I can confidently answer - Yes! Aromatherapy works! With skillful use and proper training for you staff, using quality oils, carefully selected for your population, with appropriate and safe methods of administration.
The overall goal is to simply reduce stress and reduce the use of drugs. Stress manifests in mood and sleep disruptions, muscle tension and pain, and some digestive complaints to name a few.
Aromatherapy talks to our limbic system through its own language of chemistry. Essential oils are molecules with messages. Our brains read and understand the plants language of simple chemistry. For example, consider how we respond to the smell of fire with a bio chemical change in our bodies. Our nervous systems respond by sending a hormonal response of increased adrenaline also known as fight or flight.
In this same way our smell receptors read the messages from essential oils molecules. Depending on the essential oil we are smelling, our autonomic nervous system responds accordingly through our hormonal response system releasing appropriate responses. Increased levels of oxytocin and other relaxing feel good hormones are released. Smell is a powerful influencer of our moods and emotions!
About this article: This article was re-posted by Jodi Baglien, from her blog on http://www.jodibaglien.com/about-jodi, during her time as an educator on TrailheadHealth.com. We thank her for his participation and expertize.
Jodi Baglien is bringing Aromatherapy into Healthcare. She is the first US Aromatherapist to provide the innovative Aromatherapy Inhalation Patch to hospitals, senior care facilities, and mental health providers. Jodi combines 16 years of experience as a Certified Clinical Aromatherapist, Educator, and Holistic Therapist. She delivers an evidence-based, compliant, and sustainable aromatherapy program to health care settings, both long and short-term. She has been training medical professionals on how to effectively use essential oils in order to provide non-pharmaceutical options to reduce stress, agitation, improve rest and reduce pain scores. Her programs have shown excellent results, with psychotropic medications in nursing homes, reducing by 35% on average. With a powerful mix of experience, compassion, and science-based research, Jodi offers a clear protocol within the best practices of professional aromatherapy. As a recognized wellness authority, she is dedicated to personalized consulting and wholehearted staff education.
To learn more about how Aromatherapy is making a difference in HealthCare institutions visit Jodi's page at http://www.jodibaglien.com/healthcare-programs/