Aroma Therapy Massage
Aroma therapy massage is Swedish massage therapy using massage oil or lotion that contains essential oils (highly concentrated plant oils).
During an aromatherapy massage, you inhale these essential oil molecules or absorb them through your skin. They are thought to promote beneficial changes in your mind and body by affecting the limbic system, a region of the brain known to influence the nervous system.
Why Do People Get Aromatherapy Massage?
Each essential oil used in aromatherapy is said to have different properties. For example, some calm and make you feel relaxed while others energize.
Since aromatherapy massage techniques are often the same as those used in Swedish massage (the most common type of massage in the US), people often get it for sore back, neck, and/or shoulder muscles or to ease stress. Use of therapeutic essential oils in massage is being explored for the following conditions:
- Anxiety
- Dementia symptoms
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Menstrual pain
- Supportive care for people with conditions such as cancer
Benefits
Aromatherapy massage appears to reduce the pain and discomfort of menstrual cramps, a 2015 study from the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology suggests. Participants did a self-massage with rose essential oil, an unscented almond oil, or no oil on the first day of menstruation for two menstrual cycles. By the second cycle, aromatherapy massage reduced the severity of pain compared to massage therapy with almond oil or no oil.
