The Past, Present and Future of Aromatherapy
The earliest documentation of aromatherapy's auspicious beginning was in Egypt around 5,000 years ago with documented use in China and the Far East. The practicality of its use in Egypt is almost identical to its use today, namely, health and beauty. Many of the same essential oils are used today and in combinations prescribed by the Egyptians thousands of years ago.
Until the coming-of-age of antibiotics in the medical field, aromatherapy was still a viable therapy for certain types of illness. After modern medicine made its debut, the belief in the "old ways" began to decline. The decline continued until about twenty years ago, when society realized that all the magic bullets touted by the medical field were not working. By this time even the doctors and nurses were looking toward alternative medicine to complement current therapies. Thus, the name now commonly used in the medical profession is "Complementary Alternative Therapies/Modalities(CAM)". Aromatherapy is considered one accepted form of CAM.
The nursing organization began using aromatherapy about fifteen years ago when they recognized the benefits for their acute-care and long-term care patients. Other medical fields have begun using aromatherapy in their treatment. For instance, in psychology, the essential oils can be used to enhance traditional painkillers which can be a boon to the approximately 80 million people who are afflicted with chronic pain. In the area of heart disease, the oils can be used to relieve "anxiety" in the patients allowing the patient to begin the healing process. Other areas are more practical such as cleaning the work area (home and hospitals) with essential oils as they do in Europe instead of chemical products. This has a dual purpose: the antibacterial properties of the oils clean and disinfect plus the scent affects the individual(s) in a positive manner.
Aromatherapy has grown over the years and the main concern today is using this modality safely. There is more to this therapy than mixing a few oils and inhaling or massaging it into the skin. Knowing the compounds and what effect they produce, knowing the quality of the oils, knowing the proper mixtures, where to buy quality products and the risks associated with its use are fast becoming a concern.
Aromatherapy is becoming a very big business and along with its growth comes a real need to begin the process of setting-up legitimate certifications and accreditation standards. The potential for fraud is evident. The oils do not come cheaply. The process of extracting the oils from the plants or seeds is very expensive. Whether or not the essential oil performs properly is dependent upon its quality and the reputation of the manufacturer. Mixing the wrong oils or setting-up protocols for clients improperly can have dangerous consequences.
Generally speaking, the use of aromatherapy is safe; however as more people become involved in this area there will need to be some type of training and testing available to force people to meet certain industry standards. A good first step would be to seek out the nurses involved in holistic medicine, working out of the major cancer centers, universities and hospitals who have been schooled and trained in the use of aromatherapy and find out where and how they received their certification.
The field of aromatherapy encompasses not only individuals seeking health through alternative medicine, but also the medical field seeking to use aromatherapy to enhance treatment and patient care. Certification standards would guarantee that individuals who prefer the use of aromatherapy will be offered the safest and best quality products and patients under a doctors care will not be denied the benefits of aromatherapy in their treatment.