Aromatherapy Massage Provides Dual Benefit

There is nothing more relaxing than a good massage and there is no harm in smelling good when it is finished. An aromatherapy massage can help work the kinks out or your muscles while applying additional benefits of essential oils, known for their healing powers. What you hope to accomplish will determine the type of oils used, as different oils deliver different results.

Everyone feels good after a massage, with most therapists using a moisturizing oil to keep their hands flowing smoothly across the muscles. With an aromatherapy massage essential oils are mixed with carrier oil in order to apply the oils evenly throughout the treatment. An aromatherapy massage can be enjoyed by athletes, weight lifters or anyone else seeking to have the stress worked out of their muscles.

Since a massage can help relax tense muscles and certain aromas are known to provide certain psychological benefits, it is only natural that combining aromatherapy with massage will double the benefit. While working on sore and overused muscles, the scent of oils can also induce mental relaxation into a person’s system.

Massage Can Help Entire Body

An aromatherapy massage can stimulate blood circulation improving the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the body as well as having a calming effect, essentially reducing the body’s stress level. By using scented oils the aroma can also produce other desired effects, such as muscle relaxation if ginger is used, or in easing muscle pain with the use of peppermint oil.

When receiving an aromatherapy massage some of the essential oils will be absorbed by the skin and may make their way into the blood stream providing specific benefits. The scent of the oils will also be inhaled during the massage, allowing the fragrance to work into the blood stream by traveling through nasal passages into the lungs. Science has yet to determine how much of the oils make their way into the blood stream, yet it has been acknowledged that the benefits of an aromatherapy massage are evident in relaxation of muscle tension.

Sports specialists have long acknowledged the benefits of massage in sports training for athletes. By working the muscles they can prevent many of the injuries of which athletes are prone and even help prevent cramping. Many times oil is used during the massage but due to slow acceptance in the sports world aromatic oils are usually left out of the locker room.

Aromatherapy Treatment for Physical and Emotional Well Being

Aromatherapy has been used for centuries in one form or another, to treat a host of mental and physical ailments. In the early 1900’s, a French chemist named Rene-Maurice Gattefosse discovered the healing elements in the essential oils that are found in some plants, and coined the term “aromatherapy.”

Since that time, aromatherapy has become big business, and qualified aromatherapists are easy to find to assist you with your aromatherapy treatment. You can either choose this route for your aromatherapy, or you can purchase the oils through a health food store, pharmacy or over the Internet and use the oils at home regularly for maximum benefit.