Essay - Aromatherapy Complimentary Medicines Have Long Been a Subject of Debate...

Aromatherapy

***** medicines have long been a subject of debate in Western medicine, especially in the United States, but a renewed interest in *****m h*****s occurred over the past several decades (Halm 2008). Aroma*****rapy is one such method of complimentary medicine that has been more popular in Europe, Canada, and Australia than the United States, but several studies showing the treatments efficacy are helping to change that (***** 2008). Margo Halm, a clinic*****l nurse specialist and Director of Nursing Research ***** Quality at the ***** Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota, conducted a review ***** past studies concerning aroma*****rapy, and her findings of ot*****' results with the method are highly encouraging.

The stated purpose ***** Halm's article was to summarize and synthesize "current evidence related ***** the following question: How effective are essential oils in management of symptoms ***** critically ill patients?" (Halm 2008). Basically, ***** wanted to research ***** put forth her findings on modern applications of essential oil aroma*****rapy, which she claims to ***** been in medical use for thousands of years (Halm 2008). Because ***** did not have any specific results in m*****d—indeed, shed did not develop any *****, but merely collated and synthesized existing research—this leaves her article very objective and its evidence even more compelling for the fact that t*****e was no defini***** clinical objective ***** to ***** patients or types of car. The ***** purpose of her article is simple ***** direct, which led to results that are easily analyzed and in m***** situations i*****mediately applicable.

***** limited her review to studies conducted between 1995 ***** 1998 ***** focused on aromat*****apy, whether they were individual case rep*****t, experimental or non-experimental studies, and other literature reviews, ***** Halm herself only analyzed data from studies that enrolled critically ill patients. Thus, though armed with additional background information, Halm's results are limited ***** those directly applicable to clinical situations. She used the MEDLINE, CINAHL, and COCHRANE databases to collect the ***** she reviewed, using the following key words: ***** oils, aromatherapy, massage, symptom management, anxiety/stress, insomnia/sleep, pain, and intensive care unit (Halm 2008). In addition, the bibliographies of each study found in this method were exam*****ed for fur*****r possible studies (Halm 2008).

Because Halm did ***** conduct her own research, ***** ***** is limited to what others in the field ***** d***** before her. At the same time, because ***** was not focuse***** on the outcome of a particular study, Halm's review takes *****to account a much broader view of the subject ***** aromat*****apy, broadening the implicati*****s ***** ***** of her findings. These findings showed, in large part, a high degree of efficacy ***** aromatherapy as a treatment (Halm 2008). From **********, the period on ***** Halm focused, five ***** ***** were publi*****, ***** well as an ICU c*****e report, a systematic review, and a literature review. All but one ***** these studies ***** in the UK, reflecting US reluctance towards many complimentary medicinal *****s.

***** ***** ought to ***** however, given the results of Halm's review: of