Article

Aromatherapy for health care: an overview of systematic reviews.

Medical Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea.
Maturitas (impact factor: 2.77). 03/2012; 71(3):257-60. DOI:10.1016/j.maturitas.2011.12.018 pp.257-60
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of essential oil from herbs, flowers, and other plants. The aim of this overview was to provide an overview of systematic reviews evaluating the effectiveness of aromatherapy. We searched 12 electronic databases and our departmental files without restrictions of time or language. The methodological quality of all systematic reviews was evaluated independently by two authors. Of 201 potentially relevant publications, 10 met our inclusion criteria. Most of the systematic reviews were of poor methodological quality. The clinical subject areas were hypertension, depression, anxiety, pain relief, and dementia. For none of the conditions was the evidence convincing. Several SRs of aromatherapy have recently been published. Due to a number of caveats, the evidence is not sufficiently convincing that aromatherapy is an effective therapy for any condition.

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    Article: The Effect of Aromatherapy Abdominal Massage on Alleviating Menstrual Pain in Nursing Students: A Prospective Randomized Cross-Over Study
    Tyseer M. F. Marzouk, Amina M. R. El-Nemer, Hany N. Baraka
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    ABSTRACT: Dysmenorrhea is a common cause of sickness absenteeism from both classes and work. Tis study investigated the efect of aromatherapy massage on a group of female university students who are sufering of primary dysmenorrhea. A randomized double blind clinical trial of crossover design was used. In the frst treatment phase, group I (􀀀 = 48) received aromatherapy abdominal massage once daily for seven days prior to menstruation using the essential oils (cinnamon, clove, rose, and lavender in a base of almond oil). Group II (􀀀 = 47) received the same intervention but with placebo oil (almond oil). In the second treatment phase, the two groups switched to alternate regimen. Level and duration of pain and the amount of menstrual bleeding were evaluated at the baseline and afer each treatment phase. During both treatment phases, the level and duration of menstrual pain and the amount of menstrual bleeding were signifcantly lower in the aromatherapy group than in the placebo group. Tese results suggest that aromatherapy is efective in alleviating menstrual pain, its duration and excessive menstrual bleeding. Aromatherapy can be provided as a nonpharmacological pain relief measure and as a part of nursing care given to girls sufering of dysmenorrhea, or excessive menstrual bleeding.
    Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 04/2013; Volume 2013, Article ID 742421, 6 pages. · 4.77 Impact Factor
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Keywords

12 electronic databases
 
Aromatherapy
 
caveats
 
clinical subject areas
 
conditions
 
departmental files
 
essential oil
 
evidence convincing
 
methodological quality
 
poor methodological quality
 
systematic reviews
 
therapeutic use