omcadmin's blog

November 7, 2025

The warrior’s shield. A plant of protection, wound healing, and sacred balance — both in battle and in blood.

Imagine walking through a wild European meadow where lace-like flowers sway in the wind. Yarrow is there — subtle but powerful. Known for its resilience and wide-ranging benefits, yarrow has been one of Europe’s most trusted healing herbs for centuries.

Yarrow has a legendary history. It’s named after Achilles, the Greek hero said to have used it on the battlefield to staunch wounds. Yarrow was used also by Germanic tribes for the treatment of battle wounds. European folk medicine embraced it as a remedy for everything from fevers and digestive issues to menstrual irregularities and infections. It’s especially valued for its astringent, anti-inflammatory, and circulatory properties. Yarrow was used to regulate blood flow — both to stop excessive bleeding and to stimulate circulation when needed. Women used it for heavy periods, cramps, and to balance the menstrual cycle. It also played a role in fevers, helping the body to sweat out toxins.

October 29, 2025

Knee osteoarthritis is a prevalent degenerative joint disorder that significantly impairs physical function and daily activities. Patients with knee osteoarthritis experience chronic pain, fatigue, muscle weakness, and joint stiffness, which lead to significant functional impairments in daily activities such as walking, stair climbing, standing, and personal care. While conventional treatments focus on symptom management, complementary therapies such as aromatherapy massage have gained attention for their potential benefits. Several studies have explored the potential benefits of complementary and alternative therapies, including massage therapy, physical therapy, hydrotherapy, and aromatherapy, in improving pain, quality of life, and functional mobility in osteoarthritis patients. Among these interventions, massage therapy is widely recognized as one of the safest and most commonly used complementary approaches. Over 80 massage techniques exist, with effleurage being particularly suitable for osteoarthritis patients due to its gentle nature. Essential oils are frequently incorporated into massage therapy with popular choices including lavender, Deep Blue, sweet almond, ginger, rosemary, black seed, and peppermint oils.

October 20, 2025

Benefits: Supports Immune defenses during cold and flu season. Helps reduce the duration and severity of symptoms, soothes sore throats, and provides antioxidant protection.

Ingredients (Makes~250 ml of syrup)

• ½ cup dried elderberries
• 2 cups of filtered water
• 1 tbsp. fresh grated ginger (or 1tsp dried)
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder ( 1 stick)
• ½ tsp clove powder (or 3-4 whole cloves)
• ¾ cup raw honey (or maple syrup for vegan version)
  

October 18, 2025

Chronic low back pain is a common problem that impairs the activities of daily life. Massage therapy is one of the non-pharmacological treatment modalities in chronic low back pain. Low back pain is defined as dorsal pain; which is localized in the region extending from the 12th rib to the inferior gluteal region and which is accompanied by leg pain in some cases. Low back pain is the most common type of musculoskeletal pain and a symptom that impairs the activities of daily living. A multidisciplinary treatment approach; which requires practicing pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods in combination, is essential for the treatment of Chronic low back pain. Some of non-pharmacological methods are exercise therapy, massage, acupuncture, yoga, cognitive-behavioral therapy, progressive relaxation, spinal manipulation, and intensive multidisciplinary rehabilitation. Massage therapy is a common integrative treatment method for low back pain.

October 6, 2025

The people on the island of Ternate were free from epidemics until the 16^th century, when Dutch conquerors destroyed the clove trees that flourished on the islands. Many of the islanders died from the epidemics that followed. Cloves were reputed to be part of the “Marseilles Vinegar” or “Four Thieves Vinegar” that bandits who robbed the dead and dying used to protect themselves during the 15th century plague.

October 5, 2025

Wounds are disruptions in the integrity of the skin or underlying tissues caused by physical, chemical, or biological factors. Wound healing is a complex process involving inflammation, oxidative stress, immune modulation, and tissue regeneration. Effective wound management prevents complications such as infections and promotes faster recovery.

Frankincense essential oil, derived from the resin of the Boswellia tree, has been historically used for its medicinal properties, including wound healing. The oil contains bioactive compounds such as boswellic acids, which exhibit anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. These attributes make it a valuable agent in promoting wound repair. Frankincense essential oil helps reduce inflammation in the wound area, creating an optimal environment for healing. Its antimicrobial effects help prevent infections, while its antioxidant properties combat oxidative stress, which can delay healing.

October 3, 2025

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease stands as the prevailing chronic liver disease on a global scale, encompassing a broad spectrum of liver conditions . Among these, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) represents a distinct entity characterized by hepatic steatosis of at least 5%, accompanied by inflammation and ballooned hepatocytes, with or without concurrent hepatic fibrosis. If left untreated, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis can advance to liver cirrhosis and, ultimately, hepatocellular carcinoma. The concept of the multiple-hit hypothesis recognizes that environmental factors, such as diet, lifestyle, and gut microbiota, can intricately interact with genetic and epigenetic factors, collectively contributing to the development of liver injury.

September 30, 2025

Dental caries counts among the most widespread chronic diseases, characterized by localized destruction of dental hard tissues. Dental plaque is a microbial biofilm that forms on the tooth surface and contains a complex structure of microorganisms. The metabolic activity of the bacteria in this biofilm is directly linked with the dental caries process.

Tea tree essential oil is an essential oil extracted from steaming the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia. It is generally accepted that essential oils possess bioactive properties, including antimicrobial properties. Therapeutic properties of the Tea tree oil, including antimicrobial activity, were reported in the early 20th century. Several studies indicated that Tea tree oil is very effective in vitro against a broad range of bacteria, including oral bacteria.

September 27, 2025

Aromatherapy is one of the traditional remedies that uses essential oils extracted from plants based on their scent effects and is currently used in many fields. Aromatherapy is based on the theory that inhaling or absorbing essential oils causes changes within the limbic system, the part of the brain associated with memory and emotion, Aromatherapy stimulates physiological responses in the nervous, endocrine, or immune systems and can affect heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, brain wave activity, and the release of various hormones throughout the body.

August 6, 2025

Migraine  is  a  neurological  disorder  characterized  by  headache,  photophobia,  phonophobia,  nausea  and  vomiting. Pharmacological treatment of migraine has advanced in the past years but  is  still  considered  unsatisfactory  for  a  significant  number  of  patients.  In this sense, there is increasing evidence that  essential  oils  from  several  plants  may  provide  benefit  for  migraine  patients.  Peppermint essential oil is one of the most used essential oils in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. It is typically obtained through the steam distillation of aerial parts of the flowering plant.  Menthol  is  a  major  component  of  peppermint  essential  oil  and  has  been  used  as  a  non-opioid  pain  reliever  since ancient times. In  addition  to  menthol,  it  has  menthone  as  another  main  component  and  a  mixture  of  volatile  metabolites  that  contribute  to  innumerous  biological  activities,  such  as  antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. In migraine patients, two clinical trials showed that intranasal application of peppermint essential oil (1.5%) or application of a solution containing 10% menthol to the forehead and temporal  area  reduced  the  severity  and  duration  of  the  migraine  crisis  similarly  to  lidocaine, and  also reduced  nausea and/or  vomiting,  and  phonophobia  and/or  photophobia.