Aromatherapy is a practice founded on holistic medicines, utilizing aromatic plant extracts to help improve a person’s health and wellbeing.
Aromatherapy helps to stimulate the receptors in the nose that are responsible for your sense of smell. This stimulation sends messages using olfactory cells to the part of your brain that affects your emotional state. Scientists believe these stimulated signals cause direct and powerful changes to a person’s mood based on a particular smell.
Aromatherapy has been easily adapted into massage, with many clinics offering the best massage therapy in Vancouver having some form of practice in their repertoire. The following is a further look into an aromatherapy massage.
How is Aromatherapy Massage Performed?
Aromatherapy can be utilized in multiple ways during your personalized massage. In combination with your specific style of massage, aromatherapy can be implemented using oils, lotions, candles, and incense. Lotions and oils are specifically beneficial during the massage as the skin absorbs them, allowing for further stimulation and effects such as pain relief from their application.
Popular Scents in Aromatherapy
Different types of scents in aromatherapy can provide different types of benefits. Some of the most popular types of essential oils used during the practice are:
Peppermint / Menthol
Menthol is used in many popular pain relief applications. Lotions or oils using peppermint and menthol are often applied to sore muscles during a massage, creating a tingling sensation especially effective on the legs or feet. It can also be applied to the temples to help reduce headache pain.
Lavender
The lavender plant is known for its versatility and ability to promote relaxation in the body. It is said in addition to sleep and relaxation; lavender can also help boost stamina, improve mood, relieve pain, and reduce stress. Lavender’s aroma is sweet and clear and commonly found in products that help promote relaxation and sleep, such as Epson salts, candles, and incense.
Rosemary
Rosemary has helpful properties that help detoxify the body in many ways. Primarily, rosemary can help the digestive tract, helping to relieve gas, bloating, cramps, and constipation. Massage with rosemary can also help to improve your body’s circulation, which helps absorb more nutrients from the food. Rosemary essential oil Is also said to help stimulate hair growth, reduce headaches, and soothe inflammation.
Grapefruit
Grapefruit and other citrus oils are great for a number of remedies, such as lifting mood and toning the skin. It can also help with lymphatic massage and cellulite treatments. Grapefruit oil can also help to reduce blood pressure.
Eucalyptus
Massage therapy using eucalyptus is especially beneficial for respiratory and congestion issues such as colds, flu, allergies, and other types of sinus blockage. Essential oils containing eucalyptus are also very good for antibacterial and antiviral properties, aiding speedier recovery. The eucalyptus oil is often placed below the massage table around the face area, allowing for more effective relief of sinus congestion.
In Conclusion
When performed by a registered professional massage therapist, aromatherapy can be used to help take your treatment to the next level and aid with symptoms such as pain, congestion, stress, and more!
