One of the more interesting types of treatment that western medicine has come to discover in recent years is aromatherapy. While used in different cultures for thousands of years, the use of aromatherapy for relief of chronic pain is a relatively recent phenomenon.
What is Aromatherapy?
This is the use of specific scents often generated from essential oils of various plants that have an influence on the brain. Of the five senses, the sense of smell is the only one where the brain is directly connected. In the back of the sinus cavities, a small part of the brain is exposed so that it can directly take in the odors that come through the nasal passages.
Since the scents encounter the brain, certain types of odors will create a strong effect. The use of essential oils such as lavender, lemongrass, or ginger for example, create a chemical reaction in the brain that causes actual changes which alters perception in positive ways. For example, aromatherapy has often been used to treat anxiety and depression because it causes the brain to release hormones that provide a positive effect.
In the treatment of issues such as anxiety, it was noticed that some participants who suffered from chronic pain also felt some relief. It was with these early observations that scientific studies commenced to see if there was an actual connection between aromatherapy and the reduction of pain.
Effectiveness Against Chronic Pain
The studies that have been conducted seem to suggest that while aromatherapy may not have a direct effect in terms of treating the source of the chronic pain, it may alter how a person perceives the pain. This means that the brain is affected to the point where the pain may not seem as harsh or dire as it once was thanks to the effect of certain essential oils that are used in chronic pain relief.
Essential oils are the oils from plants that have been concentrated. They have been used in aromatherapy for many years, but recently certain essential oils have been found to be effective in reducing the perception of the pain being felt. When using certain essential oils with aromatherapy, the results may include the following;
- Lower Heart Rate
- Decrease in Stress Hormone
- Reduction of Inflammation
- Improvement in Symptoms of Anxiety or Depression
- Lower Perception of Pain
The lowering of the heart rate often induces a reduction in inflammation which in turn provides greater mobility and feeling less pain. Some of the essential oils which have shown a reduction in the perception of chronic pain include;
- Cinnamon
- Lavender
- Lemongrass
- Ginger
- Geranium
There are other essential oils which also work to lower your perception of the pain being felt. The one issue with some essential oils is that you may be allergic in which case you should start with a small amount and limited time in aromatherapy until you know whether an allergic reaction will occur.
However, it does appear that aromatherapy may have a positive effect in terms of lowering the amount of chronic pain being felt.