Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of essential oils either in conjunction with a massage or inhaled. Aromatherapy has been used for thousands of years in many cultures and is currently used worldwide for stress, depression, anxiety, cognitive disorders as well as many other uses.
I know the effects can be profound from the results I get with clients and whilst I know they are deeply grateful for the positive effects aromatherapy has had on both their psychological and physical wellbeing, this would only be considered as anecdotal evidence.
As this month recognises Dementia Awareness Week, 15 – 21 May, I wanted to show that aromatherapy is being studied around the world as a means of treating Dementia and Alzheimer’s with positive results. Here are just some of these studies.
A study by 5 Japanese researchers[1] was reported in Psychogeriatrics which examined the curative effects of aromatherapy in dementia. The study group consisted of 28 elderly people, 17 of whom had Alzheimer’s disease.
The study used rosemary and lemon essential oils in the morning and lavender and orange in the evening. After 28 days all patients showed a significant improvement in personal orientation and the study concluded that aromatherapy is successful at producing an effective result and “may have some potential for improving cognitive function, especially in AD patients.”
A study carried out by the Department of Nursing[2], Kongju National University, Korea in 2005 used lavender, applied via hand massage. The conclusion of this study was that “A lavender aromatherapy hand massage program is effective on emotions and aggressive behaviour of elderly with dementia of the Alzheimer’s type.”
The publication Geriatrics Gerontology International[3], reported that aromatherapy has positive effects on the reduction of the psychological symptoms of dementia and afforded an improvement in the quality of life. It found that aromatherapy could enhance a person’s independence in terms of daily activities.
In the publication Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders[4], a double blind, placebo controlled, randomised trial of the use of Melissa officinalis oil against Donepezil was reported. The study was testing for a treatment of agitation in Alzheimer’s disease. Whilst the study failed to prove that Melissa oil was any more beneficial than the drug it did report that that there was evidence of a sizeable improvement in the agitation shown by people with Alzheimer’s disease of touch and interaction with the treatment.
In another study carried out at the Wolfson Research Centre[5], Newcastle General Hospital, a larger trial of 72 people who were residing in NHS care homes and who had “clinically significant agitation in the context of severe dementia”, Melissa oil was again used. 60% of the study group and only 14% of the placebo group experienced a 30% reduction in agitation (measured using Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory). The quality of life was also shown to significantly improve in the group who were treated with Melissa oil. The oil was applied, mixed with a carrier oil, to patients faces and arms. No side effects were shown in any patients.
Three American researchers[6] reported a controlled trial of aromatherapy for Agitation in Nursing Home Patients with Dementia. They concluded that there is evidence that people with dementia often have an impaired sense of smell and that to be effective essential oils need to be applied via massage and not just used as a scent. This study was very small with only 7 participants.
In a Chinese study[7] the researchers used lavender oil, which was inhaled. The study concluded that “lavender is effective as an adjunctive therapy in alleviating agitated behaviours in Chinese patients with dementia. In a patient population particularly vulnerable to side effects of psychotropic medications, aromatherapy using lavender may offer an alternative option. “
Carers Benefit Too
It is not just the patient that can benefit from aromatherapy. I have seen many times the stress that looking after a relative with Alzheimer’s or dementia can put on the care giver. Often this relative is also elderly, a husband or wife, often with their own health issues and the stress; caused by the constant need for vigilance and often arguments that occur as a result of the Alzheimer’s or dementia patient accusing the other person of moving their things or trying to confuse them; can often push that care giver to the edge of their own sanity.
Many carers in this situation can feel isolated, confused and ultimately despair. Aromatherapy massage can offer many benefits both through the effect of the oils, which can be blended to combat stress as well as their own personal symptoms, and through the treatment itself. Many of my clients will talk to me of their troubles during the first part of the massage and this simple act of sharing their problem with an empathetic listener can lighten that burden, if only for a little while.
