Hi everyone! I’m Jamie Carroll, the Massage Therapist at Lilly Physical Therapy. I’m very excited to share that aromatherapy is coming to our clinic! I can’t wait to introduce my hand-picked blends that will combat muscle pains, inflammations and stress.
What are essential oils?
Aromatherapy uses essential oils that are naturally found in plant leaves, seeds, flowers, tree bark, and roots! The oils are extracted by either cold pressing or steam distilling. This process takes the oil from the plant in high concentrations, making it very potent! Most essential oils are mixed with a carrier oil when used topically, or mixed in water when used with a diffuser. Commonly heard of essential oils may be thyme, peppermint, eucalyptus, rose, sandalwood and lavender. More unknown oils may be ginger, ylang-ylang, frankincense, bergamot – still all natural AND have wonderful, unique scents that are beneficial to your health!
What can essential oils do for me?
In the plant, essential oils help strengthen the plant’s immune system by promoting healthy growth by fighting bacterias and viruses, and other things that could cause harm. For hundreds of years, humans have been using essential oils the same way – to naturally assist our immune system and keep us healthy!
How can you use essential oils?
Essential oils can be enjoyed several ways, the most common being aromatherapy and absorption through the skin. Aromatherapy targets our sense of smell – we all know how our moods improve when we smell something delicious! Smells target our limbic system which releases those “feel good” hormones. Simply sniffing an essential oil scent such a orange, lavender or peppermint can instantly lift your mood. Aromatherapy blends are commonly made for relaxation, concentration and sleep. Essential oils used topically or during massage absorb into the skin and are commonly used to treat muscle and tendon pains, help circulation, and improve skin conditions.
What are we using?
In our clinic I have selected several hand-made blends specifically beneficial for you and will be incorporated into your massage!
- Tendonitis is a common ailment due to repetitive use of certain joints. Blends using lemongrass and cypress help manage the pain and encourage healing.
- Poor circulation is also common due to tight muscles restricting blood flow, my blend using rosemary and eucalyptus will encourage blood flow and circulation.
- Stress and tension will melt away with the perfect blend of lavender, ylang-ylang and sandalwood.
