or aromatherapy to be used in medicine it must be evidencebased. Although there have been several books on aromatherapy published in Japan, none are satisfactory from a medical standpoint. Applications of aromatherapy in medicine require the medical professional to have sufficient understanding of how aromatherapy works clinically, as well as the measurable expected outcomes, so that the medical professional can provide sufficient information to the patient for the patient to give his/her informed consent. Aromatherapy could then be used, not just for relaxation but also to ameliorate a patient’s symptoms.
Aromatherapy in medicine In order to accomplish this goal, medical professionals such as doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and acupuncturists, who are each well informed about a patient’s medical history, need to study aromatherapy from a clinical perspective so that they can use aromatherapy in this way. In July 1997 the Medical Aromatherapy Organisation was established to introduce clinical aromatherapy into the medical field. Later that year the organisation began its official activities as the Japanese Society of Aromatherapy (JSA). (See www.aroma-jsa.jp/) Today, JSA is a nationwide research group of medical professionals (with doctors playing a key role), organised for the sole purpose of introducing clinical/medical aromatherapy treatment into mainstream medicine. Membership is available to medical professionals (including doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, acupuncturists ); to students at universities and graduate schools