Aromatherapy massage is massage therapy with essential oils added to the massage oil or lotion. Some of the health benefits of aromatherapy include its ability to reduce anxiety, ease depression, boost energy levels, speed up the healing process, eliminate headaches, boost cognitive performance, induce sleep, strengthen the immune system, reduce pain, improve digestion and increase circulation.
There are probably as many uses for aromatherapy as there are essential oils, but research shows particular promise in relieving stress, stabilizing your mood, improving sleep, pain, and nausea relief, and improving your memory and energy level. An important element of aromatherapy is synergy, which is why using a combination of oils often creates a much more powerful effect than any one particular oil.
Healing and Recovery: As stimulants, many essential oils can help increase the rate of healing throughout the body. This can be due to increased oxygen and blood flow to wounds as well as more internal healing processes like those following surgeries or illness. The anti-microbial properties of certain essential oils also keep the body protected during these delicate healing stages of the body. Some of the most popular essential oils for speeding up the healing process of the body include lavender, rosehip, frankincense, tea tree, rosemary, ylang ylang, and buckthorn essential oils. A number of those same oils do more than heal wounds; they can also reduce the severity and discomfort from skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema.
Why Do People Get Aromatherapy Massage?
Since aromatherapy massage is a bit like Swedish massage but with scent added, people often get it for muscle- and joint-related conditions or for physical or mental stress.
Other conditions include:
- Headache
- Insomnia
- Digestive disorders
- Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
- Back Pain
Each essential oil used in aromatherapy is said to have different properties. For example, some calm while others energize. The following lists some of the therapeutic uses of several oils for a few of today's most common complaints. There are some real "multitaskers," like lavender, ylang ylang and bergamot oils that treat more than one problem.
- Stress– Lavender, Bergamot, Peppermint, Veitievr, Ylang Ylang
- Insomnia– Lavender, Chamomile, Neroli, Sandalwood, Ylang Ylang
- Anxiety– Lavender, Bergamot, Sandalwood,
- Depression– Lavender, Peppermint
- Decongesting – Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Pine, Tea tree
Few Benefits of Aromatherapy Massage
- Aromatherapy massage helps to reduce the pain and discomfort of menstrual cramps - a 2005 study from the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology suggests.
- Massage with aromatherapy may also ease menopausal symptoms. In a study published in Menopause, researchers compared 30-minute aromatherapy massage (twice a week for four weeks) to massage with plain oil or no treatment and found that both massage and aromatherapy massage were effective in reducing menopausal symptoms (with aromatherapy massage being more effective than massage only).
- Aromatherapy massage (over a regular message) has been found to be a valuable relaxation technique for reducing anxiety and stress, and beneficial to the immune system based on a 2002 study In Japan using essential oils of Sweet almond, lavender oil, tea tree oil, cypress oil and sweet marjoram oil.
Final Thoughts
Aromatherapy with essential oil-scented massage oils and lotions may help to ease stress and anxiety and accelerate the healing and recovery process. So go ahead and add your favorite luxury essential oils from MEVEI to your massage ritual!
Comments
5 comments
Dr. Bruce L Salzinger, D.C.
Thanks for spreading the good word. Quality aroma therapy products in conjunction with massage a powerful healing tool.
Deanna Hooper
Thanks for sharing
Nesstate Flora
Thanks for the information.
Nesstate Flora
Thanks for sharing
Joshua Hill
I didn’t know that aromatherapy can offer that much benefits. I’m actually a healthcare professional, but I didn’t know much about this practice. Anyway, my mother recently learned about aromatherapy from a television program, and she was encouraging me to enrol in this school that offers clinical aromatherapy courses so I can learn more. I was not actually sure if it’s worthy to study such practice. But from reading this article, I think it’s really a good idea to take an aromatherapy course. Anyway, thanks for this post!