Sitting at your desk all day causing back pain? No worries, Advil will do the trick. Feeling a little nauseous after splurging on a little too much Mexican food? Prilosec for the win! And these nagging migraines? I think they describe those as an “Excedrin Headache.” This countries pain management techniques have us like zombies reaching for the medicine cabinet for a quick fix for these aches. We can strive for holistic pain management through aromatherapy.
Since the beginning of time, essential oils of plants have been used for therapeutic, medical, and spiritual purposes. Believed to be used first in Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are records of 365 plants and their medicinal properties in the oldest medical textbook in history, ‘The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine.’ The use of aromatherapy for healing purposes continues to spread. A Greek physician born in 406 BC earned the moniker, “The Father of Medicine.” This revolutionary figure in medicine was quoted as saying, “The key to good health rests on having a daily aromatic bath and scented massage.” Even Christopher Columbus traveled with lemon oil on his voyage to find India because it had the ability to kill a common bacteria causing a disease.
The way aromatherapy works is that when you inhale the scent of essential oils, you are inhaling chemical compounds that were created by that particular plant. These vary by fruit, flower, and herb. Neurons from the scent reach the olfactory bulb in your head. This is where the chemicals in the scent are interpreted and sent to the brain. Your brain interprets these natural chemicals, much like it interprets the man-made chemicals in Advil, Giving yourself holistic pain management.
Essential oils are used therapeutically for a variety of ailments:
•Diffuse lavender oil to relieve nervous tension and headaches.
•Inhale peppermint oil from the bottle for breaking up congestion.
•Mix some rosemary oil with coconut oil and massage your hands for arthritis relief.
•Drop some chamomile oil into tea for menstrual cramps.
•Add some eucalyptus oil to your bath for muscle aches and pains.
•Massage your back with juniper oil to relieve spasms.
Plenty organic pain management techniques come with the use of essential oils. Aromatherapy is a sustainable pain management choice that promotes an overall balance throughout the body without the use of man-made chemicals. Use the multiple benefits of aromatherapy and the medications the physicians prescribes you to feel your absolute best. If you would like more information on managing your pain, give us a call at (720) 410-5714.