This is from one of our advanced Aroma201 students. We alter name of client and leave out practitioners’ name for confidentiality.
CASE STUDY FORM
Client hx and presenting problems:
Monica is a 10 year old has been suffering for years with eczema. Has been very hard for Monica to make friends and feel comfortable around her peers. Monica suffered through years of taunting and teasing of her classmates who made fun of her and shunned her because of the extent of the rash. Monica was becoming withdrawn and put little effort into peer relationships because of her fears of what they would say. Around her mom and family friends she was always laughing and very positive.
Several treatments were attempted with no results in clearing or relieving the eczema. Some of the treatments over the past few years have been Aveeno baths, aquaphor, triamcinolon, light treatments and many others according to Monica’s mother. Monica’s mother reported that attempts with any interventions were getting stressful as Monica was tired of the treatments and the precautions that came with it. One cream has to be put on all over her body and since it stained clothing so badly, Monica had to sleep in her underwear, which really bothered her. Her mother said it was a fight every night to get her to wear the cream. I think the biggest concern of this situation is the way the school peers caused made her feel with their teasing. Monica is such a wonderful little girl and it was sad to see her be so upset with the school experience.
Aim or goals of treatment:
Goal of treatment was to determine which essential oil blend could be safely developed to at least ease the itching &/or improve the severity of the eczema.
Care Plan:
In review of my references, I decided on the following essential oil blend:
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), Rosemary ct. cineole (Rosmarinus officinalis) and Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) in a base of equal parts of jojoba, comfrey, and arnica oil. The blend was a 5% dilution.
Reasons:
Lavender vera (Lavandula angustifolia): Chosen for psyche/emotional benefits. Lavender is calming, soothing, nurturing, balancing, relieves anxiety and alleviates fears. Also chosen for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-itching, and vulnerary properties, as well as the benefits for inflamed skin. The constant itching/scratching from the eczema left open areas at risk for infection. The anxiety from the discomfort affected her mood.
Rosemary ct. cineole (Rosmarinus officinalis): I use Rosemary cineole in several blends. It is in my orthopedic blend and also in the purification spritzer. Is in the ortho blend for its mild analgesic properties, antibacterial and carminative properties, as well as the effectiveness in treating newly forming tissue. In the purification blend because I feel it is grounding. I used this oil in Monica’s blend for the same reasons.
Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia): Tea tree was chosen for its skin healing properties and affects on the immune system. Tea tree is great for inflamed skin, is an antibiotic, antiseptic and I have found it does have analgesic properties. With the rash and open areas from scratching I felt antibiotic/antiseptic properties were important in this blend.
Clove (Syzygium aromaticum): Clove was chosen for its pain relieving properties and it is a powerful antimicrobial agent. Clove has vulnerary properties and promotes healing of the skin. Very little clove was used due to its potential for skin irritation, but chosen because I felt the pain relieving and healing properties would enhance this blend.
Monicas’s mother was instructed to lightly spray and lightly massage the oil to the affected areas. She was to do this at night before Monica went to bed and again in the morning upon rising. I also let her know that if the skin remained oily after applying, she was using too much. The skin is to feel normal after the application of the oil blend.
A 4oz bottle with directions on the bottle label, including, safety data, storage guidelines, formulary and specific essential oils was left with Monica’s mom. I did advise Monica’s mom to watch for redness or irritation from the oils and if noted, to stop using the oils and we would try another blend.
In addition to the lotion, I gave Monica a lavender bath salt blend. The formulary was 1 cup baking soda, 2 cups Epsom salts and 3 cups sea salts, with 9 drops of lavender to this amount. I made a triple batch for Monica. She was to soak in the bath each night with the Lavender bath salts, or at least every other night. 3-5 Tablespoons were to be placed in the bath.
Picture before aromatic intervention: May 16, 2011
This rash was all over Monica’s body. Arms, legs, back, front, bottom, hair etc.
This rash was all over Monica’s body. Arms, legs, back, front, bottom, hair etc.
Client Response/Results:
Monica was so excited at the prospect of getting rid of her eczema without the use of sticky creams, sitting under lights etc. Her mom reports Monica was cooperative with allowing her to put the oils on 2x a day and with taking a lavender bath salt bath. The oil blend was given to Monicas’s mother on May 16th, 2011. One June 8th the report and an email picture of the skin condition was amazing. They had stopped using the oils after two weeks. The rash was gone. They choose not to continue for another week. I thought it might be a good idea just to make sure all the healing was complete, but they were happy with the results and decided to stop using the oils for now. Monica’s mom did report they have used the essential oil blend for bug bites, scrapes etc. It is their favorite skin care treatment.
Picture on June 8th.
June 8th Follow up
Subsequent treatment:
No further treatment was required. Once the mother decided to stop the treatments, the skin remained clear. I am writing this report 6 months later and Monica is still free of any signs of eczema. I have attached the before and after pictures.
Results:
Improved quality of life for Monica. Her school experience this year has been amazing. The school district restructured, putting grades k-3 in certain buildings and 4-6 in other buildings. Monica is with both new peers, along with peers she spent her early school years with. She has made many new friends and her mother and my daughter report she is more comfortable with the school experience this year and is back to her normal happy mood. She is comfortable in her swim suit, wearing shorts and summer tops.
Discussion:
In making this blend, I first looked up the emotional connection to eczema in Louise Hay’s book, You Can Heal Your Life. I have found over the years that if I look at the emotional connection to an illness/medical condition, I have greater success in creating a blend. For example in creating a blend for an oncology unit, I first looked at the emotional issues associated with cancer. My goal was emotional healing throughout the treatment process. This blend was used and not only did it help emotional pain, but was found to stop physical pain as well. I was meeting with a group of nurses and we were discussing the connection between emotional and physical pain. It is one and the same. Many times when you address the emotional pain, the physical pain subsides as well. The mind, body connection is amazing.
Our concern with Monica, was not only the physical discomfort, but the emotional trauma she was living with the taunting and teasing of her peers in school. Very sad to see someone who was so happy at home, be so miserable in school. Miserable to the point she couldn’t make friends and was upset daily with having to go face the cruel taunts of her peers. The last time I saw her, Monica made a point to show me she was still free of the eczema and thanked me “so much” with a big hug too.
I chose this blend for the properties that were both healing physically and to address her emotional needs. The lavender bath salts were great for healing of the skin and for the anxiety she was experiencing with school.
