ABSTRACT
Aromatherapy is a holistic treatment using the hands to massage essential oils,
which are extracted from plants, onto the surface of the body. This therapy is used to
enhance a feeling of ‘wellbeing’ and promote emotional and physical good health.
It is used for a wide variety of complaints, but most commonly as a treatment to
relieve musculoskeletal conditions and symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression.
Much of the aromatherapy work in the past was practised in beauty salons, sports
facilities, health clubs, gyms and private clinics. It has now become firmly inte-
grated with our therapeutic healthcare system and more recently in primary care,
hospitals, palliative care and hospices.
