Raindrop therapy is a holistic healing method that is used for treating a variety of illnesses and disorders. It was developed based on certain Native American methods. The technique involves using essential oils dripped onto the back, sometimes in a particular sequence. Afterward, a warm wet towel is draped across the patient's back for a period of time. The method is used to treat everything from inflammation to serious illnesses, and there is significant controversy regarding its safety and effectiveness.
When using raindrop therapy, the individual will generally remove clothing from his back and lie on his stomach. At that point, the person performing the therapy will apply the essential oils by dropping them randomly around the back. There is a general attempt to spread them in a relatively even manner. At this point, the oils are rubbed into the skin with very light motions.
The next step in raindrop therapy is to wet a towel with warm water and drape it over the individual’s back. In some cases, the practitioner will add an additional dry towel on top of the wet one to give more weight. The overall idea is to let the towel force the oils into the skin, where they might be able to enter the blood stream and reach the damaged areas of the body.
The overall experience of raindrop therapy is also seen as somewhat therapeutic all by itself. Being given raindrop therapy can potentially be a very relaxing process, and it may help relieve stress. Sometimes the therapists themselves claim that they receive some benefit just from inhaling the odors from the oils used in the therapy.
There has generally been some question about the overall safety of raindrop therapy. Many of the oils used in the therapy have the potential to cause various allergic reactions. Some of these may include inflammation of the skin and different rashes. Many people recommend a small test run with the various oils used in order to see if the individual has any kind of reaction.
There is also some question about the effectiveness of raindrop therapy. Like many other holistic healing techniques, there isn’t generally very much laboratory evidence supporting the effects. Some people think that its healing properties may stem primarily from the placebo effect. Some of the oils used have shown different clinical effects in laboratory examinations, but their extent is generally disputed.