Aromatherapy
 
Aromatherapy & Sports Injuries
A lot of people participate in sport, not just competitively but also for recreation and fitness. As stated by the Edinburgh Physiotherapy Centre "The definition of sporting injuries is vast. From rugby to ballet, professional to amateur, athletes at any level require specialist treatment dependent on the types of stresses they need to cope with". By Carole Preen
It is likely therefore that all body work therapists will come up against a sporting injury on a fairly regular basis, ranging from simple sprains, strains, ligament damage and muscle tears to more serious traumas. However, few have undertaken any specialist CPD training in the area and it would appear that "Few medical schools include compulsory training in sports medicine" Br J Sports Med (2000), so it is likely that diagnosis by the GP may not always be forthcoming.
It is therefore advisable that all massage therapists and aromatherapists add to their skills to enable the client's needs to be addressed to the optimum effect. A client who books in for aromatherapy or Swedish massage, who really needs deeper work, will be disappointed if the therapist does not adjust the treatment to suit. You can also advise the use of aromatherapy blends to help prevent sport injuries, such as muscle blends to help warm up the area beforehand and bath blends to use after. Vickers (1996) cites a clinical trial by Smith et al. (1994) that showed "massage interferes with the emigration of cells from the circulation into the tissue spaces by increasing blood flow to exercised muscle". Essential oils are particularly useful for long distance runners, such as marathon runners, but can apply to almost anyone. Correct training in sports injuries will enable you to advise your clients about effective stretching before and after exercise, known as warm ups and cool downs. According to Cash (1996), this is a commonly neglected area that subsequently leads to injury.
 
I have found that you can combine remedial massage and trigger point therapy in a treatment and include the use of certain essential oils that work in specific ways to help the presenting symptoms as well as treating the client holistically and improving their general wellbeing. Davies (2001) cites Travel & Simons (1999) stating that trigger points are the primary cause of pain. She goes on to quote that "trigger points are the biggest cause of disability and loss of time in any workplace or office, in any professional or amateur sport or simply around home". Of course I adhere to safety data and contraindications of essential oils and adjust dilution ratios to suit and would not offer deep tissue massage to frail old ladies, but I have had more robust 80-year-olds who have really benefited from a bit of a pounding! If you are treating sports injuries though, it is important to understand what caused the problem if it is an over-use injury, in order for it not to reoccur. This will mean a change from the type of training that is causing the damage. Cash (1996).
 
An important note here is that only qualified aromatherapists should be using essential oils in massage treatments as their training allows them to understand the chemistry and toxicity of essential oils, the safety data and contraindications and possible interactions with medications. As a qualified aromatherapist, these are the essential oils I have found useful for sporting injuries, combined with deep tissue techniques, in my own practice:
 
Eucalyptus citriodora
 
This is lemon scented eucalyptus, a member of the Myrtaceae plant family. It is high in aliphatic aldehydes (up to 80%), mainly citronellal. It is very stimulating and anti-inflammatory so is indicated for arthritis. It does have antispasmodic properties and it blends well with other oils. I have found it to be very useful for cleansing the emotions as well. One of my students has found that her skin reacted to this oil, so caution must be used for those with sensitive skin.
 
Syzygium aromaticum
 
Clove bud oil should also be used in low dilutions as it can irritate sensitive skins and also diseased or damaged skin. Tisserand/Balacs (1995). It contains 90% phenols including eugenol, isoeugenol and aceteugenol. It belongs to the Myrtaceae family and is antiviral as well as antiseptic. It is also an analgesic and antispasmodic, as well as being very stimulating and warming to the muscles. It is indicated for arthritis and sprains.
 
Piper nigrum
 
This oil contains mainly monoterpenes (up to 70%) including limonene, ?-pinene, ß-pinene and sabinene. A member of the Piperaceae family this oil is very warming and promotes localised blood flow through muscle tissue. It has analgesic, antispasmodic and antiseptic properties and is indicated for muscular aches and pains, poor muscle tone, poor circulation, sprains, stiffness and rheumatoid arthritis.
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