Complementaryand 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 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.
Thephysiologic 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. 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.
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