Aromatherapy
The word aromatherapy may at first bring to mind the feeling of being overwhelmed with sickeningly sweet
perfumes while walking through a department store or a candle shop. But aromatherapy is quite the opposite.
Using the organic, essential oils from flowers like lavender and chamomile, aromatherapy stimulates and sedates
the sensory organs without overwhelming them. It works very well as a complement to acupuncture treatments.
Herbalists can combine essential oils into jojoba oil to make a synergy massage oil for each patient. For example,
I combine peppermint, lemon, frankincense, and eucalyptus to treat asthma; sandalwood, high-altitude lavender,
rose, and bergamot to treat stress; roman chamomile, neroli, rosewood, and geranium to treat menopause; and
arnica, clary sage, and patchouli to treat muscular pain. Patients can also perform the aromatherapy at home,
between acupuncture treatments. When one patient came to see me with severe vertigo, I made a vertigo-relief
essential oil for her, stored it in miniature cobalt blue glass bottles with rollers, and asked her to apply it to her
wrists whenever she felt an attack coming on. Her symptoms improved quickly. For another patient, who was
nervous about her upcoming CPA board exam, I made the “mental clarifying, focusing blend” synergy. She used it
and said that she was able to concentrate better than she could before using the synergy. For asthma patients, I
provide the asthma-relief synergy mixed with water in spray bottles and ask them to spray the synergy in the room
when they are feeling short of breath. For patients with insomnia, I suggest that they spray the insomnia-relief
synergy blend in their bedrooms before they go to bed. These synergies work very well and offer an effective way
to treat symptoms naturally.
I also use arnica and emu oil. Arnica is a homeopathic anti-inflammatory that I use to treat traumatic injury,
strained joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and lower back pain. Emu oil (from Thunder Ridge) has healing, anti-
inflammatory properties. It increases the circulation to the applied area and works quickly to heal burns, wounds,
eczema, psoriasis, and insect bites. I use Emu oil after treating psoriasis patients with acupuncture, and their skin
shows a dramatic improvement.
During constitutional acupuncture treatments, I also apply a warm face mask on top of a paper face mask (with a
hint of nourishing powdered Chinese herbs and/or a few drops of lavender essential oil) for 5 to 10 minutes. The
face has many important acupuncture points and is very close to the brain; the sense of warmth from the mask
sends signals to the sensory cortex to relax quickly, which enables the patient to benefit even more from the
acupuncture. This treatment helps patients who have anxiety or insomnia fall immediately into a deep sleep.
The three basic essential oils and its versatile usage:
1. Lemon
· Disinfectant –rub one drop on the palm of your hands
· Morning sickness – inhale the scent to stop the nausea
· Cold sores – rub one drop - eliminate waste from the cells
· Corn, callous, wart and bunion - apply a couple of drops before go to bed
· Athlete’s foot
· Varicose veins – rub a few drops once a day – relieve pressure on the veins
· Excess cellulite – rub a few drops - improve circulation and eliminate waste
· Cleaning – dishcloth, fixtures, laundry, carpet, counters, dishwasher, butcher’s block
· Kill germs – mix with water and spray or diffuse in the room
2. Peppermint
· Boost energy –rub on the wrist crease and inhale the scent
· Temporal headache – put it on the finger tip and massage it on the skull of the head
· Migraine headache – carefully rub a drop on the eye blow, temple
· Stop nausea – put it on the finger tip and rub on the sternum and under the sternum
· Mood enhancer – directly inhale or apply on the sole of the 2nd and 3rd toe
· Improve concentration and alertness – directly inhale or apply on the sole of the big toe
· Relieve pain for acute injury to reduce inflammation
· Hot flash / Fever – apply a couple of drops on bottom of feet.
· Stop hiccups – apply on the neck on the spine (behind the throat)
· Stop itching – not used for broken skin or cut
· Heart burn – add a drop to a warm water and drink like a cup of tea
· Poison ivy – diluted with jojoba oil and apply on the affected area
3. French Lavender
· Acute minor cut or burn – to stop pain and bleeding
· Hay Fever – put a drop on palm and inhale slowly
· Kill bacteria – mix with water and spray o diffuse in the room
· Morning sickness – calm you down
· Dry and chopped skin – rub it on or mix with jojoba oil
· Calming – rub a few drops on the sole of feet
· Insomnia – apply a few drops on the tissue or a cotton ball next to your pillow
· Insect bite – put a drop – to reduce swelling
The word aromatherapy may at first bring to mind the feeling of being overwhelmed with sickeningly sweet
perfumes while walking through a department store or a candle shop. But aromatherapy is quite the opposite.
