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Medical references

Recent research on essential oil use and aromatherapy research is listed below.

For information on individual essential oils, go to oil profiles. These include:

         What's New in Research

Journal links go to the abstract of the article in PubMed (Medline) medical reference library, run by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, or the full-text article.

Application of essential oils on mouse skin, especially geranium oil, can suppress inflammatory symptoms. Other oils such as lavender, eucalyptus and tea tree oils also suppressed inflammation, but their activities seemed weaker than geranium. Juniper oil didn't suppress inflammation. J Inflamm (Lond). 2005 Feb 10;2(1):1.

Essential oils have major effects on decreasing pain and depression levels. The essential oils used were lavender, marjoram, eucalyptus, rosemary, and peppermint. Based on our experiment's findings, we suggest that aromatherapy can be a useful nursing intervention for arthritis patients. Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi. 2005 Feb;35(1):186-94.

This study's results imply that essential oil of Thymus vulgaris (thyme) thymol chemotype potentiates the antifungal action of amphotericin B, suggesting a possible utilization of this essential oil in addition to antifungal drugs for the treatment of diseases caused by fungus. Phytother Res. 2004 Dec;18(12):990-5.

Antibacterial essential oils reduced tumor smell and inflammation in oral cancer patients. J Clin Oncol. 2005 Mar 1;23(7):1588-9. (Link is to actual article.)

In this literature review, the authors found that massage and aromatherapy massage for cancer patients have short term benefits on psychological wellbeing, with the effect on anxiety supported by limited evidence. Evidence is mixed as to whether aromatherapy enhances the effects of massage. Replication, longer follow up, and larger trials are need. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004;(2):CD002287.

Complementary and alternative medicine, including aromatherapy massage, is frequently used by children and young people with cancer. This plays a substantial role in helping children through their conventional cancer treatment. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2004 Mar;8(1):50-60.

This article investigates the use essential oils for hair loss (alopecia areata) caused by both localized and systemic disease. Oils used were thymus vulgaris (thyme), lavandula angustifolia (lavender), rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary), and Cedrus atlantica (cedar) diluted in a carrier oil. J Fam Pract. 2004 Jan;53(1):33-6. (Link is to actual article.)

         Past Research

Inhaling lavender and rosemary effect alertness in different ways

Extensive study shows that essential oils reduce use of pain medication for women in childbirth

Inhaling lavender oil decreases anxiety during hemodialysis treatments

Tea tree not effective as a coolant for burns

True lavender may relieve muscle spasms

Another study supports tea tree's effectiveness against antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Allergens in tea tree caused by the oil's exposure to light

Echinacea for early treatment, not prevention

Better symptom relief for PMS with Vitex

German chamomile used to ease benzodiazepine withdrawal

 

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