Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

The sufferer from menstrual disorders should begin with an all-fruit diet for about five days.

In this regimen, the patient should have three meals a day of fresh, juicy fruits, such as apples, pears, grapes, papaya, oranges, pineapple, peaches and melon. No other foodstuff should be taken; otherwise the value of the whole treatment will be lost. However, if there is much weight loss on the all-fruit diet, those already underweight may add a glass of milk to each fruit meal.

During this period the bowels should be cleansed daily with a warm water enema. After the all-fruit diet, the sufferer should adopt a well- balanced diet on the following lines:

Upon rising: A glass of lukewarm water mixed with the freshly squeezed juice of half a lime and a spoon of honey.

Breakfast: Fresh fruits such as apple, orange, grapes, papaya, banana and milk.

Lunch: A bowl of freshly prepared steamed vegetable such as carrot, cabbage, cauliflower, squash, and beans, two or three whole wheat chapattis.

Mid-afternoon: A glass of carrot juice or sugarcane juice.

Dinner: A large bowl of fresh green vegetable salad using all available vegetable such as carrot, cabbage, cucumber, tomatoes, radish, red beets and onion and mung bean sprouts.

Bedtime snack: A glass of milk or an apple.

Author: Joseph Then

Birth control medications are now used for treating the severest type of premenstrual syndrome – premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). The first such drug that was approved by FDA is Yaz. It was clinically proved that Yaz is able to relief PMDD symptoms with efficiency not less than 50%. These results motivated FDA for its approval.

What is more, Yaz showed its effectiveness in removing both physical and emotional disorders caused by PMDD, positively influencing on daily activity, relations with people and emotional stability.

Yaz, as other hormonal birth control medications, contains estrogen and the unique form of progestin. Its unique characteristics are very helpful in fighting PMDD, if to follow its 24-day intake schedule, according to the latest release from Berlex Inc., the American representative of Yaz manufacturer (Schering).

Andrea Rapkin, MD from UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, reports: “Yaz is able to solve both problems. It combines facilities for effective contraception for preventing unwanted pregnancy and for reducing the PMDD impact on female organism”.
It is common for the most of women to experience PMS problems, but PMDD occurs only in 5% of cases. PMDD has the strongest symptoms that impact women making them unable to do their everyday activities.

PMDD: Aggressive PMS Successor

For the most of doctors and patients PMDD is something like PMS squared. For diagnosing PMDD women has to experience at least five of the symptoms described below:

· Mood swings, frequent wish to cry

· The feel of apathy, sadness or hopelessness

· Increased irritability worsening relationships with people around

· Tenseness or anxiety with no reason

· The feel of losing control

· Shortage of energy

· The loss of interest to things and people that usually were interesting

· Appetite changes like intense desire to eat, overeating

· Problems with attention and its concentration, slow mental work

· Slumber problems: not getting enough sleep or excessive sleeping

· Physical disorders like headaches, pains in muscles and joints, swelling, breast tenderness, increase of weight, etc.

It is required to experience one of the first four symptoms to give a diagnosis of PMDD. As a rule these symptoms appear the week before periods and totally disappear in a couple of days after they start.

PMDD is very hard to stand, that is why doctors often prescribe the whole complex of medications for its treatment, including antidepressants, hormonal drugs, water pills, vitamins. Nowadays many kinds of birth control pills are used to treat PMDD, but Yaz was the first one that received FDA approval.

The most popular side effects caused by Yaz are headaches and pain in breasts.

Lots of women experience premenstrual syndrome (PMS) before or during menstruation. However it is always difficult to define whether woman needs professional medical assistance for relieving PMS symptoms that become more and more severe.

Here are a few cases that definitely require doctor consultation:

- PMS regularly impacts your everyday life and make you unable to do your usual jobs and activities

- You feel like losing control under the situation with PMS symptoms.

- You already used some drugs or therapy to relief the symptoms, but it didn’t help

- Severe PMS symptoms like depression, head and muscle aches, irritability, etc. still present after menstruation started a couple of days ago.

When Is It Time?
Sometimes it is enough to use simple measures at home to relief PMS display. If you constantly experience PMS every month before periods, it is time to change your lifestyle a little to help your body to manage with unwanted symptoms.

