I have encountered numerous clients with injuries relating to sport. Having successfully treated these people I have developed a specific interest in this area. Practising sports can be a dangerous game. People suffer from a wide range of injuries including muscles strains and tears, broken bones, repetitive injuries, tendon tears, tenosynovitis and tendonitis, soft tissue damage, over exercised muscles and many more. Some of these conditions are treatable and Aromatherapy can be beneficial.  However other injuries may have a more permanent effect on the person's performance.

If an injury fails to heal correctly, people may suffer from recurring pain and discomfort. The discomfort may only subside with therapy and rest. For some people not being able to perform their sport regularly can have a much deeper psychological effect. Therefore, people with sports injuries, particularly those who practice it as their profession, need treating with care as well as diplomacy. Encouragement to 'get back on your feet' should be included as part of the treatment however a realistic recovery time should always be in place and understood right from the beginning of treatment. Before treating a particular disorder it is important to understand the exact damage which has been done to the tissues. A list of common sports injuries and their explanation are shown below:

Muscle Strains and Tears can be caused by sudden movements including pulling and twisting which actually damages the muscle fibres. A medium graded injury is called a strain and a more severe injury is called a tear. A tear, obviously a more serious and painful injury, causes severe pain, internal bleeding of the muscle and bruising. It would not be advisable to treat a tear until many weeks into recovery due to the internal complications. Common problems include torn hamstrings.

Repetitive Strain Injury is a constant repeated motion of the same kind. Irritation of the tendon occurs with using the same area over and over again. This leads to discomfort. Examples are tennis elbow and wrist strain
from golf swings.

Tenosynovitis is inflammation of the sheaths surrounding the tendons. The inflammation causes radial aches and pains, grinding, stiffness and tingling sensations.

Tendinitis occurs when inflammation and friction are present between the tendons and the bones. Symptoms usually begin to develop as a tingling sensation.

Soft Tissue Inflammation is inflammation around the bones and joints caused by damage to the surrounding tissues. Patients would present with symptoms of heat, redness and swelling.

Having understood more relating to the injury it is also important to go deeper and to understand the actual complex structure of muscle. Briefly, there are three types of muscle; Skeletal, Smooth and Cardiac. These muscles are different and complex with capillaries penetrating the muscle to keep it constantly supplied with oxygen and fuel. The structure of skeletal muscle is bundles of long, striated fibres held together by fibrous connective tissue. Smooth muscle is short, shaped fibres which are together in layers. Cardiac Muscle has very short fibres which interconnect. Muscles are able to relax and contract and some work together to create very complex movements of all kinds. Tendons are a link between skeletal muscle and bone which appear as lengths of connective tissue.

The Use of Aromatherapy

Having found an 'internal' understanding to these injuries it is now possible to use Aromatherapy to treat many of these conditions relating to the muscles and tendons. This is done by the very beneficial combining of the stimulus of scent with relaxing and invigorating massage. Aromatherapy can be used in this format to help to treat many complex conditions, mental disorders and physical diseases

Aromatherapy is used to promote healing and total wellbeing both mentally and physically. Various essential oils have specific properties to aid in relaxing muscles and relieving pain and when used in massage can treat specific symptoms. Essential oils can be used to help maintain muscle tone, improve circulation and reduce pain. Massage can treat muscle spasm/contractions, reduce fluid retention and swelling, and stimulate blood circulation and lymphatic flow. The massage should be gentle, using techniques such as effleurage in long strokes, away from the injury but always in the direction of the heart.

Essential Oils

Some useful essential oils to treat sports injuries include: Allspice, Ambrette seed, Angelica, Anise, French Basil, White Birch, Cajeput, Calamintha, Camphor, Chamomile, Clove, Coriander, Cypress, Eucalyptus, Fir needle, Galbanum, Ginger, Grapefruit, Helichrysum, Jasmine, Lavender, Lemongrass, Mandarin, Marjoram, Peppermint, Niaouli, Nutmeg, Orange, Black pepper, Pine (longleaf and scotch), Rosemary, Clary Sage, Spanish Sage, Hemlock Spruce, Thyme, Tumeric, Turpentine and Vetiver.

Essential oils can be broken down into treatment of specific sports injuries. The oils which are listed are those which are particularly effective for that condition.

Muscular Aches and Pains - Chamomile, Coriander, Eucalyptus, Ginger, Lavender, Marjoram, Black pepper, Rosemary.

Poor Muscle Tone - Grapefruit, Lavender, Marjoram, Black pepper, Rosemary

Cramps and Stiffness - Allspice, Lavender, Marjoram, Black pepper, Rosemary

Water Retention - Angelica, White Birch, Grapefruit

Sprains and Strains - Chamomile, Lavender, Marjoram

These essential oils have properties that are extremely important and useful in treating a person with an injury relating to sport. For example Peppermint has anti-inflammatory and anti-phlogistic properties. Together these properties aid in alleviating and counteracting inflammation. By application to an inflamed area by massage, the oil is trying to promote healing and health to the area. Other useful properties for treating sports
injuries and an explanation of their meanings are shown.

Analgesic - helps to reduce pain

Anti-inflammatory - reduces inflammation

Antiphlogistic - counteracts the process of inflammation

Antispasmodic - eases and reduces muscle spasms

Antineuralgic - reduces and alleviates nerve pain

Antirheumatic - helps in the relief of rheumatism

Diuretic - aids production of urine

Nervine- strengthens the nervous system

Circulatory Stimulant - stimulates circulation

Restorative - helps to strengthen the body's different systems

Case Studies

Case Study #1) A 56 year old male presented with Tennis Elbow which had been diagnosed by his doctor many years previously. Previous treatment had included steroid injections. His elbow had become increasingly aggravated with a change of profession which now involved lifting of fairly heavy weights with this arm. Symptoms were increasing pain and discomfort especially around the bone and reduction in movement. No other significant health concerns except high cholesterol (medicated) and occasional high blood pressure

Tennis Elbow is inflammation of the tissues (muscles/tendons) which causes pain in the elbow and the arm. The muscles, particularly on the outside of the elbow, are stiff and sometimes swollen.

