Aromatherapy Helps Heal Cancer Patients
Cherie Perez, RN, quality assurance specialist in the department of GU Medical Oncology at M.D. Anderson Caqncer Center in Houston.
Aromatherapy
L
ike so many New Age practices and beliefs, aromatherapy has ancient roots. The use of essential oils to affect mood and well-being can be found far back in Egyptian, Greek and Roman history. In fact, when the three kings of biblical fame brought gifts, including gold, to baby Jesus, their other highly prized offerings were frankincense and myrrh…resins from these herbs are still in use today. While scientific evidence about aromatherapy is scant, its long-standing role in spirituality and healing, along with strong anecdotal support of its modern-day benefits, gives essential oils an important role as a complementary alternative medicine therapy.
Cherie Perez, RN, quality assurance specialist in the department of GU Medical Oncology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, is a strong proponent of aromatherapy, including as an adjunct for cancer treatment. She teaches monthly classes for patients on the topic.
Used properly, Perez, says essential oils can indirectly help bolster immune function in cancer patients, strengthening their ability to fight back against the disease by helping to ease pain, depression, sleeplessness and stress. The oils can also help relieve anxiety and improve memory-both frequent problems for people in cancer treatment as well as those who are healthy. Further more, aromatherapy offers patients an opportunity to take time for themselves and enjoy a mental and emotional break from their world of medicines and doctors.
ESSENTIALS ABOUT ESSENTIAL OILS
Some of the most popular essential oils include:
- Rosemary
- Eucalyptus
- Lavender
- Chamomile
They have various scents such as:
- Floral
- Minty
- Citrus
- Masculine
Perez advises using the ones you like best among the choices indicate for a specific treatment, since more than one oil may address the same problem. She explains that the limbic system, with which the sense of smell triggers, is the emotional seat of the brain, which is the reason why people often respond strongly to certain scents positively or negatively. Lavender, for example, might bring back warm memories of a trip to Provence, or sour thoughts about a dour relative who wore it as a fragrance.
BEST PRACTICES
All oils are highly concentrated distillations of plant parts, including the flowers, leaves, branches and roots. Because they are so potent (hundreds of times more concentrated than the culinary fresh or dried herb or herbal teas, and therefore easy to overdose on) they should be used carefully with the advice from practitioner, such as a naturopathic physician, registered nurse, massage therapist, clinical herbalist or aroma therapist.
Essential oils can be
- inhaled (safest with a simple diffuser),
- enjoyed in your bath or
- massaged onto your skin (but never directly in their undiluted form…because they can cause a rash or burning sensation).
Oils may come already diluted, and will say so on the ingredient label, but you can also dilute pure oil yourself.
- Add three drops of an essential oil to a half tablespoon of scentless organic vegetable (such as sunflower or safflower) or to an unscented body lotion.
- People with sensitive skin should do a skin test before topical use.
- How much to dilute the oil depends on the type of oil and your skin’s sensitivity.
- Thyme, for example, is quite irritating to some people, so it should be used more sparingly and with caution, whereas lavender is nonirritating to nearly everyone, says Perez.
Citrus oils may cause sensitivity to sunlight, so avoid skin application if you are going to be in the sun. Because they’re so pretty and fragrant and highly toxic if ingested, they should be kept where children cannot reach them.
Aromatherapy Helps Heal Cancer Patients
Click Here for the list of popular oils for Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy Helps Heal Cancer Patients
