Scientific basis behind traditional practice of application of "shoe-smell" in controlling epileptic seizures in the eastern countries.
Epilepsy has been known for thousands of years and has been subjected to various forms of conventional and non-conventional therapies including a non-pharmacological conservative treatment known as aromatherapy, ever since. One commonly practiced form of aromatherapy that persists as an immediate first-aid measure even today in some parts of developing countries in the East is the application of "shoe-smell" during an epileptic attack. The questionable remedial role has intrigued neuro-scientists at least in these parts of the world. This brief paper attempts to provide an insight to the basis of persistence of this practice and to explore a possible scientific logic behind its unscientifically reported remedial effectiveness. The neurophysiology of olfactory stimulation from "shoe-smell" reveals a sound and scientific reasoning for its remedial efficacy in epilepsy; olfactory stimuli in this study have been found to possess significantly effective anti-epileptic influence which could have formed the basis for the use of application of "shoe-smell" in earlier times and also for its persistence even today in those parts of developing regions.
Jaseja
Harinder
H
Physiology Department, GR Medical College, Gwalior 474001, MP, India. dr_jaseja@yahoo.com <dr_jaseja@yahoo.com>
D019341:Aromatherapy; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000628:therapy*; D005528:Foot / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D009812:Odorants; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology