Aromatherapy among complementary and alternative methods in medicine

Старикова Э.В, Оганисян Г.Р.

Научный руководитель: старший преподаватель Определеннова О.В.

ГБОУ ВПО Саратовский ГМУ им. В.И. Разумовского Минздрава РФ

Кафедра иностранных языков

Many of us take for granted the sense of smell. Yet many researches show that the human nose can distinguish over 10,000 different smells, which have various physiological and psychological effects.

Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses essential oils from plants for healing. It is useful for relieving pain, stress and tension, for improving mood and promoting relaxation. Therapies using essential oils complement alternative medicine techniques such as acupuncture, massage therapy and reflexology.

Essential oils have been used for therapeutic purposes for nearly 6000 years. The ancient people used them in cosmetics, perfumes and drugs. They were also commonly used for spiritual, therapeutic, hygienic and ritualistic purposes.

Generally speaking, researchers are not entirely clear how aromatherapy may work. Some experts believe the "smell" receptors in your nose communicate with parts of your brain that serve as storehouses for emotions and memories. When you breathe in essential oil molecules, they stimulate these parts of your brain and influence physical, emotional, and mental health, or they interact in the blood with hormones or enzymes.

Compared to other healing techniques, aromatherapy is associated with relatively few risks or side effects. Aromatherapy oils can cause allergic reactions or sun sensitivity when rubbed directly in the skin. Some oils are toxic, and taking them orally in wrong dosages can be fatal. And, of course, it does not produce instant results.

The advantages of aromatherapy include safety, availability, relaxation and easy usage. It is a natural, non-surgical and non-invasive procedure.

Although there have been periods of persecution, decline and oblivion in the field of Russian aromatherapy, it is Russia where the notion “phytoncides” was invented by Boris Tokin, a famous Russian microbiologist, and many ideas of aromatherapy were improved by Russian professor,  Vyacheslav Nikolaevskiy.

Nowadays, aromatherapy in Russia undergoes times of depression in the context of research projects. However, it is widely used by many people in everyday life. This process is not controlled by the State, and it can lead to serious health problems.