Chronic pain
costs the American economy approximately $70 billion per year and affects
over 80 million Americans in varying degrees. The problem is reaching
epidemic proportions and, for this reason, researchers have been
investigating drug-free treatments.
Over the past five years, aromatherapy has been
increasingly used as part of an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to
pain management. The effects of touch and smell involved in aromatherapy
are acknowledged to affect the parasympathetic nervous system to a level
that can induce a deep state of relaxation, and this, in turn, can alter
patients' perceptions of pain.
Specific aromatherapy essential oils have also
been shown to contain pharmacologically active ingredients which can
enhance the benefits for chronic pain sufferers. For instance, it is well
known - and many over-the-counter topical treatments for pain management
contain menthol or capsaicin ( a substance found in oil from capsicum
peppers).
Clinical trials are in the early stages, but
evidence, so far, suggests that aromatherapy might be used as a
complementary therapy for managing chronic pain. Although the use of
aromatherapy is not restricted to nursing, at least one US state board of
nursing has recognized the therapeutic value of aromatherapy and voted to
accept it as part of holistic nursing care.