His treatment consisted of massage of the effected area using three different oils and one carrier oil mixed to a solution of a total of six drops of essential oils in one tablespoon of carrier oil. The oils used were peppermint, Eucalyptus, Roman Chamomile all mixed into Grape seed oil. There was no safety precautions relating to these essential oils which may have interfered with this man's medication or occasional high blood pressure. Massage was recommended on a regular time period, weekly or fortnightly, for approximately 45 minutes of the whole arm.

Massage Technique - Starting at the wrist/lower arm, long gentle effleurage stroke upwards to the upper arm were used. This distributed the oil as well as beginning to relax the muscles. The muscle around the outside of the arm was massaged particularly, using methods of kneading with some friction but always with gentle pressure. After a period of time the massage pressure was slightly increased only within the patients comfort boundaries. The muscles around the back of the elbow felt very tight at first and quite pronounced and the patient commented it was a little painful when massaged. The pressure was released slightly to create a very gentle massage and this suited the patient. After time the muscle began to relax and loosen and various 'knots' could be felt, deep in the tissue. These were concentrated on, again with a gradual increase in the pressure of massage. The patient was comfortable throughout and at one point actually nodded off.

Peppermint essential oil (mentha piperita) from the Lamiaceae family is a perennial herb cultivated worldwide but produced as oil in only a handful of countries including England, France and Morocco. Peppermint essential oil historically has been used to treat a wide range of complaints. These include indigestion, nausea, sore throat, diarrhoea, headache, toothache and cramp. As a herb it is recognised medically and included in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia. The essential oil is extracted from the flowering herb by steam distillation and produces a pale yellow liquid. Peppermint essential oil has many beneficial properties including anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antiphlogistic, and nervine which are useful in this particular type of injury.

Eucalyptus essential oil from the myrtaceae family is an oil produced from the eucalyptus tree which has blue leaves and is native to Australia. The essential oil is also produced in South Africa. Historically, Eucalyptus essential oil has been used to treat fever and it is extracted by steam distillation from the leaves and twigs producing a pale yellow oil. It has many beneficial properties useful in this type of injury including analgesic, antineuralgic, antirheumatic, and antispasmodic.

Roman Chamomile (chamaemelum nobile) from the asteraceae family is extracted by steam distillation of the flower heads. This produces a pale blue/yellow oil. Roman Chamomile is a herb native to Europe and cultivated in many countries. It is medically recognised for the treatment of dyspepsia, nausea, anorexia, vomiting in pregnancy and dysmenorrhoea. Roman Chamomile essential oil has specific useful properties for this injury, these are analgesic, antineuralgic, antiphlogistic, and antispasmodic.

The feedback results after the first session were quite positive with a drastic improvement the following day. His elbow felt more freely moveable with slightly less pain.

Case Study #2) A 29 year old male presented with painful, swollen knees with excessive fluid retention. The patient was a regular mountain biker and walker. Performing these sports definitely aggravated the injury so much that no physical activity had taken place for a number of weeks. The patient noted that each morning his knees were so swollen it was becoming difficult to get out of bed. Other health problems included a severe respiratory disorder present from birth.

At the time, limited essential oils were available however Rosemary and Thyme together combined with Grapeseed Oil had previously been successfully used to treat a sports injury. There was no safety data relating to the respiratory disorder and these specific oils so it was decided to continue with these oils. A total of six drops of essential oils were used in one tablespoon of Grapeseed Oil and the recommended treatment was intense massage of each knee and the surrounding are regularly for approximately 30 minutes per knee.

Massage Technique - Starting at the ankle, long effleurage strokes were used to distribute the oil and promote relaxation. Upon reaching the knee massage was concentred here using various methods to try to relax the muscles surrounding the knee and also to increase the lymphatic system. The muscles around the top of the knee were extremely tight and massage was gradual at first eventually increasing to quite firm deep massage. The muscles took some time to relax and then effleurage was continued up the leg to aid in the drainage and circulation.

Rosemary essential oil (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) is from the lamiaceae family and is a herb cultivated worldwide and native to the Mediterranean countries. It has a history of protecting from evil and illness and is medically recognised to treat depression. It is extracted by steam distillation of the flowers producing a pale yellow liquid. Roman Chamomile has many beneficial properties relevant to this particular injury including analgesic, antispasmodic, diuretic, nervine, restorative, and circulatory stimulant.

Thyme essential oil (thymus vulgaris) from the same family as Rosemary and native to similar countries is cultivated now all over the world. It is historically a medicinal plant protecting from illness and also used in food. It is extracted by water or steam distillation producing a very scented oil. Thyme essential oil has relevant properties of antispasmodic, nervine, circulatory stimulant and also mixes well with rosemary.

The feedback results after the first treatment were pleasing. On the second examination it was reported that on the evening of the first massage the patient visited the toilet regularly to expel fluid and this continued throughout the night. The next morning, his knees were reduced in size with less 'puffiness' present and slightly more mobility.

These are 2 examples of clients which I have seen with a sports injuries, I hope over the years to see many more.

Bibliography

Ted Smart - Human Body - Dorling Kindersley


Julia Lawless - The Encyclopaedia of Essential Oils


Valeria Ann Worwood - The Complete Book of Aromatherapy and Essential Oils