Boost Your Knowledge Of

Essential Oils!

DID YOU KNOW?

ONE OF THE FIRST KNOWN PRESCRIPTIONS EVER RECORDED FOR ESSENTIAL OILS WAS FOR FRANKINCENSE OIL.

The Egyptian Ebers Papyrus is a compilation of medical texts that date to 1500 BCE. This contains the oldest known reference to frankincense. It prescribes the use of frankincense resin to treat a sore throat and lessen the severity of an asthma attack.

Natural medicines have long been at our disposal, and some of our most popular medications and treatments today still utilize herbs and medicines found outside in nature.

Essential oils can provide an integrated, complementary, and holistic approach to healthcare.

What are Essential Oils?

• Plant extracts that are made by steaming or pressing various parts of a plant.
• Oils that can be made from flowers, bark, leaves, or fruit of a plant.

Aromatherapy is the practice of using essential oils for therapeutic benefit.

DID YOU KNOW?

ASPIRIN, ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR AND WELL-KNOWN MEDICINES, WAS ORIGINALLY DERIVED FROM AN EXTRACT OF WHITE WILLOW BARK.

Aspirin contains a naturally occurring form of salicylic acid called salicin. Salicin is believed to be responsible for the pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects of the herb.

You don’t have to be in pain or battling a serious illness to benefit from the many uses of essential oils. Healers around the world have been utilizing the benefits of plants and their oils for centuries. These oils still have a very useful role to play in helping patients relax, achieve better sleep, aid in digestion, as well as potentially decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression.

There are three ways that essential oils can be used:

• Topical: to be used on the skin directly
• Aromatic: to be inhaled
• Ingestion: to be consumed orally

For manual therapists, topical and aromatic applications are within the scope of practice* and can be utilized during treatment.

DID YOU KNOW?

Some of our most powerful medicines are sourced from trees. The bark of the pacific yew tree is harvested and utilized as a chemotherapy drug to fight cancer.

Some of the most popular and effective oils are lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, frankincense, rose, bergamot, and tea tree oil. Patients may inhale an appropriate oil or the therapist can rub a diluted version of the oil onto the skin during treatment.

When inhaled, the scent molecules in the oils travel from the olfactory nerves directly to the brain, impacting the amygdala and the emotional processing portion of the brain. This relationship with the brain is why certain smells can trigger an emotional response (just like how realtors will make a listing smell like fresh-baked cookies to make buyers feel like they are home!)

Including aromatherapy as part of your practice can increase treatment value, both in a monetary sense and as an effective treatment tool. It is always necessary to discuss any potential side effects, contraindications, or allergies with a patient before the use of any topical product. It is also helpful to explain the benefits and uses of these oils to a patient to ensure they make an informed decision.

Before introducing any complementary modality into your practice, it is essential that you understand how to do so safely and effectively. Not only will you offer an in-demand treatment option, your patients will be impressed by your growing toolkit of techniques!