If diet, healthy lifestyle doesn’t help or the symptoms become even worse, it is certainly the tile to visit a doctor. Most of physicians will ask you to keep a diary for at least two menstruation cycles before visit to clinic. So the earlier you start, the earlier he will be able to help you with correct treatment.

It is reasonable to keep a menstrual diary if you feel problems with PMS. As a rule, such diary includes the following information:

- The symptoms you experience and their display

- Dates when the symptoms start and finish

- The date of ovulation (if you can define this)

- The menstruation start and finish dates

Whom to Ask for Help
Your attending medical doctor can define the reason of symptoms you experience and make a diagnosis of PMS. Anyway you can consult your doctor, and if he or she is qualified in other area of medicine, you will be referred to one of other specialists.

The list of specialists you can go for help include:

- Nurses

- Physicians

- Therapeutists

- Family doctors

- Interns specialized at women’s health care

- Gynaecologists

If the situation with PMS is too difficult, it is better to consult direct specialist, gynecologist, who will prescribe you correct treatment therapy schedule. In case if symptoms have more emotional character or in case of PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder), you will need additional help of psychologist or psychiater, who will help to manage with stresses.

Its effect
Alprazolam also known as Xanax is an effective drug of benzodiazepine class that is prescribed to improve the emotional state during PMS. This medication has sedative effect that easily manages with mood swings, the feel of anxiety and various stress symptoms.

When Is It Reasonable To Use Alprazolam?
In case of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) alprazolam is prescribed when the patient experiences anxiety as the main emotional symptom and other therapy proved to be useless.

As alprazolam is very short-acting drug, it is prescribed only for several days of premenstrual phase of cycle, when used longer it becomes ineffective.

Also it causes addiction when used for long-term, that is why it is highly recommended not to overdose or use longer than prescribed. It is effective against irritability and feel of anxiety only when used in full accordance with doctor’s advices. Otherwise it makes patients dull and dispirited.

By Effects
The following side effects can occur when taking alprazolam:

· Physical addiction that can be fatal, especially in case of abrupt withdrawal.

· Sleepiness.

· Low arterial pressure.

· Loss of interest to anything, apathetic mood.

· Vertigo.

· Oblivion.

· The increase of body weight.

When taking alprazolam, be careful when driving a car or doing something requiring increased concentration. Alprazolam may complicate such activities due to its sedative effect.

You Should Know This
Often the feel of anxiety is connected with other PMS symptoms. For instance, weight gain or emotional instability like mood swings can lead to anxiety feelings. That is why it is possible to get rid of anxiety by treating the symptoms it was caused by without any additional medications like alprazolam.

It is enough only a few weeks of taking alprazolam to become addictive to it. It should be taken only under doctor’s care to avoid life-threatening side effects.

Before taking antianxiety drugs compare their effect with possible by effects. And of course, consult a doctor.

More about Alprazolam – http://www.drugs.com/pdr/alprazolam.html

Essential oils are volatile oils – highly concentrated substances that are extracted from aromatic plants. They have been used since ancient times, and their continued popularity is based on the wide range of their culinary and medicinal uses.

Almost 700 different types of plants can produce useful essential oils that can be found on the market. Actually, the choice can be even overwhelming, as well as the prices, because extraction of an ounce of essential oil requires many pounds of raw material. So in order not to find yourself bewildered, follow next steps when buying essential oils.

First of all, think about the purpose you are looking an essential oil for. Different oils are used for different purposes, so you have to determine what sort of oils will best satisfy your demand. You can find the information in the Internet, or from your knowledgeable friend, natural foods grocer or a herbalist. After you determined your needs, you might find out that there’s more than one sort of oil that suits you. And even if you do not have a determined reason for choosing the particular oil, you can decide on their prices – since prices for essential oils vary widely, there’s no need to pay extra.

Then you should think of some alternatives to essential oil. There are quite a lot of them, actually. They can be hydrosols, absolutes or fragrance oils – they all may perform the service you are looking for, while being often cheaper as compared to essential oils. The first type of oil product (hydrosol or water essence) is in fact the byproduct of distillation (like in rose water, for example). During the distillation of plants, the vapor then condenses into hydrosols and essential oils that are later separated. In other words, a hydrosol is an essential oil but diluted in water, often containing some other side organic compounds. If dilution does not affect the result, hydrosols can often be used instead of essential oils in some methods of aromatherapy. As for the next product, absolute, it’s actually highly concentrated essential oils extracted with solvents. This usually happens with oil for which steam distillation is not very practical, like flowers. Absolutes can even be more expensive than essential oils, because they can often be diluted more and used for the same purposes.

