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Natural Solutions

Aromatherapy Journal November 2015

What Impact do Essential oils have on Fibromyalgia symptoms

Ask the expert ...

What impact do essential oils have on

fibromyalgia symptoms? (A case study)

This

month's

expert ...

Elaine

McArthur

CAHP

Registered Massage

Therapist

Fibromyalgia is a

rheumatic disorder

characterized

by chronic

achy muscular pain.

It commonly affects

the back, the neck, the

shoulders, the back of the

head, the upper chest and/

or the thighs.

The pain and stiffness

is often greater in the

morning than at other

times of the day and it

may be accompanied

by chronic headaches,

strange sensations in the

skin, insomnia, irritable

bowel syndrome and

temporal mandibular joint

pain.

Other symptoms include

premenstrual syndrome,

painful periods, anxiety,

palpitations, memory

impairment, irritable

bladder, skin sensitivities,

dry eyes and mouth.

 

Sleep problems and

chronic fatigue are

additional disorders

associated with FS.

 

Activities such as lifting,

climbing stairs are often

very difficult and painful.

Depression often

accompanies this disorder

and stress may trigger the

development of problems

similar to those associated

with cardiovascular

disease and adrenal gland

disorders.

 

Because the immune

system is compromised,

there is opportunity for

viruses and bacteria to

afflict them as well.

There are a multitude of

symptoms and not all with

FS experience them.

The most distinctive

feature of fibromyalgia is

the existence of "tender

points". These are tender

spots in the muscles when

touched

 

Client's main health

concern:

Fibromyalgia

Client’s Symptoms Reported:

Lack of sleep

• Digestion, reflux

Bladder, bowel

problems

• Hemorrhoids, varicose

veins

Heart palpitations

Lumbar osteopenia

Neck aches

Depression, anxiety

and nervousness

Roseacea

 

Areas of Focus for

Treatment:

• Sleep issues

Existential pain

Roseacea

Reduce stress

Encourage exercise

 

EssentialOil Blends

With this case history I

decided to support her

sleeping issues; to allow

her body to rest and repair ..

The oils used were a

3% blend of Virginian

Cedarwood, Grapefruit

a nd Lavender with

Avocado carrier Oil.

 

The next appointment's

focus was to support her

existential pain. A3% blend

of Clary Sage, Lemongrass

and Grapefruit in Avocado

carrier oil were blended.

The pre and post blend

that I made for my client

for her exercise routines

is as follows; the preexercise

blend consisted

of cedarwood, cajeput and

black pepper in canola

carrier oil to warm the

muscles and prepare them

for exercise.

 

The post exercise

blend was to help with

inflammation and pain;

roman chamomile,

peppermint and black

spruce in canola carrier oil.

 

Client Feedback From

Using the Essential Oils

The client reported

improved sleep with

using this blend described

above.

The outcome of the

second blend changed

the client's mood and

skin. She applied this to

herface and her blemishes

disappeared. She started

going to a gym and had

others remark on her

complexion, boosting her

self-esteem.

The client had good results

with her two blends for pre

and post exercise ..

 

My Perspective On the

Essential Oils with this

Client

The client that I have been

treating with essential oils

recently has had FS for over

20 years. She is 60 years

of age and has decided to

discard all he medications

as she felt they didn't help

her She had been a client of

mine forthe past two years

receiving strictly massage

therapy. She was willing to

try massage and essential

oils over a three month

period, Marchto June2015.

I had the client chart her

symptoms and rate them

with a number from 1-10

for the months of May and

June 2015.

 

Feedback

My client felt that even

though she didn't sleep for

a great length oftime, the

sleep she had after using

the oil blend was more

restful. She didn't feel as

tired when she awoke.

She responded positively

to the oils and she felt she

was handling her stresses

better. Overall she is more

emotionally relaxed and

felt a sense of calm.

 

With her chronic pain,

she has felt that the oils

have given her some

relief; she can live with

the fibromyalgia pain; the

pain has been reduced and

she has had relief of pain

for a greater length oftime

compared to when she

used medications. There

aren't any side effectsfrom

the essential oils as she

had with the medications.

 

Overall, she feels a need to

maintain the application

of the oils in order to

continue the positive

benefits she is currently

experiencing.

 

To date, this client has

changed in several

ways. Her mental status

especially; she is focused

and goes to the gym doing

pilates / yoga 3-4 times

per week. In addition she

works out 3 times during

the evening doing weights

and the treadmill!

 

Other Notable Changes

She is reading about other

Alternatie  practices

and her interests are

broadening.

She is practicing relaxation

and breathing techniques

as suggested to help her

relax.

The only drawback she

is finding is experiencing

more pain/tender points

during damp weather.

 

She finds the oils are

helping her in her daily

activities and she is

achieving her personal

balance.

 

I have tried myofascial

release, essential oil

visualizations, lymph

drainage and light

massage with this client

to support her when I see

her for a treatment. I have

noticed that I am able to

touch her tender areas

with less reaction from her

now. She has responded

very well to both the

massage and essential oil

treatments.

 

Findings

Improvement in sleep,

fatigue, morning stiffness,

heartburn, skin changes

and sore throat issues

have lessened.

 

Overall the client is very

happy with the outcome

of the oils on her physical

and mental health; they

have had an impact on her

even in small ways. I have

seen her for the past two

years and she has never

hadt hese kinds of changes

occur. The potency of the

oils have made some

positive life changes for

this person.

 

Final Result

The oils that had the most

effect on my client were

the Virginian Cedarwood,

Grapefruit and Lavender

blend in canola carrier oil.

Myclient hasshown to me

in a very short time how

the essential oils have

affected her physically

and mentally; it has been

life changing for her and

she has said she can't live

without them now.