Part of your course work is to complete five case studies. Each study will consist of four appointments and at the end of the course you will have a total of twenty reports. You can do this with your family, friends, self, or existing clientele. Use a new sheet for each person and adjust as needed. Make sure you fill out the health questionnaire before you begin.

This case study format is recommended by The International Society of Professional Aromatherapists (ISPA) and is taken directly from Aromatherapy World 1998, Spring Edition.

1. Client background and presenting problem. 

Please describe in order of importance. Client confidentiality must always be maintained. It is necessary that the permission of the client is requested and that the name is changed or an identifying number is allocated for submission to AAI.

In this section include year of birth, lifestyle, medical history, external appearance, and any information which is relevant to the client’s present problems. Note current medication if any, together with dosage and reason for medication.

2. State your aim for the outcome of treating this client

Be very specific and try to concentrate on only one concern. Usually the one that is bothering the client the most. The client may try to get you to treat several symptom, but at this point in your career it is best to keep it simple. Be very specific when stating the desired outcome of treatment.

3. Care Plan

Within the developed care plan must be suggestions for the client which include

1. Different routes into the body such as:    

• Dermal- skin conditions, physical ailments, massage, and stress relief
•  Olfaction- emotional remedies, endocrine imbalances, immDescribe the first treatment with your client, including methods of application and essential oils used. Essential oils should be described by the botanical name and common names, with the botanical names in italics, followed by the common name in brackets. ( First time only.) Full details of the blend, the dilution and the amount used should be given along with the rationale for the selection of each essential oil (s) and carrier used for the treatment. In this way a clear picture and full appreciation of the treatment is obtained. Describe any home treatment recommended. 

2.  Length of time to be applied including number of daily doses

•   .2x daily: Morning and evening
•    3x daily: Morning, noon and evening Immune system support
•   Inhalation- respiratory system ailments, immune system support, endocrine/hormonal imbalances, emotional well being
•   As needed, application as client needs.

3. Client Response

Describe client’s immediate response to treatment.

4. Subsequent treatment or follow up

Each individual session should be described as indicated in #3. Include the client’s and your own observations of the outcome of the previous treatment, even if there appeared to be none. If the client did not have a positive response to the aromatherapy this is still useful information. Include frequency of application, e.g. He used it two times a day for a week when he stated (example) ‘I no longer have the pain’.

5. Results

Describe the outcome of the course of treatment.

6. Discussion

Review the study and describe your conclusions. Would you replicate the same care plan, or are there things you should do differently given the outcome?  Describe any other observations or possibilities for further research.

Example of a case study

Sarah is a 40 year female. Recently, she has had severe pain in her left shoulder. Decades ago she hurt her shoulder when she picked up something very heavy and heard a popping noise in her shoulder. She saw the doctor at that time and he told her it would be stiff for the rest of her life as she had torn a tendon. After it initially healed, she was pain free for decades and no stiff shoulder. As she has gotten older she has occasionally felt some pain in the shoulder but nothing that brought about a change in her lifestyle. She recently visited the doctor because of the increase in pain and resulting loss of range of motion.The doctor told her she had bursitis and gave her some oral medication but she wants to try a different route to relieve the pain.

Goal of treatment:

• Reduce pain
• Reduce muscle inflammation

Care Plan: Muscle ointment

Latin binomial                                Purpose                         Drops

Lavandula angustifolia [Lavender]     muscle pain, stiffness              30

Zingiber officinale   [Ginger]              muscle aches, pain                   17

Grape seed oil                                    Carrier oil                                 1oz

It was recommended to Sarah to apply the mixture of oils to the area of pain 2x’s a day, once in the morning and at night.

Client’s response:

Sarah stated that she didn’t feel much different when the oil was massaged into her shoulder but did enjoy the warmth. She stated that the oil was applied right before going to bed so she wasn’t aware of any changes in pain level before falling asleep.

Subsequent treatment and follow up:

I followed up with Sarah the next day and she stated she did not use the oil in the morning before going to work and that she planned on using the oils at night before bed. Sarah stated that her shoulder did feel better and that some of the pain was relieved. She also noticed some of her range of motion had returned.

Day 2 follow up:

Sarah was still only applying the oils at night before bed. Her shoulder pain has decreased to the point she can continue her exercise routine.

Results:.

The results of Sarah using the oils were successful in reducing the pain and stiffness that she felt as a result of her old injury.

Discussion:

My conclusion is that I would replicate the same care plan. I felt this care plan was successful in helping Sarah and obtained the goal of reducing Sarah’s shoulder pain.

Disclaimer:This information is provided for educational purposes only, not to treat, cure, prevent, or diagnose any disease or condition, or prescribe in any way. the data presented here may not be complete or fully accurate. As with all essential oils, do not take internally unless working with a qualified and expert practitioner.

Safety Warning: If applying an essential oil to the skin, always perform a small patch test by properly diluting the oil in an appropriate carrier oil to an insensitive part of the body, such as inside of elbow. Use vegetable oil or milk to remove any essential oils causing irritation. Always keep essential oils and blends away from children. To slow oxidation and protect shelf life, store in a cool dark place with lids closed tightly secured. Never put oils in the ear canal or eyes.

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