The last oil product is fragrance oil, also known as floral water. It is usually synthetic compound having a scent similar to that of essential oils. Although they are cheaper than essential oils, fragrance oils are not actually suitable for therapeutic uses. In addition to those three kinds of products, you can also buy essential oils diluted in such carrier oil as grapeseed oil or almond. These may even be a better choice, especially if you want to apply the oil onto your skin.

Next, determine the price. Once you decided on the product, find out what is the best price for it. You may check out online and locally, but keep in mind the quantities and dilutions that can be compared at the same level. Keep the list of the prices you found and you will most likely find the general price at a certain level.

Then study the information about the oil you want to buy. The more you know about it, the better value you will get from it. For example, essential oils may vary in quality, as they may be made with different parts of the plants: like lavender oil, which can be made with lavender stalks and flowers or just with the flowers. The quality is better for the latter, of course. The same can be learned for the extraction methods (water distilled is often worse than steam distilled), time of harvest or place of origin. Everything matters.

After that, find out more about your real oil choices. As you are now an informed purchaser, you can ask the sellers questions. Also it will be good to study the bottles carefully (in case you shop online you have to scrutinize descriptions). The main purpose of this step is to get a clear idea of the real product. Smell different oils to be able to compare the scents. Ask how the plants were harvested, where they’re originated from and so on. The manufacturers of the oils you chose are also worth checking. The information can be got from everywhere – the retailers, your friends or the Internet. But don’t forget that the information you find will be valuable only if got from a reputable source.

Finally, note how the essential oils are stored. They should always be stored either in stainless steel container or a dark glass bottle. Those not stored in these are suspect. Besides, oils should be far from direct sunlight or excessive heat. If you are shopping locally, you have an excellent opportunity to see how the oils are kept. However, reputable companies can be trusted to keep oils duly.

Q: I experience unexpected and rapid mood changes before menstruation, a few days before it starts. Can I somehow control them to avoid troubles at work and home? Such emotional drops really affect my life and relations with colleagues and family.

A: It is typical display of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Some psychiatrists call it Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), but it means pretty the same in your case.

Premenstrual syndrome is rather popular disorder experienced by more than 30% of woman worldwide. It reveals in various emotional and physical symptoms, and mood swings is one of the most typical symptoms. The problem is that PMS is not properly studied yet, the connection between PMS and emotional state is still unclear, so there is no definite treatment suitable for all. However a lot of patients find some therapies effective, such as taking magnesium mineral, calcium pills, St. John’s wort medicines or Prozac. These medicines have already shown its effectiveness and were clinically tested, that gives some guarantee for successful treatment. The rest of therapies mostly built on beliefs with no medical ground.

As for the vitamins and minerals, there are a few that can help:

-Vitamin E  for daily intake of 400-800 UI dose;

-Vitamin B6 – 50 mg daily or twice a day;

- for 1,000 – 1,500 mg daily;

-Zinc – 15-25 mg per day;

-Magnesium (325-750 mg daily according to doctor’s recommendations).

The herbs useful for treating PMS are flaxseed or borage oil, usually supplied in capsules. These oils give special fatty acids that can relief various pains and emotional PMS symptoms. Evening primrose oil is a popular treatment for increased breast tenderness. Chamomile or valerian root act as a sedative medicines that can remove aggressive mood or anxiety, but be careful and don’t take them at morning or daytime, as they reduce concentration. Dandelion leaves are effective for excess fluid excretion.

In Europe PMS is often treated by St. John’s wort (Hypericum) that already proved its effectiveness. The medical practice shows that the most helpful regime of its intake is 300 mg daily. From 10th cycle day till the periods start, increase the dose to 300 mg three times per day. Each cycle begins from the first day of menstruation. Sometimes it is enough to take less or increasing the dose only before ovulation (about 14th cycle day). It is individual in each case.

