Aromatherapy For Cancer Patients Albuquerque NM

Healing Scents for Cancer

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By Vonalda M. Utterback, CN

The tremendous anxiety that comes with a cancer diagnosis and the difficult side effects that arise from the subsequent chemotherapy and radiation treatments can cause debilitating physical and emotional reactions in patients. Aromatherapy, which uses essential oils extracted from plants, can often help them cope with both.

Cherie A. Perez, RN, who teaches a course on aromatherapy for patients at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center’s Place of Wellness in Houston and who for the past six years has incorporated aromatherapy in her care of them says, “I’ve successfully used aromatherapy to help ease patients’ anxiety and promote relaxation, boost energy levels, and to help combat nausea and insomnia.”

Essential oils are used in two ways, says Valerie Cooksley, RN, a former oncology nurse and author of Aromatherapy: Soothing Remedies to Restore, Rejuvenate, and Heal (Prentice-Hall, 2002). “You use inhalation to effect mind, mood, and emotions, or if there is any type of respiratory problem,” she explains. “When essential oils are combined with a carrier oil [such as almond, jojoba, grapeseed, or coconut oil], they can also be applied directly to the skin to help heal wounds, radiation burns, or localized infections such as bed sores.”

To gain the benefit of the following scents, apply them to a pillowcase, your clothing, or a tissue, and inhale deeply.

For anxiety and stress try breathing in the scent of lavender, Roman chamomile, rose, spearmint, or bay laurel. br />To overcome nausea or lack of appetite, inhale peppermint, cardamom, ginger, or spearmintbr /> Get rid of insomnia by experiencing the aromas of Himalayan cedarwood, lavender, or sweet marjoram. > For radiation burns, try diluting 12 to 20 drops of neroli, lavender, or blue tansy oil per ounce of aloe vera to make a soothing ointment
To ease muscle pain, augment one of the carrier oils (almond, jojoba, grapeseed, or coconut) with rosemary or black pepper. Note: If undergoing cancer treatment, consult your healthcare provider prior to self-administering aromatherapy. Always perform a skin-patch sensitivity test before applying oils directly to skin. Some oils may interfere with certain treatments, or cause adverse reactions.br />
After receiving a cancer diagnosis, people often feel helpless,” says Cooksley, who also teaches an online certification course in aromatherapy and has a 20-year history of using essential oils in her nursing practice. “Aromatherapy not only heals, it’s also very empowering. In the midst of such a stressful and distressing situation, it’s one thing that cancer patients can actually control.”

Author: Vonalda M. Utterback, CN

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