While there is no FDA oversight with essential oils, hospitals nationwide are recognizing their therapeutic benefits for patients and hospitals workers alike. Studies have shown that using essential oils in a hospital setting helps to calm the patients who are in there for treatment; these studies have also shown that diffusing essential oils has had positive effects on the staff and doctors, as well.
Historically, essential oils have been used for therapeutic usages for thousands of years. In Biblical times, essential oils were commonly used for many different purposes. Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medicine, used essential oils with his patients. Essential oils were even used in World War II for the soldiers injured on the battlefield. These plant-based treatments were the “go to” for most illnesses until the rise of modern pharmaceuticals. Many of our modern “medicines” now were actually formulated from the study of plants and the chemical makeup of plants to treat illness and disease.
While no medical claims may be made about essential oils, the powerful anti-microbial properties in essential oils are well documented for their therapeutic usage in many different kinds of infections and diseases. Since essential oil usage has been shown to strengthen the immune system, diffusing them in a setting where some infectious air-borne microbes may be prevalent is a valuable defense. Many people who visit a hospital already tend to have a compromised immune system, so diffusing essential oils can only have a positive effect.
In addition to these therapeutic usages, using essential oils in a hospital setting have shown amazing effects in lowering the stress levels for both patients and hospital workers. Vanderbilt Hospital began using essential oils in their Emergency Room. After diffusing these oils, the staff indicated that stress levels went from a high of 85% down to 15%, a significant decrease. Patients surveyed also indicated that they enjoyed the pleasant and refreshing smell compared to the sterile and strongly chemical smell typical for a hospital setting.
According to a Fox News report, the following hospitals nationwide are now using essential oils to boost productivity and increase health and healing:
Alegent Health Bergan Mercy Medical Center, Omaha, NE
Aurora Healthcare System, Foxpoint WI
Banner Health, Mesa AZ
Benedictine Hosptial, NY
Beth Israel Complementary Care Center, NY, NY
Children’s Healthcare, Roseville, MN
The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, NY NY
Elk Regional Health Hospital, PA
Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, AK
Florida Hospital Medical Center, Orlando, FL
Goshen General Hospital, Goshen, IN
Heather Hill Hospital, Chardon, OH
Ingham Regional Medical Center, Landing, MI
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Oakland, CA
Manilaq Hospital, Kotzebue, AK
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, NY, NY
Mercy Holistic Health, Cincinnati, OH
Pinnacle Health, Harrisburg, PA
St. Barnabas Healthcare System, Toms River, NJ
St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Hartford, CT
St. John’s Riverside Medical Center, Yonkers, NY
St. Luke’s Medical Center, New Bedford, MA
Sentara Healthcare, Wilmington, DE
The Valley Hospital, Ridgewood, NJ
University of Michigan Hosptial, MI
Wishard Memorial Hospital, Indianapolis, IN
Essential Oils has also been found to help with oral health, so dentists are also starting to recognize their benefits for themselves and their patients. Many dentists are now diffusing essential oils to help the stress levels of their patients and staff, as well. Chiropractors are recognizing that using essential oils can help to relax their patients during their adjustments, as well as holding their adjustment afterwards. Massage therapists and Aromatherapists have long understood the powerful benefits of essential oil usage in their practice. I recently read an article showing how EMT volunteers are now carrying some essential oils, both to calm people and to help support their body’s pain level until they get to the hospital for more intervention. Essential oil inhalers were also used in a major Philadelphia hospital to help with pain and nausea in the recovery room.
The popularity of essential oils today is higher than ever now, possibly due to the desire of more people to find natural and non-toxic solutions to their health care needs. With the rise of “Functional Medicine” and their approach to deal with the ROOT of health issues and not simply treat the symptoms, essential oils are a natural complement to that, as well. Regardless of what you think about essential oils, they have been used therapeutically for thousands of years, and they are here to stay!
References:
Hospitals Using Essential Oils to Boost Productivity and Health (Video)
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