Another therapeutic benefit is that the carer is taking some time out for themselves. I have clients who care for others who see me regularly and the time they spend with me is often the only time they take for themselves in a whole week or even fortnight. Both the massage and the oils can allow the carer to deeply relax and have renewed energy to continue with the challenge of caring.
The final benefit I will discuss here is that of touch. Touch is well documented to be vastly important for our health. Babies deprived of touch display severe development problems and may even die if untouched for a prolonged period.
Tiffany Field[8] from the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine says that “the healing power of touch extends across the life span, from helping babies grow and children concentrate at school to decreasing chronic illnesses and disease.” I have also given a link below to a video interview that Tiffany did which is fascinating.
Touch is how we show someone that we care about them and yet for those giving care to others they may never experience someone else touching them in a loving or caring way. Touch alone has been proven to:
- Decrease anxiety
- Increase the number of white blood cells – therefore increasing immunity levels
- Lower blood pressure
- Increase endorphin levels – the hormones responsible for making you feel good
- Help you sleep better
A full body massage with aromatherapy oils will give you amazing benefits. I sometimes meet people who say that they could never get undressed in front of me so let me first clarify that a good massage therapist will never want to make you feel uncomfortable nor expect you to appear naked in front them. You will be given the opportunity to undress in private and will then be covered by towels in such a manner that only the part of your body being massaged will be exposed – an arm, leg or your back.
If that still makes you feel uncomfortable there are ways to experience the benefits of aromatherapy without getting undressed. The most unobtrusive would be a simple hand and arm massage. If you feel comfortable in shorts the legs and feet can also be included.
Please get in touch to experience the benefits I know that aromatherapy can offer to either your relative with Dementia and Alzheimer’s or to yourself as a care giver.
References
[1] JIMBO, D., KIMURA, Y., TANIGUCHI, M., INOUE, M. and URAKAMI, K. (2009), Effect of aromatherapy on patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Psychogeriatrics, 9: 173–179. doi: 10.1111/j.1479-8301.2009.00299.x
Source: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1479-8301.2009.00299.x/full
[2] The effect of lavender aromatherapy on cognitive function, emotion, and aggressive behavior of elderly with dementia].
(PMID:15860944) Lee SY Department of Nursing, Kongju National University, Korea. sylee601@kongju.ac.kr Taehan Kanho Hakhoe chi [2005, 35(2):303-312]
Type: Controlled Clinical Trial, Journal Article, English Abstract (lang: kor)
Source: http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/15860944
[3] Fung, J. K. K., Tsang, H. W. and Chung, R. C. (2012), A systematic review of the use of aromatherapy in treatment of behavioral problems in dementia. Geriatrics & Gerontology International, 12: 372–382. doi: 10.1111/j.1447-0594.2012.00849.x Source: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1447-0594.2012.00849.x/abstract?userIsAuthenticated=false&deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=
[4] Burns A, Perry E, Holmes C, Francis P, Morris J, Howes M, -J, R, Chazot P, Lees G, Ballard C, A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Randomized Trial of <i>Melissa officinalis</i> Oil and Donepezil for the Treatment of Agitation in Alzheimer’s Disease. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2011;31:158-164 Source: http://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/324438#
[5] Wolfson Research Centre, Newcastle General Hospital, Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (Impact Factor: 5.5). 07/2002; 63(7):553-8. Source: PubMed
[6] Lynn A. Snow, Linda Hovanec, and Jason Brandt. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. August 2004, 10(3): 431-437. doi:10.1089/1075553041323696.
Published in Volume: 10 Issue 3: August 25, 2004
Source: http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/1075553041323696
[7] Lin, P. W.-k., Chan, W.-c., Ng, B. F.-l. and Lam, L. C.-w. (2007), Efficacy of aromatherapy (Lavandula angustifolia) as an intervention for agitated behaviours in Chinese older persons with dementia: a cross-over randomized trial. Int. J. Geriat. Psychiatry, 22: 405–410. doi: 10.1002/gps.1688
Source: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/gps.1688/abstract
[8] http://uhealthsystem.com/researchers/profile/2581 AND https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UixQLs5Utc8
