What is the role of Aromatherapy in Integrative Oncology?
According to the US Government National Cancer Institute:
Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of essential oils (also known as volatile oils) from plants (flowers, herbs, or trees) for the improvement of physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
Aromatherapy is used by patients with cancer primarily as supportive care for general well-being.
Aromatherapy is used with other complementary treatments (e.g., massage and acupuncture) as well as with standard treatments for symptom management.
The effects of aromatherapy are theorized to result from the binding of chemical components in the essential oil to receptors in the olfactory bulb, impacting the brain’s emotional center, the limbic system. Topical application of aromatic oils may exert antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic effects.
Functional imaging studies in humans support the influence of odors on the limbic system and its emotional pathways.
Aromatherapy Treatment can help with:
- Digestion
- Stress
- Heightened emotions
- Energy
- Detoxification
- Sleep
- Cognitive function (begin to clear away the “fog”)