Remember that there are also non-medicine therapies that can help to reduce PMS symptoms. Exercises and diet are among such methods. Aerobics increases the output of endorphins and reliefs mood swings and depression, having positive effect on the whole organism. Replace simple carbohydrates (cookies or candies) by complex carbohydrates (vegetables), eat more frequently but by less dosing. You can use special “PMS Escape” drink with complex carbohydrates, but it more expensive than vegetables and grains. Try to limit alcohol intake, simple sugars or fattening foods also should be avoided.

If these measures don’t help, consult a doctor for finding another therapy including SSRI antidepressants. Some drugs like Zoloft or Prozac successfully treat PMS symptoms. They are ethical medications.

And don’t forget that PMS is not the only reason of mood swings. Some medical disorders like diabetes or endocrine system disorders, as well as psychiatric pathologies, may cause the same symptoms. If PMS therapy doesn’t help, it is better to see your doctor to find the actual reason and proper therapy.

Most women are looking for relief from the discomfort signs of premenstrual syndrome symptoms, but usual painkillers may not work every time, and as for the prescription drugs – they sometimes have not very good side effects. That’s why you might decide to think about some alternative remedies that can relieve your discomfort from PMS symptoms. Such natural remedies as herbs, vitamins and nutritional supplements are available to help you manage some usual PMS symptoms like bloating and cramps if combined with a proper diet. Besides, alternative remedies are usually able to keep you emotionally well as this side of your health might be disrupted at the time of menstruation, and it’s the one that can’t be easily restored by usual painkillers you can always get at a nearby drug store.

Keeping a diet which is rich in nutritional elements and vitamins, both of which are able to particularly lower PMS symptoms, can be considered an alternative remedy free of any unnatural means. In addition, you can try supplements combined with a diet, which include herbal and vitamin supplements that will target uncomfortable PMS symptoms.

Vitamins below are reported to particularly help ease PMS symptoms and discomfort caused by them:

1. Vitamin A has been reported to lower the effects of premenstrual syndrome symptoms.
2. Vitamin B6 is helpful to lower bloating, because it’s a natural diuretic. In addition, it may help you balance estrogen levels which are commonly imbalanced during a period.
3. Vitamin E is able to ease tender breasts and soreness. Besides, you may like it for regulating hormone levels and lowering depression and irritability.
4. Pantothenic acid being a natural nutrient, is often used to manage stress.
5. Since magnesium and calcium are naturally powerful substances, they can help you ease muscle tension and cramping. Moreover, they have also been reported to reduce stress.

The lack of nutrition may easily cause shortages in your organism that can contribute to the factors of menstrual symptoms, like mood, fluid balance and inflammation control. But if you eat specific foods that are proved to provide most important nutrients and vitamins for reducing PMS symptoms, you automatically get a natural remedy. Below you can find a range of foods which are able to provide you with the key supplements and thus lower PMS symptoms:

1. A diet designed for PMS relief should be rich in animal fats, fresh vegetables, complex carbohydrates and protein.
2. Vitamin A can be found in egg yolks, liver and butter.
3. For a good source of vitamins A and D and necessary fatty acids you are recommended to take cod liver oil.
4. Vitamin B6 can be found in peas, lentils, cabbage and alfalfa sprouts, alongside with whole rye, wheat and oats, also tuna, beef, cashew, turkey and bananas.
5. Oily fish like salmon or sardines are a strong source of fatty acids, vitamin D and calcium.
6. Milk and cheese can provide you with calcium, as well as broccoli, sesame seeds, watercress, almond and Brazil nuts, and leafy greens can.
7. Eating brown rice will provide you with pantothenic acid, magnesium, and vitamin B6.
8. Sunflower seeds and oats are a great source of magnesium, along with all nuts, bananas, beef, corn, leafy greens, and tuna.
9. You can get pantothenic acid in whole wheat and rye breads, brewer’s yeast, and sunflower seeds.
10. Vitamin E is contained in wheat germ and wheat germ oil, peanuts, olive oil, broccoli, and pecans.

In addition to eating all these foods, it is highly recommended that you avoid partially hydrogenated oils, junk food, and stimulants like alcohol and coffee, because they usually increase the discomfort of PMS symptoms.

Such nutrients as vitamin A should rather come from natural food, because synthetic one may be toxic. But while you focus on food as the main source of certain minerals and vitamins, you can still supplement you diet by taking vitamins from health stores.

