THE health benefits of aromatherapy have been well extolled and essential oils can be found in everything from candles and cosmetics to air fresheners and even furniture polish.

Now for the first time this popular complementary therapy along with other alternative treatments is to be regulated under a government-backed scheme to be established this year.

The new Natural Healthcare Council which is backed by Prince Charles, will operate like other statutory bodies and have the power to clamp down on incompetent practitioners.

According to a recent report, Britons spend £130million a year on complementary treatments including reiki, refloxology, shiatsu and yoga and it is estimated to reach £200 million over the next four years.

But in spite of their increasing popularity, many doctors and health experts remain sceptical about these ancient sciences.

Lynne Bradlie-Nash, a fully qualified aromatherapist, has been trying to get local GPs to accept that these kind of therapies can help treat a range of health conditions.

"I have been inviting them for free treatments so that they can see how I operate and talk to them about the benefits but so far no one has taken me up on my offer," she explains.

"But perhaps now that we have been officially recognised by the government they might start to take us a bit more seriously."

Lynne claims to be able to help people suffering from a range of different health problems including arthritis, fibromyalgia, hypermobility, emotional stress, high blood pressure and paralysis.

"I treat a wide range of people using a combination of therapeutic massage and aromatherapy. I've got the case studies to prove it. My youngest client is just three weeks old and my oldest is 97!."

But rather than just taking her word for it, Lynne invited me to see for myself and invited me to try an aromatherapy neck, back and shoulder massage.

Lynne's Healing Hands treatment centre turns out to be a lovely wooden chalet that she had built behind her home in Poole last October.

Lying there on the heated treatment couch looking up at the pitched pine roof I could almost believe I was in the Swiss Alps or somewhere - not somebody's back garden in Creekmoor!

Lynne asked me to smell a selection of aromatic oils and to choose the one I liked best which turned out to be a mixture of rosemary and lemon combined with evening primrose oil and wheatgerm.

She began by working on my neck and shoulder muscles easing out the knots and kneading away the tension with some well practised massage techniques which combined with the oils was very effective.

I was so relaxed in fact that I had to fight the urge to drift off to sleep. I left feeling relaxed and revived and with a real sense of well-being. A half an hour treatment costs around £22. Lynne is registered with The Aromatherapy Council. For more information call 07903 87 08 08.