- Aromatherapy
- Aromatherapy and Spinal Cord Injuries
- The New European Chemicals Policy
- Using essential oils to treat the face and skin
- Ayurveda
- Chavutti Thirumal An Intoduction To A Unique Massage Therapy
- Removing Toxins The Natural Way
- Complementary Therapies
- Chavutti Thirumal An Intoduction To A Unique Massage Therapy
- Gentle Touch Produces Miracles
- Stress, and why we need massage therapies
- Health
- Stress, and why we need massage therapies
- On Site Massage & Complementary Therapy in the workplace
- The Magic Pill Within
Clinical Aromatherapy in Cancer Care
04/05/2008 - By Dr Jane Buckle PhD RN, MIFPA Cancer affects one person in three and is one of the most terrifying words in the English language. The main orthodox treatments for cancer are surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
While there is no suggestion that aromatherapy can cure cancer (although certain components found within specific essential oils have anti-tumour activity in vitro), some essential oils can have a beneficial effect on post-radiation burns and chemo-induced nausea while others can alleviate insomnia, constipation and reduce depression.
A great article, written by a colleague and friend who is a cancer survivor herself can be found at http://www.atlanticinstitute.com/piatalk.html.
Post-radiation burns
The effects of radiation are cumulative and begin with a slight reddening of the skin. The skin becomes tender to touch and the worst effects are not apparent until the last few weeks of treatment. Although the usual advice is not to put anything on the area during radiation itself, this is more to ensure the marks painted onto the skin by the radiologist remain clear, so that radiation is accurate. Tiny tattoos to mark the area are a potential alternative. Aloe, either the plant or the purchased kind, can be useful immediately following radiation to ease the burn. Another choice is a spritzer: a mixture of water and essential oils which is sprayed directly onto the site for a marvellous cooling and analgesic effect.
A good choice of essential oils would be German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) which is high in chamazulene (an anti-inflammatory), plus Helichrysum italicum (everlasting) which contains double-bonded ketones (strongly anti-inflammatory), plus the ubiquitous Lavandula angustifolia (True lavender). Use a 4oz bottle with a spray, add distilled water and then add 2ml each of the essential oils above. Because essential oils are non-polar (do not dissolve in water), you will need to shake the bottle firmly before use. The spritzer can be used immediately after radiation, seven days a week until radiation is completed, and continued afterwards until the burns subside.
Post surgery
Following a lumpectomy or mastectomy, diluted essential oils can be used directly on and around the suture-line to speed up healing and reduce the chance of infection. Boswellia carteri (frankincense), Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) and Melaleuca alternifolia (tea-tree) can be diluted at 30% (10 drops each in 5ml of carrier oil).* The carrier oil of choice would be Rosa rubiginosa (Rosehip) or Calophyllum inophyllum (tamanu). The latter has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of its own, but because it is grey-black in colour it is not so user-friendly.
Nausea
Some chemotherapeutic agents cause chronic nausea that is both debilitating and depressing. Several essential oils have anti-emetic effect and can be used concurrently or on their own. While a cotton wool ball is an easy method of application, a more discrete method is using a small plastic inhaler, a bit like the ones used in Vicks. Empty inhalers can be purchased from several essential oils distributors. If you have any problems www.naturesgift.com definitely stock them, although you will have to buy more than one. Mentha piperita (peppermint) and Zingiber officinalis (ginger) are classic anti-nausea essential oils. If these appear to be too strong, Citrus reticulata (Mandarin) or Lavandula x intermedia (Super) (a cloned lavender that is high in alcohols) can be useful. Case series on each of these essential oils were carried out in the USA by my students with quite good results. The inhaler can be used as frequently as is necessary and should produce almost instant relief.
I lived in the USA for 12 years teaching clinical aromatherapy and the 'm' technique (see below) to mainly nurses, doctors and massage therapists and only returned to London about 16 months ago. Prior to living in the USA, I had a private practice in London and the majority of my patients had breast cancer. Each patient found that a gentle aromatherapy massage on the face, feet, hands and legs enabled them to relax and that the towels used during the massage became a 'comfort blanket' at night when the demons of fear arrived with the darkness. Of particular use were Boswellia carteri (Frankincense), Pelargonium graveolens (geranium) and Rosa damascene (Rose) which were used in a 6% dilution (3 drops each in a 5ml solution).
For those who suffer from chemo-induced constipation, 4 drops of Origanum majorana diluted in sweet almond oil and applied to the abdomen in the 'm' technique was usually helpful. The 'm' technique is a patented method of gentle, stroking movements suitable when massage is inappropriate, either because the receiver is too fragile or because the giver is not trained in massage. The 'm' technique is particularly useful during cancer treatments. It is different to conventional massage and its gentle, slow repetitive movements appear to produce an almost hypnotic effect which is both calming and soothing to the giver and receiver. For information and training on the 'm' technique, please see www.rjbuckle.com.
Note
*Although this may seem a higher concentration than usual, this is very effective; and because the essential oils do not contain large amounts of phenols, aldehydes or oxides, it is perfectly safe to use. English aromatherapy does tend to use very low concentrations of essential oils - possibly because aromatherapy is mainly aimed at stress.
Dr Jane Buckle PhD RN, MIFPA is the programmes manager and principal lecturer in Complementary Medicine at Thames Valley University (TVU), London, where the foundation degree Complementary Therapies in Healthcare (Aromatherapy and Reflexology) is taught in the brand-new CAM Clinic . visit www.cchim.com for more details.