Review of Lavender Aromatherapy: Past, Present, and Future

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Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is a practice that incorporates unconventional medical therapies such as aromatherapy, acupuncture, and massage in order to alleviate medical problems. CAM practice is a huge undertaking in the United States, in a 1993 report in the NEJM 1 out of 3 Americans used CAM therapies. It was estimated at that time that $13.7 billion dollars per year were spent on CAM therapies and that three quarters were paid out of pocket. In 2007 it was determined that 4 out of 10 adults in the U.S. used CAM therapies, which is a significant increase since the prior study [2], and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health reported that $33.9 billion were spent on CAM therapies. It was further determined that when there was concern about the cost of conventional care, individuals were more likely to use CAM therapy. 

Aromatherapy is commonly defined as therapy through the use of aromatic plant extracts and essential oils through various methods (inhalation, oral, massage, baths). The physiologic effects of aromatherapy have been recognized in folk medicine for many years. In particular, lavender oil has been attributed to have mood enhancing and analgesic properties by aromatherapists. As alternative medicine continues to grow, aromatherapy is at the forefront of this growth [6]. Interest in lavender oil in particular has increased, not just in retail but also in the medical community. Lavender oil in vapor form is purported to have multiple beneficial effects in humans including: relief of anxiety, analgesia, sleep improvement, pain relief, and decreased restlessness. Many recent clinical trials have supported these claims and suggest that lavender aromatherapy can be a useful adjunct to standard care.