Monday, April 16, 2007

Aromatherapy in CFS management - Part 1

As Laura (see her blog, down there on the left - my in-post links aren't working), is having a bit of trouble sleeping, and is interested in adding aromatherapy to her kit of management strategies, I thought I'd share a bit of my experience with this delicate healing art. This, Part One, will focus on the basics, to be followed swiftly (I promise) by Part Two - sleeping. But first a little background. I initially became interested in aromatherapy about 8 or 9 years ago when my mum was given an book on it which also came with 4 little sample bottles of essential oils. They smelled a bit exotic and the book looked seductive with it's instructions on aromatic baths and healing massage. When I started my final year of high school an aunt gave me an oil burner and some oils (orange I think, one of my faves) to assist my study and relaxation. I soon bought a book or two on the subject, and increased my little stash of oils, and I was on my way. Subsequently another aunt started to study to become an aromatherapist (she is now practising), since which time she has been an invaluable source of information on the topic, remedies and general advice. So I suppose you could say that for a layman, I know a fair bit on the subject, however I am not a trained aromatherapist or a medical practitioner, so please bear this in mind this when reading my words.

So, first thing first, and introduction to aromatherapy, and some things to think about when using it. I won't give you a history of aromatherapy, mostly because I don't purport to know much about it and that's probably not why you're reading this anyway.

Essential oils
When you use oils for aromatherapy, their therapeutic properties rely on their chemical makeup as much as their smell. So it's important to buy oils that are distilled or otherwise extracted from the right plants, and not just manufactured to smell right. To this end, you need to ensure that the oil you buy is has a label stating "100% pure essential oil). Often real essential oils will also have the botanical name of the plant from which the oil is extracted (eg Citrus sinensis for Sweet Orange oil). These are both good signs you are getting the real deal, and not something designed for making your potpourri smell nice. Finding a reputable shop that stock essential oils helps in figuring out which brands are good, and you can sometimes find essential oils in pharmacies (drug stores).

Dilution
Essential oils (with a very few exceptions) should never be used "neat" on the skin. The term "neat" means undiluted. They will irritate the skin if used neat, so they should always be diluted with a suitable carrier oil if they are to be used on the skin, for example in massage. Suitable carrier oils include a whole range of plant and nut oils, with a preference for those with a mild or no odour (but yes, if you're desperate you can even use olive oil from the kitchen!). Jojoba oil is considered the bees knees of carrier oils, with other good ones including sweet almond oil, macadamia, and grape seed.
Oils should generally be diluted to about 2-3% dilution for use on the body. Quite conveniently, a teaspoon is approximately 100 drops, so you can just add 2 drops of your chosen essential oil(s) for each teaspoon of your carrier oil. If you're using essential oils in the bath, they can be used neat, just make sure you drop them into the water near the tap while it is still running, so they disperse well. Alternatively you can dilute them in a few teaspoons of vodka or milk, either of which will help them disperse in the bath water.
The only oil I frequently use neat on skin in lavender, which is great to spot onto insect bites for nearly instant relief of itching and pain.

Types of Use
There are a number of ways you can use essential oils, inlcuding massage, baths, inhalations and vapourisers. Which method you use will depend on what you are trying to achieve and your personal preference. For instance inhalations are great for respiratory problems, but a relaxing bath can be used to allow the oils to absorb through the skin and be inhaled at the same time. Oil vapourisers are great from dispersing healing aromas throughout a room, and for this I would definitely recommend investing in an electic vapouriser that gently heats the oils and disperses them, although you can also use a candle under a bowl of water in which some oil is floated, just make sure your burner is ceramic, not metal (too much heat!) and never leave it going when you're not in the room. The amount of oil you use for methods will also vary, for instance you may use 2-3 teaspoons of carrier oil with 4-6 drops of essential oil of a massage over a large portion of the body. A bath usually requires just 2-3 drops of oil, inhalations require varying amounts, and in a vapouriser you will put in several drops of essential oil initially, and keep it topped up as that amount depletes.

Personal Preference
Various oils have various characteristics. Some stimulate the body, some relax it. Some help to build up the immune system. Some have a detoxifying effect. Lots of oils have similar characteristics, and they can often be used somewhat interchangeably to acheive similar results. So if you find an oil mentioned in a "recipe" for a remedy, but you really hate the smell of it, don't use it, or replace it with a similar oil that has the same qualities (er, more on this later). It is important that you like the smell of the oil or blend you use, as it will work best with your body that way.

Well, that all for the moment folks, and that should be enough for me to launch into a little series about what aromatherapy can be used for in helping with CFS problems. If you have any requests for issues you'd like me to address, drop me a line in a comment and I'll do my best to oblige! I think the first topic will be sleep. :)

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4 comments

Posted by Ellie at 6:25 PM