The effects of aromatherapy massage with lavender essential oil on neuropathic pain and quality of life in diabetic patients: A randomized clinical trial.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine the effects of lavender essential oil massage on neuropathic pain and quality of life in diabetic patients.
Results Summary
The study found that aromatherapy massage with lavender oil significantly reduced neuropathic pain in both short-term and long-term assessments and improved quality of life domains after four weeks, with no reported side effects.
Population
Diabetic neuropathic patients (n=75).
Effective Dosage
2.5 cc of 3% lavender oil applied as a gentle foot massage for 10 minutes every night.
Duration
One month.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
massage with 2.5 cc of 3% lavender oil | decrease | pain scores in short-term and long-term | diabetic neuropathic patients | - | significantly reduced | #1 |
massage with 2.5 cc of 3% lavender oil | increase | QoL domains | diabetic neuropathic patients | - | a significant increase was found | #2 |
aromatherapy massage with lavender oil | decrease | neuropathic pain | diabetic neuropathic patients | - | helped reduce | #3 |
aromatherapy massage with lavender oil | increase | patients' QoL | diabetic neuropathic patients | - | improved | #4 |
OBJECTIVE: to determine massage lavender essential oil on neuropathic pain and quality of life in diabetic patients. METHODS: A randomized three-group control trial with the pre-post design was performed from 2019 to 2020 on 75 diabetic neuropathic patients. The patients were randomly allocated into aromatherapy (n = 26), placebo (n = 26), and control (n = 26) groups. Patients in the intervention group used 2.5 cc of 3% lavender oil on their feet as a gentle massage for 10 min every night before bedtime for a month. Data collected using the Visual analog scale (VAS), Douleur Neuropathic 4 (DN4) and Quality of Life Questionnaire (SF36). RESULTS: The mean difference of pain scores in short-term and long-term in the aromatherapy group was significantly reduced compared to the placebo and control groups (P < 0.001). In addition, after four weeks, a significant increase was found in the QoL domains in the aromatherapy group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Aromatherapy massage with lavender oil helped reduce neuropathic pain two to four weeks after the intervention and improved the patients' QoL without causing any side effects. Thus, nurses are recommended to use it as a complementary method to reduce neuropathic pain and improve patients' QoL.