How to distingush a quality program WAS: EO and pregnancy.

[Guest guest]

Tina, Susan,

 

I agree there is a distinct lack of " evidence base " in many of the claims made

for essential oils. With some claims that are made, the evidence base turns out

to be in vivo animal testing, and sometimes for a constituent, not the whole

oil. (Some of the information that comes out of France falls into this category

- look at the references in l'Aromatherapie Exactement.) There are French, and

other European medical practitioners that use essential oils in their clinics

and hospitals, and there are some in Asia too. Some clinical information is

published only in Mandarin, and a few good articles have been published in

French.

 

The International Journal of Clinical Aromatherapy and the International Journal

of Essential Oil Therapy publish some good reviews of the literature, and

attempt to link this with clinical practice, with the kind of global perspective

I am talking about.

 

But, there is no large cache of hard clinical data on essential oils. It does

not exist. Not only are trials few and sparse, but this reflects the very small

number of people that practice clinical aromatherapy. There have been a number

of small-scale trials, some of which found an effect beyond placebo, and some of

which didn't. There have even been a few larger-scale trials, though some of

this information concerns oral administration, which raises another issue - what

kind of an aromatherapist do you want to be?

 

In the end, the aroma-massage therapist has to make the best of things in a

world where the blind often lead the blind, where books are written copying

information from other books, and where ageing, pompous, and sometimes grumpy

know-it-alls tell them repeatedly that they don't know anything. So naturally,

they fall back on what they have been taught, and what they have read. And

actually, I am very encouraged by the way things are now shifting, with

integrative medicine, often including aromatherapy, being more and more widely

embraced because doctors are recognizing that their patients can benefit. A few

dots do need connecting though, so that practitioners have their eyes open, and

not closed.

 

Robert

 

ATFE , " SusanP " <ripple95 wrote:

>

> This is a great question. I would love to know as well. I've been reading

about EO's and herbs for years but always question that what I'm reading is not

quality information. I've often read that too many people in the aromatherapy

field apply the same healing qualities to EO's as to the herbal component of the

same plant. But, in fact, the two offer very different properties to the user as

they often come from different parts of the same plant. But I have not really

come across information explaining this, only the " AT Novels " which don't clear

anything up. Susan

>

> ATFE , " Tina Paxton " <Frecs@> wrote:

> >

> > After reading Martin's website and the aforementioned thread, I again am

> > pondering the question:

> >

> > How does one distinguish a quality program in aromatherapy?

> >

> > I'm debating between an " official " program or simply the

> > buy-quality-books-and-teach-myself approach. The same program seems to exist

> > for herbalism as well as EO's both of which I'm interested in.

> >

> > Any thoughts?

> >

> > Tina Paxton, MS

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Although I admitted to being a crotchety curmudgeon, it is always my

intention to bring positive encouragement and I certainly did not intend for

my comments to mean that I infer all educators don't know anything. It is

far more complicated than that simplistic analogy. My frustration has been

with the lack of leadership in the general aromatherapy community here in

the U.S. which is so fragmented that meaningful, progressive, accepted

standards for education or practice have not developed in the 20 years since

aromatherapy has been introduced here, and it appears turf wars have

superceded the general cooperation necessary for real purpose throughout

that history. I'm not sure, Robert, how well you are informed since moving

here with regard to aroma-politics in the U.S. and I suspect you have pretty

much avoided them at all costs. One certainly can't blame you, if so, and

from what I've heard, aroma-politics haven't been so great across the pond,

either. And, I'm not sure that this forum is exactly the place to examine

and evaluate the situation, let alone begin a comprehensive resolution. The

observations in your last paragraph, however, are, while extremely

discouraging if this is to remain the status-quo, a glaring confirmation of

my frustration. And, as seen by Trish's response, I'm not alone. Many

people have shared their concerns over the years, and are soured to the

point of not participating in any of the organized efforts. People on

internet lists like AFTE grapple with their desire for factual direction,

and while those of us more knowledgeable can offer tidbits here and there,

what is generally needed is an organized, systematic, well respected group

effort to elevate aromatherapy as a needed and respected profession as well

as to support the individual layperson to safely use essential oils in

self-care. What we have now are three separate organizations (NAHA, AIA,

ARC) who appear to be at cross or dual purposes, and myriad educational

institutions, all teaching their own brand or style (some islands unto

themselves not connected to any organized efforts), many not approved or

designated by any of the three institutions. Leaving aromatherapy itself to

the winds when it comes to possible (more likely probable) legislation for

either the practice or the substance (essential oils) because there is no

coherent voice from within the emerging practice to establish credible

authority. The same has happened within the natural perfume community, even

smaller than that of aromatherapy, with factions splintered and at odds with

one another.

 

Since a good part of my professional life has been spent working within

NGO's and the nonprofit sector, I am well aware that solid cooperative work

can be done to elevate organizations (with research, standards and ideas)

into go-to authorities. This is the root of my frustration; I know it is

possible.

 

Certainly Bob Harris's database and journal are valuable tools for the

individual professional or layperson, however, this doesn't solve the

overbearing problem of the continuation of poor educational practices out

here in the marketplace and therefore the perpetuation of misinformation.

 

I don't mean to appear pompous or grumpy, but I do admit to being

frustrated.

 

Be Well,

Marcia Elston, Samara Botane/Nature Intelligence

http://www.wingedseed.com

http://www.wingedseed.blogspot.com

http://www.aromaconnection.org

" We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give. " - Winston

Churchill

 

 

 

 

 

ATFE [ATFE ] On Behalf Of

tisserand

Thursday, January 21, 2010 12:30 PM

ATFE

How to distingush a quality program WAS: Re: EO and

pregnancy.

 

 

 

 

Tina, Susan,

 

I agree there is a distinct lack of " evidence base " in many of the claims

made for essential oils. With some claims that are made, the evidence base

turns out to be in vivo animal testing, and sometimes for a constituent, not

the whole oil. (Some of the information that comes out of France falls into

this category - look at the references in l'Aromatherapie Exactement.) There

are French, and other European medical practitioners that use essential oils

in their clinics and hospitals, and there are some in Asia too. Some

clinical information is published only in Mandarin, and a few good articles

have been published in French.

 

The International Journal of Clinical Aromatherapy and the International

Journal of Essential Oil Therapy publish some good reviews of the

literature, and attempt to link this with clinical practice, with the kind

of global perspective I am talking about.

 

But, there is no large cache of hard clinical data on essential oils. It

does not exist. Not only are trials few and sparse, but this reflects the

very small number of people that practice clinical aromatherapy. There have

been a number of small-scale trials, some of which found an effect beyond

placebo, and some of which didn't. There have even been a few larger-scale

trials, though some of this information concerns oral administration, which

raises another issue - what kind of an aromatherapist do you want to be?

 

In the end, the aroma-massage therapist has to make the best of things in a

world where the blind often lead the blind, where books are written copying

information from other books, and where ageing, pompous, and sometimes

grumpy know-it-alls tell them repeatedly that they don't know anything. So

naturally, they fall back on what they have been taught, and what they have

read. And actually, I am very encouraged by the way things are now shifting,

with integrative medicine, often including aromatherapy, being more and more

widely embraced because doctors are recognizing that their patients can

benefit. A few dots do need connecting though, so that practitioners have

their eyes open, and not closed.

 

Robert