A supplement which is particularly aimed at relieving PMS is recommended to be designed in such a way that it include vitamins A, C, D, and E, also B-complex vitamins, potassium, calcium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, pantothenic acid, and zinc.

In case you already take daily multi-vitamins, make sure the combined supplement don’t exceed your daily dose limit. Also notice that taking vitamin B6 supplements is not possible at the same time with B-complex vitamins. If you don’t remember the limits, they are 100 to 200mg for pantothenic acid and vitamin B6; 800 mg for magnesium and 1,500 mg for calcium. You may even find that you don’t need any extra supplements because your daily multi-vitamins are enough to help you fight menstrual symptoms.

Also a good idea would be to talk to a nutrition expert, as he can choose the best supplement combinations depending on your individual concerns.

Different doctors classify various PMS symptoms in different ways. There are about 150 symptoms that can be reasonably divided into seven categories by the areas they affect.

Emotional: mood changes, irritation, uneasiness, the feel of panic, depression, crying too often

Behavior changes: apathetic or aggressive bearing, unwillingness to do usual activities, impulsive decisions without any substantiation

Autonomic: rapid pulse, sickness or constipation, increased perspiration, shiver, hot flushes, weak eyesight

Fluid accumulation: edemas, gain in weight, upper and lower extremities swelling

Skin Problems: rashes, herpes, hypersecretion of sebaceous glands, papules and increased allergic reactions

Cognitive: memory problems, absent-mindedness, low attentiveness, problems with intellectual activities.

Physical Pain: frequent headaches, severe muscle pains, neck and joint aches, breast discomfort and increased sensitivity

The aforementioned symptoms are the most frequent displays of PMS. All of them are caused by hormonal disbalance during the second part of menstrual cycle (the period after ovulation). They are experienced from two weeks to one day before periods, and after it begins, the symptoms are significantly relieved or totally disappear. The general picture of symptoms can change from time to time, or they can stay stable each month. As PMS depends on hormonal changes, there are some phases when it can be especially severe. These are pubertal period, post-pregnancy period, menopause, birth control pills intake, the period after surgical procedures like hysterectomy or tubal ligation. The hormonal balance of women’ organism can be affected by stresses or emotional shocks that also intensifies PMS syndrome.

Acupuncture is Helpful PMS Therapy?
Acupuncture is a natural therapy that doesn’t require any chemical medicines and has almost no side effects. The research results posted in Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics journal in 2002 showed that the effectiveness of acupuncture procedures for treating PMS syndrome was 77.8%, while the same result in placebo control group was only 5.9%. These numbers show that acupuncture is an effective non-medicament way of treating PMS symptoms. Its action mechanism is stimulating various acupuncture points responsible for normalizing the endocrine system operation and producing hormones for required balance. In such a way the amount of progesterone and estrogen is increased, that neutralizes the affect of high estrogen concentration during the luteal phase – the main cause of PMS symptoms. Acupuncture therapy provides with stable hormone balance during each cycle.

How long is the course of treatment?
As a rule the human organism reacts on acupuncture very fast, especially when this therapy is combine with traditional Chinese herbal medicine. PMS symptoms are relieved after the first month of therapy, and the progress continues during the next cycles. It is recommended one session per week during the first menstrual cycle with further reducing the number of sessions in accordance with patient’s condition. A doctor can use herbal medicine treatment together with acupuncture for better effect if needed.

What else can I do to make my treatment maximally effective?
While acupuncture and herbal medicines can effectively relief PMS symptoms, it is very important to support the organism by proper changes in lifestyle and diet habits. Some food can increase the display of PMS symptoms due to the influence on endocrine system. These are alcohol drinks, the excess of sugar in ration, soya products. This doesn’t mean that women struggling from PMS should avoid the intake of these foods, the point is reasonable ration planning, oriented at healthy food and stop overeating. All body systems operation depends directly on what we eat. To provide your organism with all it needs for proper functioning, make sure you get enough vitamins of A, B, C groups and necessary minerals from food. Exercises also influence positively. Chinese medicine admits that physical exercises stimulate the qi energy moving. When its move is stuck, we feel various pains, depressions, discomfort and PMS of course. You should ask a doctor’s advice to make proper changes in your lifestyle to stimulate PMS relief.

