Aromatherapy

The use of fragrances and essences from plants to affect or alter a person's mood or behavior and to facilitate physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The chemicals comprising essential oils in plants has a host of therapeutic properties and has been used historically in Africa, Asia, and India. Its greatest application is in the field of alternative medicine. (From Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed; from Dr. Atiba Vheir, Dove Center, Washington, D.C.) This definition is taken from the National Library of Medicine's MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) 2026 release, which is the standard vocabulary used to index PubMed and most medical literature.

Yes. Aromatherapy is also referred to as Aromatherapies, Aroma Therapy, Aroma Therapies, Therapies, Aroma in different clinical, research and patient-facing contexts. The MeSH descriptor groups all of these synonyms under a single canonical concept so research and records stay consistent.

Aromatherapy falls under the broader medical category "Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment" in the MeSH hierarchy (tree numbers: E02.190.525.061, E02.190.755.100, E02.190.888.061). Browsing the related concepts on this page takes you to neighbouring topics in the same branch of medicine.

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