 |
 |
Hi Rachael, As a massage therapist I would urge caution here. I would expect the therapist to know what is contra-indicated in pregnancy ;0) however, reality may be different. The key point here for me is that essential oils and base oils are 'chemicals' (some are more 'natural' than others if they have been adulterated by the suppliers) and like any substance/poison the routes of entry are multiple - inhalation, absorption as well as ingestion and injection. Don't assume the contact area is small i.e. hands only as I use my forearms to reduce strain on my hands and thumbs (so the surface area in contact with the oils is much higher approx 10% of my body.) Massage treatments can be carried out with 'nice' smelling base oils without the addition of essential oils plus with her medical background why risk it? Maybe a work restriction avoiding the addition of essential oils in therapy treatments as well as pure essential oils being used to make the room smell nice (some may argue that room burners or ionisers only use a drop or two - they can be very concentrated and some treatment rooms can be pretty small and what will smell overpoweringly strong to you and me, may smell very mild to the therapists) but over a day a heavy-handed therapist not following dilution ratios may inhale quite a bit. Ergonomically as she gets bigger she may struggle to reach so will need to adapt her techniques/ types of treatments may need to be adapted or the order in which she performs treatment to incorporate breaks from leaning postures. With my safety hat on - technically essential oils are like any other substances potentially hazardous to health and her employer should have COSHH material safety data sheets and COSHH risk assessments which would assist with the answer to your question! Google 'essential oils data sheets.' A bit of an eye opener - in particular look at risk phrases but bear in mind that these may not give you the info you are seeking as in the spa sector we are intentionally putting substances on/into the body to elicit specific responses e.g. stimulate/relax! Pregnant women are advised to avoid alcohol and medication! Plants are the basis for many of our drugs........ Seek advice from GP, midwife or OHP. She may be willing to give you the midwife's phone number so you can discuss direct. Also, assess the risks on return if breast-feeding, Interesting case and risk assessment! Most of all - my mantra to managers - ....... pregnancy is a state of wellbeing! Hope that helps, Kind regards, Catherine ******************************** Please remove this footer before replying. OCC-HEALTH ARCHIVES: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/occ-health.html CONFERENCES AND STUDY DAYS: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/filearea.cgi?LMGT1=OCC-HEALTH