Is Aromatherapy a REAL science?

[Erika]

Ok - sorry for making the thread title provocative
but I just wanted to get lots of responses from you all, as I'm feeling quite troubled at the moment.

I'm training in Holistic Massage because I really wanted to move on to Aromatherapy.
I've been reading books by Valerie Worwood, Shirley Price and Julia Lawless about the science of essential oils and what they can do, and I wanted to help people get and stay well using a subtle and natural form of medicine.

But reading Martin Watt's article on the Agora website fills me with worry that the discipline is not sufficiently researched, and the information we have may be based on assumptions and inaccurate readings of studies.

I know I should be reassured that aromatherapy obviously works on so many levels - inhalation means that oils do enter the brain, respiratory system and to some extent the bloodstream; oils have been proven to aid healing and help with respiratory infections, etc...
but I'm scared of entering a discipline that may be based on shaky foundations, especially regarding the true properties of the oils. After all, we don't practice oral administration of oils in the UK.

And there are SO many papers to wade through / debates to read if I'm going to have to make up my own mind!

So, Aromatherapists - what do you think?
What has been your experience?
And is there an 'Aromatherapy Expert' with decent scientific understanding that we can trust?

I'm feeling so confused, and a bit like the rug has been pulled out from under me!

 

[New Boots.]

Hi Thell

Interesting and good questions !

I would suggest that you pull right back from the specific detailed questions about aromatherapy and science and get right back to the big question - what is complementary/holistic therapy all about ? how does it differ from allopathic medicine and how does it sit with science ?

In order to have confidence in yourself as a therapist you need to develop a passion for learning/exploring/experimenting/trusting/developing your beliefs about healing and the methods that you use to help other people.

Looks like you have already made a great start with the questions you have. It's a facinating journey and is a personal one so the answers you will have to find yourself !

I've been pondering 'what is healing' for over 2 years now and am only a tiny way down the road of being able to answer the question.

However set against this I am able to use the therapy skills I have learned so far in order to help people as they (the therapies) work even though there is no set in concerete scientific definition of how !

With CAM therapies the 'tuition' part of learning is done at college the 'intuition' part is a personal journey that will last a lifetime (or many many more lifetimes ).

Hope this is reasonably coherent ! If you don't have a scooby doo what I am talking about please tell me and I'll try again.

have fun

Lou xxx

 

[The Hulk]

Thanks Lou

I had read Watts's article before - and he even opens it by saying he believes that Aromatherapy works (just not in the way others assume it does) - but looking at it again made me panic a bit.
It was also started by reading the list of speakers at the CAM expo in a few weeks.
I googled one who looked interesting - only to discover her on the Quackometer website...turns out she is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (which costs £356) and uses Professor as her title (from Mahendra Sanskrit University in Kathmandu, Kingdom of Nepal - which burnt down recently). I know there are frauds and people who deliberately mislead in all disciplines. I'm just feeling very worried about being misled myself and unwittingly becoming one of the false prophets.

I need a cup of tea!

 

[BabeHart]

The effect of plants has been observed since we first walked the earth, and maybe before that as animals know what to eat to make them feel better too -its only recently that the anecdotal evidence of the effect of essential oils (and herbs) has been questioned scientifically.

Is this a bad thing, I don't think so, but I don't think it is the whole story as there is an energetic or subtle influence at work that cannot currently be measured scientifically.


To work safely with oils it is good to have a reputable supplier - who will be able to answer any questions you have and even produce a sheet to let you know the chemical breakdown of that batch. Where there's big money to be made there is the danger of adulteration, i.e. extending the crop to make more money.

I think the best approach to take is to thoroughly research the course you want to do, get yourself a good teacher preferably one that has been recommended and carry on asking questions. However, the mind alone will not answer all your questions - above all try some treatments from a range of practitioners trained in the different schools.

The holistic approach should not be neglected IMHO as we have a mind, body and spirit all striving for balance and union. I think that aromatherapy can help do this.

Binah
x

 

[tyler]

Me again !

Thell the wobble you are experiencing is a really healthy one I love Binahs reply and would like to add some of my experiences with scientists to help you on your way to building your confidence, making your own decisions and keep on asking questions.

Some of my dearest friends are micro-biologists all with Ph'ds and countless papers to their names. I love them to bits and they love me to bits too and are polite enough to 'humour' me as a CAM therapist. They do all share the same traits though

1. They all slag other scientists work off as a load of old rubbish and suspect each other of fiddling data to fit the theory.

2. They are all very competative and secretive with their work, probably because of the fierce competition for grants and funding.

3. They refuse point blank to come for treatments, even freebies. One of my closest most loved friends said to me the other week - "I felt so bad last week I almost considered giving you a ring to book a treatment".
It gave me a good laugh I can tell you.

4. If their children are off colour, ill, injured, in pain etc and they are waiting for a doctor or dentist to see them they turn up with their children and ask me to treat them. The kids love it, feel much better and absorb exactly which bit of their hands to rub to feel better ( hand reflexology ) they then go on to share what they have learned with their mates ( bless them).

I would bear this in mind before you get caught up in the web of scientific opinion on what is what - you may waste alot of precious time and energy trying to find any sort of scientific concensus on anything !

Lastly I don't know if you saw the 3 part series on The Cell that was on TV recently a proper science program with proper scientists from Havard, Oxford etc - I thought it was great and was gushing along merrily with said scientific mates in the pub - and guess what they all pulled faces and said "what a load of old rubbish".

 

[mandatory Frog]

Thank you both so much - very thought-provoking responses.

I really do need to experience some Aromatherapy treatments in order to better understand the effect it has on me, and therefore understand how I feel about it as a therapy. So far it's just been me at home with my oils and my books, practising on my friends and family - and I am beginning to feel that people are not meant to heal themselves, but heal each other. The personal interaction and insight into each other is a key element I'm sure.

 

[royalmeddy]

Thell, I'm sure you know this but the only true healer is one's self...

Healing may be provoked by someone else but all the healing is done by the recipient.