ANCHOR LEAD IN:
Source: National Institutes of Health
CRAMPS, FATIGUE, AND MOOD CHANGES… AN ESTIMATED 75% OF WOMEN EXPERIENCE SYMPTOMS OF PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME, OR 'P-M-S'….FOR MANY, THE QUICK FIX IS MEDICATION… OVER-THE-COUNTER OR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.BUT NOW A GROWING NUMBER OF WOMEN ARE LOOKING TO HOLISTIC METHODS TO FEEL BETTER.
____ ____ EXPLAINS WHY ESSENTIAL
OILS ARE BECOMING A POPULAR PRESCRIPTION FOR RELIEF.

TRACK ONE Length: 04
LIKE MANY WOMEN, MONA SARAIYA (sah-RAY-ah) SUFFERS FROM PRE-MENSTRUAL SYNDROME…

SOT
KEY @:06 Mona Saraiya, Aromatherapy customer
"I get a lot of back cramps and I'm very irritable. More irritable than usual, ha."

TRACK TWO Length:05
TODAY SHE'S TRYING A NEW APPROACH TO EASE HER SYMPTOMS.SHE'S LEARNING HOW TO USE ESSENTIAL OILS.

NAT SOT Length:02
"It's very uplifting to your mood..."

TRACK THREE Length:07
AROMATHERAPIST JENNIFER DAVIDSON DOWD SAYS ESSENTIAL OILS CAN HELP TO RELAX MUSCLES, CALM ANXIETY, AND ENHANCE YOUR MOOD.

SOT
KEY @:26 Jennifer Davidson Dowd, Aromatherapist
Source: PMS and relation to hormonal changes: National Institutes of Health
"Essential oils are great at balancing hormones. And that's what really triggers all of these symptoms of PMS. The best oils to use are lavender, clary sage, geranium."

TRACK FOUR Length: 14
ESSENTIAL OILS ARE NOT REGULATED BY THE F-D-A, AND THEY HAVE NOT
UNDERGONE EXTENSIVE CLINICAL TESTING FOR P-M-S.BUT SOME EXPERTS SAY THEY CAN BE HELPFUL-IF USED PROPERLY. CHERIE (sher-EE) PEREZ (per-EZ) IS A REGISTERED NURSE WHO SPECIALIZES IN HERBAL REMEDIES.

SOT
KEY @:52 Cherie Perez, R.N. M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
"They can not be applied directly to the skin. They do need to be diluted."

TRACK FIVE Length:12
PEREZ SAYS HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF THESE OILS CAN IRRITATE THE SKIN. INSTEAD, THEY SHOULD BE ADDED TO A BATH, OR A MASSAGE LOTION, WHERE THEY CAN BE GENTLY ABSORBED. THEY CAN ALSO BE INHALED, BY USING A DIFFUSER.

NAT SOT Length:02
"Tell me how this smells to you."

TRACK SIX Length:08
WHILE SOME COMMON P-M-S SYMPTOMS MAY BE RELIEVED WITH ESSENTIAL OILS-
- PEREZ CAUTIONS THAT SERIOUS SYMPTOMS REQUIRE A DOCTOR'S CARE.

SOT
KEY @:1:20 Cherie Perez, R.N. M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
"…Such as excessive bleeding and excessive cramping, people should certainly have a good medical evaluation to see if there are any illnesses."

TRACK SEVEN Length:07
FOR HER MILD SYMPTOMS, MONA IS TRYING LAVENDER AND SAGE…HOPING FOR A SWEET SMELLING SOLUTION TO A COMMON PROBLEM.

SOT
NO KEY
"They sound like simple solutions with minimal side effects. I'm willing to give it a shot and try it.(smiles)"

ANCHOR TAG:
Source: Cherie Perez,R.N. AromatherapistM.D. Anderson Cancer CenterHouston, TX.
EXPERTS SAY ESSENTIAL OILS RARELY INTERACT WITH PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS, BUT IT'S WISE TO CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR, JUST IN CASE.FOR EXAMPLE, SOME CITRUS OILS MAY MAKE YOUR SKIN MORE SENSITIVE TO THE SUN.

SOURCE INFORMATION
FOR CLIENT-STATION USE ONLY
The information provided below is for client-station use only. It is provided to help you obtain answers to any additional questions you may have and to help you localize a story. This private contact information, including phone numbers, addresses and email addresses, cannot be given to viewers nor posted on your Website. It is for internal station use only. Any exceptions to this will be clearly noted. Thank you.

Cherie Perez, BS, R.N.,CCRP, RMT
Quality Assurance Specialist
Aromatherapist
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
1220 Holcombe
P.O. Box 301439
Houston, Tx. 77230-1439
(713)563-7252

Cherie Perez is a registered nurse and educator with the M.D. Anderson Cancer
Center in Houston, Texas. She's also an aromatherapist and massage therapist,
seeking to help patients find complementary treatments to ease a variety of symptoms. Perez also regularly teaches classes in aromatherapy.

Jennifer Davidson Dowd
Aromatherapist
Natural Body Spa & Shoppe
Corporate Office
1145 Zonolite Rd.
Suite 9
Atlanta, Ga. 30306
(404)874-9516
Jennifer.Dowd@NaturalBody.com

Jennifer has been practicing aromatherapy for seven years. She specializes in creating essential oil blends for her customers with symptoms of PMS and stress. She also serves on the team of marketing/public relations for the 'Natural Body Spa & Shoppe company in the southeastern United States.

Extra background

Source: Cherie Perez, R.N.
Aromatherapist
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Tx.

National Institutes of Health
National Cancer Institute

List of some essential oils for PMS
Lavender
Geranium
Clary sage
Bergamot
Nutmeg
Grapefruit
Roman chamomile
Jasmine
Rose
Clinical trials related to essential oils/aromatherapy are not very common. The
majority of trials have very few participants. In addition, dosing is difficult to reproduce since therapists use number of drops per ounce of dilutent. There is no true placebo for any of the oils. The most critical safety factor is that any essential oil label is a concentrated product and should not be applied directly to the skin. In the US, never, ever, ingested.

* Studies in animals show sedative and stimulant effects of specific oils, as well as positive effects on behavior and the immune system.
* Human studies have investigated aromatherapy mainly in the treatment
of stress and anxiety in patients with critical illnesses. Results were mixed.

Cherie Perez recommends doing some research on essential oils before making a purchase. And interviewing herbalists about their background to assess their knowledge before buying from them.

One source recommended by Perez:
"The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy" by Valerie Worwood