Aromatherapy Massage History
If a therapeutic massage confers undoubted physical and psychological benefits, an aromatherapy massage certainly enhances and maximizes these benefits, and it is also very pleasurable for the recipient. For this reason, essential oils are used during therapeutic massages at many hospitals and hospices. Many aromatherapists claim that the essential oils used can be chosen according to an individual’s specific needs, and play their part in the treatment of a variety of disorders some may say that the recipient responds positively to the scent which is correct for his or her needs.
From the ancient Chinese to the Native Americans , most cultures have a history of using essential oils- aromatic essences extracted from plants- to alter moods and to heal. The ancient Egyptians were perhaps the most sophisticated in this respect, using essential oils as perfumes, healing tools and embalming agents for mummification. Their main method of extracting essential oil was to infuse an herb in castor or olive oil for a few days.Later, the Arab philosopher and doctor Avicenna (980-1037) developed a method of distillation that is very similar to the one used in modern practices today. The word “aromatherapy” was not coined until early in the 20th century, when Rene-Maurice Gattefosee, a French chemist who worked in his family’s perfumery business, burned his hand. On impulse he thrust it into a pot of lavender oil that was standing nearby – and to his surprise the burn healed rapidly. Gattefosse decided to use his knowledge of perfumes to experiment with essential oils to discover their effects and properties. He wrote a book on the subject in 1928; unfortunately, his work went largely unregarded at the time. However, in the 1960’s , Jean Valnet, a French doctor, revived and developed Gattefosse’s work and started to study the effects and medicinal uses of many types of essential oils.
Aromatherapy Today
Valnet concentrated on the medicinal uses of essential oils. He treated shell shock and burns in Second World War patients-and gave essential oils to them internally. Valnet’s method’s became well-established in France, and are still used there today. However, aromatherapy as we know it, and the use of aromatherapy and massage was popularized by an Austrian born bio-chemist and beautician called Marguerite Maury , who worked in France. She started to use essential oils when massaging her clients, and found not only did they find the massage more pleasurable and effective , but that the oils conveyed benefits other than those deriving from the massage itself. Maury continued to research the use of aromatherapy oils , choosing specific oils to suit each individual’s needs: unlike Valnet, though, she did not recommend their internal use. Maury’s work triggered a paid rise in the popularity of aromatherapy massage in both Europe and America as a kind of beauty treatment that also had beneficial effects. Maury herself found that a massage with essential oils was useful in promoting relaxation , treating skin conditions, and relieving certain types of pain, but since then, many aromatherapists have claimed that aromatherapy is a curative treatment in a large number of disorders. The medical profession treats these claims with considerable skepticism .
