.aromatherapy.com/essential_oils.html

Holisticonline.com( 2007). Aromatherapy.

Retrieved 01/26/2014 from http://holistic-online.com/Aromatherapy/aroma_benefits.htm

Dossey, B. M., & Keegan, L. (2013).Holistic nursing: a handbook for practice (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Rebecca J. Frey( n.d). Encyclopedia of mental disorder. Aromatherapy. Retrieved 01/26/2014 from http://www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Aromatherapy.html.