Symptoms of premenstrual syndrome can debilitate some women, but there is clear evidence that calcium may help naturally relieving PMS.

Every woman knows that PMS symptoms are no laughing matter – bloating, food cravings, joint aches and mood changes can make the time prior to onset of menstruation a real challenge. The symptoms of PMS are surprisingly common, as more than 3/4 of women experience a few symptoms as a minimum within the week before a menstrual period. Of course, nonprescription painkillers like Advil will relieve some generalized aches, but it can’t treat mood swings or the irritability. Sometimes the signs can be so strong that women may be prescribed anti-depressants or anti-anxiety drugs, but they usually cause more side effects than relief.

Way to relieve PMS naturally
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology published a great study, describing the ability of the calcium to help naturally relieving PMS. According to the results of a study, more than a thousand women took 1,200 milligrams of calcium for three month, and it helped them ease PMS symptoms, significantly decreasing them by half. According to some other researches, women suffering from heavy PMS symptoms usually have problems with calcium metabolism, and that is the main source of their symptoms. When it comes to the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, calcium appears to be an essential mineral.

Forms of calcium
There are lots of calcium compounds available. The abovementioned study used calcium carbonate. It can be found at most health food stores and drugstores. Another way is to take Tums Extra Strength pills containing 750mg of calcium carbonate. If you take 2 of them every day, it’ll be enough for necessary benefits.

Other ways to relieve PMS naturally
Taking calcium in order to relieve symptoms is just a part of a big plan targeted at relieving discomfort in women. For example, avoiding high carbohydrate meals and salt can help relieve the weight gain, bloating and cravings that most women experience within the week before menstruation period. Regular exercises are able to help eliminate mood swings. Other methods to relieve PMS symptoms include avoiding caffeine and nicotine, which tend to increase anxiety and tension and alter mood. It’s very important to sleep enough as well.

Despite it might not eliminate all of the PMS symptoms, calcium appears to help lots of women. A good tip is to keep your symptom diary, as it would help focus on the factors making the symptoms worse and consequently correct them.

Aromatherapy massage is a very effective way to relax and heal the body, spirit and mind.

Aromatherapy is the art of mixing essential oils in order to improve the body’s well-being, as well as that of spirit and mind. The oil of every plant contains its life force with aromatic and medicinal features.

Aromatherapy addresses the healing powers of the nature. Plant oils are chemically complex and have unique therapeutic characteristics. They can provide good emotional and health well-being and ease the common ailments and stress lifestyle conditions.

Aromatherapy massage is gentle, slow and rhythmic effleurage. The technique of aromatherapy massage lets muscles gain a deep relaxation, de-stresses the spirit, mind and body, eases water retention, improves the immune (lymphatic) system and helps the body to naturally release toxins.

Massage is vital for the body, as it’s not just a powerful therapy helping to recover from fatigue, tension or injury, but it’s also a powerful instrument to heal and nurture the human body. It can be considered a preventative therapy, which is valuable in promoting people being healthy. Massage is the best way to use essential oils, combining the balancing and healing properties of oils with the therapeutic power of the touch. It can affect the entire body system, especially the circulatory, muscular, nervous and immune systems.

Aromatherapy full body massage advantages:

-Relaxes and rejuvenates the body, spirit and mind

-Balances, relaxes and harmonizes the body

-Enhances the whole body and supports it in the healing process

-Helps an immune system to fight infection

-Eliminates stress

-Helps to relieve the body of toxins and maintain a good general health

Aromatherapy massage is suitable for:

-Sluggish metabolism

-Colds or flu

-Acute and chronic conditions

-Headaches

-Digestive problems

-Hormonal imbalances

-PMS or menstrual problems

-Menopause

-Physical & sports injuries

-Skin conditions

-Preventative & maintenance therapy

-Sleeping disorders (insomnia)

-Stress conditions

Each session of aromatherapy massage starts with a consultation. The first one may take half an hour, because the holistic therapist assesses the patient as a “whole” – body, spirit and mind. Some questions regarding health are asked before in order to select the essential oils suiting the client’s health needs. Aromatherapy massage treatment uses a synergistic blend of carrier oils combined with essential oils.