One of my favorite things about using essential oils in my naturopathic medicine practice is that they are a gentle, yet powerful, companion for supporting practically any issue that comes up with my clients. Rather than manipulating a certain molecular pathway, essential oils act synergistically to work with the body and bring balance on the physiological, psychological, and biochemical level. They are often used as a key modality that not only addresses current symptoms, but also the root cause of them. As stated in my post on how essential oils are in alignment with all the naturopathic medicine principles:
My naturopathic and functional medicine specialties are emotional and mental health, digestive wellness, and hormonal balance; therefore, using essential oils allows me to incorporate an intervention that not only addresses physiological imbalances, but often what precedes or co-occurs with them.
As they modulate neurotransmitters, essential oils also balance hormones, assist digestion, and enhance mood. They also combine well with the herbs and supplements that I often suggest. Care should be taken with using them with certain medications, but often essential oils enhance prescription drugs’ positive effects and decrease their side effects.
Often times, because of my excessive blogging and borderline obsession with essential oils, I receive many questions from those who are not my clients regarding “what oil do I use for _____ ?” (Fill in the blank with any symptom.) For me, that is a question that cannot be answered simply, and definitely not through an email exchange.
Beyond the legal and ethical reasons, my training in biochemical individuality, love for personalized medicine, and my need to match the individual with the right oily companion based on an intimate knowledge of their health history, makes protocol medicine something I have never been comfortable with.
Essential Oils for More “Than That”
Previously, I wrote a whole series on the caveats to stating that there’s “an essential oil for ‘that’.” Below is a brief summary of some of the main points.
-Each essential oil has its own unique chemovar or chemotype (primary active components within its species). This means that every oil, even if it’s the same species, will have different compounds present based on its manufacturing. It is best to use high quality oil brands that work well with your biochemistry based on your experience.
-Every person has their own unique biochemistry. The many molecules present within essential oils will modulate each individual differently as a result.
-Essential oils have multifaceted actions and interact with many body systems simultaneously. No essential oil has just one action.
-The psychological effect one has to the volatile, olfactory sensation (scent) is based on personal experience. This response interacts with the biological activity of the essential oil. (This is why, even if someone’s hormonal imbalance is linked to underlying anxiety, lavender oil won’t work if they hate the smell.)
But…Dr. Sarah, I NEED an Oil for This Thyroid!
One of the top questions people ask me regarding the use of essential oils are those that support hormones and, specifically, the thyroid. Recently, it was pointed out to me that I have plenty of posts on hormonal balance and mental health in my essential oils database, but I haven’t specifically addressed thyroid hormones.
Although there is no specific “thyroid essential oil,” there are ones that remediate the “top offenders” to thyroid and hormonal balance. In my latest post, I dive into some of the main factors that cause thyroid imbalance and provide examples of essential oils that may address these aspects.
These suggestions are based on the assumption that a full wellness intake has been completed, a doctor has diagnosed suboptimal functioning of the gland, and the determination of the underlying cause(s) has been determined.
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Exclusive Content on Essential Oils for Natural Healing
Specializing in Digestive, Women’s, and Emotional Health
This material is for information purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prescribe for any illness. You should check with your doctor regarding implementing any new strategies into your wellness regime. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. (Affiliation link.)
According to experts and the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no approved standard of care treatment, cure, or preventative for COVID-19. Supportive measures and containment are in full force as a result. Please see the CDC website and your state’s website for more information and updates. They also state when to contact your physician related to symptoms and travel history, exposures. Please read my more detailed article on this subject here.
Disclaimer: This information is applicable ONLY for therapeutic quality essential oils. This information DOES NOT apply to essential oils that have not been tested for purity and standardized constituents. There is no quality control in the United States, and oils labeled as “100% pure” need only to contain 5% of the actual oil. The rest of the bottle can be filled with fillers and sometimes toxic ingredients that can irritate the skin. The studies are not based solely on a specific brand of an essential oil, unless stated. Please read the full study for more information.
Thanks Canva and Pixabay.
