Aromatherapy Massage and the Digestive System
Helping the digestive system with aromatherapy massage
The digestive system consists of the digestive tract and ancillary
organs. The digestive tract begins with the mouth, followed by the
oesophagus (gullet), stomach, large intestine, small intestine, rectum
and anus. The ancillary organs are the salivary glands, liver, gall
bladder and pancreas. The functions of the digestive system are the
ingestion of foods, peristalsis (waves of involuntary muscular
contraction which move the food along), digestion and absorption, where
the food is broken down and assimilated into the body, and the
defecation of waste products.
The saying 'You are what you eat' refers to how healthy your diet is,
but equally important is the way your food is eaten and digested. No
matter how healthy your food, if you eat too quickly, over-eat or have a
digestive malfunction, then nutrients will not be absorbed properly into
your body.
Aromatherapy can aid the digestive process, but remember not to
ingest essential oils orally. There are a few exceptions, such as
throat, cough and cold lozenges that contain small amounts of aniseed,
hyssop, eucalyptus and peppermint. Peppermint pastilles containing
peppermint essential oil are a useful aid to digestion, and may help
with irritable bowel syndrome. However, aromatherapy massage and hot
compresses over the abdomen are often more effective.
How to use aromatherapy to help the digestive system
Common digestive complaints include diarrhea, constipation and a
build-up of gas. Essential oils with anti-spasmodic properties help to
relax the smooth muscle that lines the intestine and facilitate the
release of gas. The best anti-spasmodic essential oils in this instance
are sweet fennel, ginger, aniseed, sweet orange and peppermint, massaged
gently over the abdomen.
Diarrhea is usually caused by a too-rapid passage of food through the
intestine. Fear, viral infections, bacteria, poisons, bad food and
allergic reactions are all underlying causes. If fear has provoked
diarrhea, then neroli used in gentle abdominal massage, baths or sniffed
from a tissue is effective. Eucalyptus is good for viral infections, and
roman chamomile for allergic reactions. Constipation, which is caused by
a too-slow passage of food, can be treated with firm massage over the
abdomen in a clockwise direction using marjoram, rosemary, black pepper
or sweet fennel.

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