Aromatherapy Headache

For thousands of years aromatherapy headache treatments have been used for migraine and tension headache. You may have heard of it before this but wondered how aromatheray and headache go together. Indeed, until modern medicine discovered the pills and pharmaceuticals that would treat headaches, scents of oils and plants were about the only things used. Now, we have purified essential oils to use.

The lack of treatment was so profound that stories in literature talk about people trying to sleep off a "sick headache" by putting a wet cloth on their heads that was scented with lavender.

Let's get one thing straight first of all: aromatherapy has not been shown to stop an acute headache like a migraine. But remember, one of the things that accompanies migraine is anxiety, so part of the treatment of headaches in general is to practice stress reduction techniques such as biofeedback techniques, and to use aids that may reduce stress and anxiety.

• How Does Aromatherapy Work?

One of the main theories is that certain scents may have an effect on the limbic center of the brain (see diagram). The limbic center of the brain is responsible for emotions that are common to all humans, and certain basic behaviors such as the one that induces the females to nurse and protect their toddlers, or the one which induces these animals to develop ludic behaviors (playful moods).

Emotions such as fright, love, hate, passion, and sadness all originate in the limbic system in addition to some personal identity and memory.

An article a few years ago in Contemporary OB/GYN stated:

"The exact method by which essential oils work is unknown. The relaxation effects attributed to many of these oils may be due to the chemical property of the essential oil or the method of administration. Is it the smell of an essential oil that simply makes the recipient feel good, bad, happy, or depressed? Could the essential oil work directly on the central nervous system or affect immune function? Again, the mechanism of action may be unknown but it is likely that essential oils are metabolized in ways similar to other drugs. Therefore, like other drugs, essential oils have the potential for drug-drug interactions and possibly overdose."

This is something to keep in mind if you are on daily medications and particularly if you have asthma as many of these preparations are inhaled.

• Cautions With Aromatherapy Headache Treatments

Other considerations are:

• Do not use if pregnant unless your doctor approves
• Do not use if you have seizure disorder
• Best not to use on children as they are more sensitive to some odors
• Use only organic essential oils
• Keep oils in a cool dark place and discard if separating
• DO NOT ingest essential oils!

• How Do I Use Aromatherapy Headache Treatment?

For more complete information on exactly what to buy and how to use it read this article on aromatherapy treatment for headaches.