Student Research Paper & Case Study: The Effect of Chinese Traditional Medicine Treatment in Aromatherapy for Constipation
By Sienna Qinghui Li, Certified Clinical Aromatherapist
Research Overview
For constipation, a typical aromatherapy treatment is to apply certain oil blends to affected areas, such as the abdomen area, with gentle massage. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Jingluo, translated as meridian, connects to certain organs in the body and therefore helps with related treatment.
This research studies the effect of CTM treatment in aromatherapy for constipation issues, by applying the same oil blend to relevant meridians with massage and comparing its effect with the typical way.
Literature Review, Related Concepts and Theoretical Basis
Jingluo (Meridian)
Jingluo, translated as meridian, is the passways where the energy of life flows through the body. By stimulating the meridian with pressure, there would be profound psychophysical responses that rebalances the functioning of organ systems. (Ye et al., 2022)
Stomach Meridian
The stomach meridian is associated with the treatment of gastrointestinal issues, such as constipation, diarrhea, gastritis, nausea, etc. Part of the stomach meridian is along the left front side of the thigh and the lower leg and continues down to the foot. (Wakefield, 2014)
Large Intestine Meridian
The large intestine meridian helps with gastrointestinal disorders including constipation and diarrhea. It originates from the tip of the index finger, continues along the lateral side of the forearm and the anterior side of the upper arm. (Al-Shura, 2021)
Conception Vessel
The conception vessel is located in the center of the front of the body, which goes up to the mouth and down inside back to the kidney (Yates, 2010). Stimulating the acupoints of the conception vessel helps enable the energy of life flows reaching the affected area to treat
stomach disorders (Fang et al., 2022). Therefore, it is recommended to first select the affected meridian and also combine with the conception vessel for a better treatment (Fang et al., 2022).
Gua Sha (skin scraping therapy)
Gua Sha is also known as skin scraping therapy, which is a Chinese traditional healing method that uses a tool to scrap the body surface. The goal is to dredge meridian stagnation by creating petechiae. (Chu et al., 2021)
Summary
Previous research and concepts above have shown that stimulating related meridians by pressure or by skin scraping therapy is beneficial to treat constipation. Therefore, in this research, aromatherapy oil blend was applied onto the stomach meridian, large intestine meridian and
conception vessel, followed by skin scraping or pressing related acupoints, with a comparison to applying the oil onto the abdomen area followed by gentle massage.
Aromatherapy Program Design
Recipe Demonstration – Chemistry Demonstration: key components
- Monoterpene: Stimulant and anti-inflammatory, improving motility and enhancing toxin
elimination. This includes Red Mandarin, Sweet Marjoram, and Rosemary. - Esters: Soothing, sedative and cooling to digestive and muscular tension; anti
inflammatory. This includes Roman Chamomile and Sweet Marjoram. - Monoterpenols: Gently antimicrobial, and supportive to the immune and nervous system.
This includes Sweet Marjoram and Sweet Basil. - Oxides: Improving circulation and enhancing detoxification. This includes Rosemary.
- Ethers (Methyl chavicol): Strongly antispasmodic, digestive and carminative. This
includes Sweet Basil.
Final Recipe
- 10 drops of Red Mandarin, Citrus reticulata
- 6 drops of Sweet Marjoram, Origanum marjorana
- 10 drops of Sweet Basil, Ocimum basilicum var. crispum
- 3 drops of Rosemary, Salvia rosmarinus
- 2 drops of Roman Chamomile, Anthemis nobilis
- 30ml of Jojoba Oil, Simmondsia chinensis
Direction of Use
Topical Aromatherapy Treatment: Apply the oil blend onto the abdomen area at least once a day, preferably before bed. Gently massage for 5-10 minutes.
Aromatherapy with Chinese Traditional Medicine Treatment
Apply the oil blend onto GI related meridians such as the stomach meridian, large intestine meridian and conception vessel, with Gua Sha (skin scraping therapy) or pressing related acupoints.
Safety Guidelines
External use only. Avoid massaging in 1 hour after meal.
Measurement and Scale – Analysis and Results
The outcome was measured by different indicators, including bowel movement volume, the ease of elimination, the sensation to defecate, and signs of digestive movement (i.e. bowel sounds).
The scales were qualitative. Bowel movement volume was measured by none, very small, small, moderate, normal. The ease of elimination was measured descriptively, using terms such as easier or no change. The sensation to defecate and signs of digestive movement were
measured by two scales including onset time, such as immediate, next day, etc., and presence which was noted as yes or no.
Analysis and Results
Period 1:
The research in this period was conducted after constipation has kept for about half a week without any defecation.
