3006.0: Monday, October 22, 2001 - Board 7

Abstract #21746

Aromatherapy: Its cost and effectiveness in treating illness and disorders

Patricia Ann Mc Partland, EdD, CHES, Director, Southeastern Massachusetts Area Health Education Center, Inc, P.O. Box 69, Marion, MA 02738, (508) 748-0837, smahec@tiac.net

Aromatherapy offers valuable tools to health care professionals. This presentation explores its effectiveness and cost in treating illnesses and disorders such as Parkinson Disease, Alzheimer's Disease and Learning Disorders. Aromatherapy is a caring hands on natural therapy employing essential oils and massage for treating a wide range of disorders. Essential oils eases mental fatigue and stress, relieves depression, reduces back pain and muscle aches, combats bacterial infection, strenthens the immune system and aids meditation. How it works and or if it works is the subject of much research. The theoretical basis of aromatherapy is that there is some olfactory-neural connection between the nose and brain that promotes relaxation, increases energy and restores lost balance to mind, body and soul. Essential oils work on the mind, influencing the limbic area of the brain, balancing the nervous system and calming the emotions. Aromatherpy does not remove the stress, but distances the individual from it and bolsters his or her coping mechansims. It is not a substitute for medical care. Considerable research is now being conducted with some promising results. For instance, in research conducted by Shirley Price pertaining to Aromatherapy’s effectiveness in treating Parkinson suggest that 80% of the sample felt that the essential oils and massage have helped their movement and reduced their side effects of constipation and insomnia. This session will discuss this and other research regarding Aromatherapy’s effectivness in treating illness and disorders.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the learner in this session will be able to: define Aromatherapy and its characteristics; recognize Aromatherapy's effectiveness in treating various diseases such as Parkinson; describe the cost involved in Aromatherapy.; list additional resouces for further information. At the conclusion of the session, the learner in this session will be able to list the latest research findings pertaining to Aromatherapy's effectiveness.

Keywords: Alternative Medicine/Therapies, Unconventional Healing

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: none
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.

The 129th Annual Meeting of APHA