Using the organic, essential oils from flowers like lavender and chamomile, aromatherapy stimulates and sedates
the sensory organs without overwhelming them. It works very well as a complement to acupuncture treatments.
Herbalists can combine essential oils into jojoba oil to make a synergy massage oil for each patient. For example,
I combine peppermint, lemon, frankincense, and eucalyptus to treat asthma; sandalwood, high-altitude lavender,
rose, and bergamot to treat stress; roman chamomile, neroli, rosewood, and geranium to treat menopause; and
arnica, clary sage, and patchouli to treat muscular pain. Patients can also perform the aromatherapy at home,
between acupuncture treatments. When one patient came to see me with severe vertigo, I made a vertigo-relief
essential oil for her, stored it in miniature cobalt blue glass bottles with rollers, and asked her to apply it to her
wrists whenever she felt an attack coming on. Her symptoms improved quickly. For another patient, who was
nervous about her upcoming CPA board exam, I made the “mental clarifying, focusing blend” synergy. She used it
and said that she was able to concentrate better than she could before using the synergy. For asthma patients, I
provide the asthma-relief synergy mixed with water in spray bottles and ask them to spray the synergy in the room
when they are feeling short of breath. For patients with insomnia, I suggest that they spray the insomnia-relief
synergy blend in their bedrooms before they go to bed. These synergies work very well and offer an effective way
to treat symptoms naturally.
I also use arnica and emu oil. Arnica is a homeopathic anti-inflammatory that I use to treat traumatic injury,
strained joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and lower back pain. Emu oil (from Thunder Ridge) has healing, anti-
inflammatory properties. It increases the circulation to the applied area and works quickly to heal burns, wounds,
eczema, psoriasis, and insect bites. I use Emu oil after treating psoriasis patients with acupuncture, and their skin
shows a dramatic improvement.
During constitutional acupuncture treatments, I also apply a warm face mask on top of a paper face mask (with a
hint of nourishing powdered Chinese herbs and/or a few drops of lavender essential oil) for 5 to 10 minutes. The
face has many important acupuncture points and is very close to the brain; the sense of warmth from the mask
sends signals to the sensory cortex to relax quickly, which enables the patient to benefit even more from the
acupuncture. This treatment helps patients who have anxiety or insomnia fall immediately into a deep sleep.
The three basic essential oils and its versatile usage:
1. Lemon
· Disinfectant –rub one drop on the palm of your hands
· Morning sickness – inhale the scent to stop the nausea
· Cold sores – rub one drop - eliminate waste from the cells
· Corn, callous, wart and bunion - apply a couple of drops before go to bed
· Athlete’s foot
· Varicose veins – rub a few drops once a day – relieve pressure on the veins
· Excess cellulite – rub a few drops - improve circulation and eliminate waste
· Cleaning – dishcloth, fixtures, laundry, carpet, counters, dishwasher, butcher’s block
· Kill germs – mix with water and spray or diffuse in the room
2. Peppermint
· Boost energy –rub on the wrist crease and inhale the scent
· Temporal headache – put it on the finger tip and massage it on the skull of the head
· Migraine headache – carefully rub a drop on the eye blow, temple
· Stop nausea – put it on the finger tip and rub on the sternum and under the sternum
· Mood enhancer – directly inhale or apply on the sole of the 2nd and 3rd toe
· Improve concentration and alertness – directly inhale or apply on the sole of the big toe
· Relieve pain for acute injury to reduce inflammation
· Hot flash / Fever – apply a couple of drops on bottom of feet.
· Stop hiccups – apply on the neck on the spine (behind the throat)
· Stop itching – not used for broken skin or cut
· Heart burn – add a drop to a warm water and drink like a cup of tea
· Poison ivy – diluted with jojoba oil and apply on the affected area
3. French Lavender
· Acute minor cut or burn – to stop pain and bleeding
· Hay Fever – put a drop on palm and inhale slowly
· Kill bacteria – mix with water and spray o diffuse in the room
· Morning sickness – calm you down
· Dry and chopped skin – rub it on or mix with jojoba oil
· Calming – rub a few drops on the sole of feet
· Insomnia – apply a few drops on the tissue or a cotton ball next to your pillow
· Insect bite – put a drop – to reduce swelling