For the first 3 days, I implemented the typical aromatherapy method by applying this oil blend to my stomach with massage. During and after the process, although I could feel the stool in the intestines, there was no sensation to defecate, and no signs of digestive movement such as
bowel sounds. The bowel movement volume was still none.
On the 4th day, I integrated Chinese Traditional Medicine Treatment by applying the blend to my large intestine meridian located in the arm area with Gua Sha (skin scraping therapy) before bed. There was a bit feeling to defecate within a couple of minutes. The next noon, I felt
some urge to defecate and was able to defecate, although the bowel movement volume was very small and the elimination was very hard.
On the 5th day, I applied the blend to the large intestine meridian again and massage with pressure. The effect was similar to the previous day.
For the next two days, I used the blend on the stomach again. The signs of digestive movement happened within a couple of minutes with obvious bowel sounds which didn’t occur in the first 3 days. The bowel movement volume was still small but better than before. The
elimination was a bit easier.
For the next couple of days, I continued to use the blend on the large intestine meridian again by massaging with pressure or Gua Sha. This relieves the constipation more significantly with more obvious effects on the next day: lager bowel movement volume (moderate) and easier
elimination. This also resulted in a quicker sensation of defecate, where I felt an urge to defecate the next morning, instead of the next noon. From there, the bowel movement volume was gradually back to normal.
Period 2:
The research in the second period was conducted after constipation has kept for about 2-3 days without any defecation. I directly applied the oil blend onto the stomach meridian along the left front side of the thigh and the lower leg with Gua Sha. I conducted this around noon, and was able to defecate in the afternoon, with a moderate bowel movement volume.
The elimination was also much easier, although there was still a feeling of not completely passing the bowel movement.
On the second and third evenings, I applied the oil on the stomach. After massaging for a few minutes, I could hear the bowel sound as a sign of digestive movement. Such effects happened faster than the ones in the first period, where I only applied typical aromatherapy method on the stomach for the first 3 days and didn’t receive obvious improvements.
After waking up on the 4th morning, I applied the oil blend on the stomach with gentle massage and felt a sensation to defecate around the noon. On the 5th morning after getting up, I applied the blend on the abdomen area and pressed to stimulate the acupoints on the conception vessel, where I had a sensation to elimination and was able to defecate within less than 10 minutes.
Conclusion and Limitation
From the results of the two-period research, integrating Chinese Traditional Medicine treatment in aromatherapy could have a faster and more obvious improvement on constipation.
Applying Gua Sha (skin scraping therapy) on the stomach meridian and large intestine meridian, as well as pressing the acupoints of the conception vessel, would stimulate bowel movement.
Also, using Chinese Traditional Medicine treatment with aromatherapy as the first step, could lay a good foundation by stimulating the GI system, and enhance the effects when switching to typical aromatherapy treatments later.
Admittedly, there are some limitations. The research was conducted on one person, and thus the results on others may vary.
The scales of the measurements are qualitative, so the results may be subjective. However, all results are based on real-time observations.
Therefore, the research suggests try combining aromatherapy with Chinese Traditional Medicine to enhance and accelerate the improvement of constipation.
Author Biography
Qingyue (Sienna) Li is a passionate aromatherapist who began her journey with aromatherapy in 2021. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s degree in data analytics and social policy. Since graduation, she has been working in the long-term care industry.
Sienna Qinghui Li is a Certified Clinical Aromatherapist, graduating from the JennScents Aromaversity in 2025.
Her aromatherapy exploration focuses on evidence-based holistic treatment and the integration of traditional Chinese Medicine approaches. She is devoted to using personalized aromatherapy to enhance the physical and emotional well-being of her family and friends, with the hope of extending this care to many more in the future.
Join our JennScents Aromaversity community and become an expert in holistic clinical aromatherapy – helping your clients heal deeply to live fully with joy, confidence, and whole body health.
Review: “I truly enjoyed reading it. It’s a thoughtful and well-structured exploration that demonstrates how a clear hypothesis, solid literature review, and practical experimentation can come together to form a compelling study. I especially appreciate her innovative integration of aromatherapy with meridian stimulation and Gua Sha; it’s a valuable contribution to the growing intersection of essential oil practice and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The dual stimulation approach, which combines essential oils with meridian-based techniques such as Gua Sha and acupressure, offers a promising model for achieving more targeted therapeutic outcomes. Although the research is based on a single-subject case and qualitative indicators, the real-time observations and outcome tracking are clearly presented, providing meaningful insights for further exploration.” – Xiaoya Gao, Certified Clinical Aromatherapist, Aromatherapy Intuitive Healer, Advanced Holistic Gut Specialist
