Aromatherapy: an alternative to the Rx

Have you ever had the exasperating experience of going to a doctor for aches and pains? After a long wait in the examining room you hear a knock and the doctor finally enters. . . and goes directly over to his computer and starts typing. What’s he typing? He didn’t even say hello! When he finally looks up, he asks you what brings you in? You take a deep breath and you begin to explain what you are feeling. Does the doctor ask what you are doing? Or what you are eating? Usually not. After you describe your aches and pains, he goes for his pad and writes out a prescription for a drug that he thinks will help with the pain. When you ask about possible side effects, he says, “well it might give you headaches.”

“But I already HAVE headaches!”

“Well, it might also cause muscle aches or cramps.”

“I already have those, too!”

“Try it and if it bothers you, I will give you another kind of prescription.”

​And the cycle continues. High costs, maybe no results, and possibly bad side effects.
​
Alternative medicine and holistic care addresses your entire being: your emotions, your physical conditions, and your spiritual self – how you feel on the inside and your higher awareness that lifts you and inspires you to feel and act.

Today, we can choose alternative care that meets our needs without risking the side effects from drugs. Many call it the “New Age” approach, but many of these healing modalities are far from new. They have been with us for thousands of years and are used by people all around the world who get positive results without further side effects that can hurt them.
​
I offer non-invasive care that takes care of you in every way. One of these modalities is aromatherapy. These are pure essential oils that support many of the conditions you are experiencing. As part of my massage treatments, I would apply oils to treat certain conditions that you bring to my attention. If there are issues that I can’t help you with, I recommend you see a physician to explore the specific problem. Your emotional state, such as stress, is often the cause of pain. Stress is accumulative and can cause havoc on our bodies.

Aromatherapy is the use of plant-based medicine that is in the form of oils or hydrosols. It uses different parts of plants that are beneficial for specific conditions. I only use essential oils that are safe – oils that are organic, pure, therapeutic, and have been tested by outside certified chemists. (Oils that are mixed with synthetics can cause rashes and allergic reactions.) These oils can be used in many different ways. They can be inhaled, applied on the body, taken internally, used inside capsules to protect the intestinal tract, and infused into the air with diffusers. They can also be breathed through inhalers, where specific oils are placed on a cotton wick and put into an inhaler. There are no side effects and inhalers can produce immediate results. For example, I have used inhalers myself, to help calm me down and focus when I have deadlines to meet. They have also helped me relieve headaches and sinus congestion.

For example, Lavender can be used to treat burns. One day, my plumber burned himself badly while replacing my water heater. I ran for the lavender oil, applying it right on the 3-inch huge welt he had on his arm. Immediately, before our eyes, the elevated welt flattened and the redness disappeared, and he proclaimed,”the pain is gone!” He could not believe it, and neither could I! Then he asked me, “Are you a witch?’
Lavender is a wonderful oil that takes care of burns, sun burn,helps relieve stress and anxiety, helps with sleep, relieves headaches and migraines, and supports blood pressure.

I have clients who have used the oils and gotten relief from neck and shoulder pain, and were able to get their range of motion back. It has been beneficial in supporting sciatica, carpal tunnel, headaches, seizures, insomnia, and the list goes on.

So why do I write this? It is to give you the ability to choose different options for your health care that may be very beneficial to you without harmful side effects. Essential oils may seem pricey, but it pays for all the care and the distilling process that brings us pure natural oils from plants that were put on this earth to keep us well. But, in the long run, they are very affordable when you compare them with the cost of meds that may be harmful. The choice is yours. So, let me know what you think and ask any questions you may have about their use.

The items discussed in this blog are intended to support health and healing, NOT to replace medical treatment. This should not be interpreted as medical advice. I am not a doctor. This is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure your condition, or to be a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care providers.