PURPOSE:This study aimed to examine the effects of aromatherapy massage on neuropathic pain severity and quality of life (QoL) in patients suffering from painful diabetic neuropathy.

DESIGN AND METHODS:This open-label randomized controlled clinical study was conducted in a university hospital endocrine outpatient clinic in Turkey. The study sample consisted of 46 patients, randomly allocated to an intervention group (n = 21) and a control group (n = 25). The intervention group received aromatherapy massage three times per week for a period of 4 weeks. The control group received only routine care. Data were collected from patients using the Douleur Neuropathique questionnaire, the visual analog scale, and the Neuropathic Pain Impact on Quality of Life questionnaire.

FINDINGS:Neuropathic pain scores significantly decreased in the intervention group compared with the control group in the fourth week of the study. Similarly, QoL scores significantly improved in the intervention group in the fourth week of the study.

CONCLUSIONS:Aromatherapy massage is a simple and effective nonpharmacological nursing intervention that can be used to manage neuropathic pain and improve QoL in patients with painful neuropathy.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE:Aromatherapy massage is a well-tolerated, feasible, and safe nonpharmacological method that can be readily integrated into clinical settings by nursing staff. The essential oils rosemary, geranium, lavender, eucalyptus, and chamomile can be safely used by nurses in the clinical setting, if applicable. However, training and experience of nurses in aromatherapy massage is critical to achieving positive results.

OBJECTIVE:The is study examined the effects of geranium aroma on anxiety among patients with AMI.

METHODS:This randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial recruited 80 patients with AMI through convenience sampling. The patients were allocated to geranium and placebo groups (n = 40 each) using stratified block randomization. On the second day of admission three drops of geranium essential oil and placebo were poured on absorbing patches attached inside the oxygen masks of the geranium and placebo groups, respectively. The patients were asked to inhale the aroma for 20 min a day on two consecutive days.

RESULTS:all stages of the intervention, the two groups had a significant difference in anxiety scores, i.e. geranium aroma caused significantly greater reductions in the anxiety scores (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION:Inhalation aromatherapy with geranium essential oil is recommended as an easy-to-use, intervention to reduce anxiety among patients with AMI.

Introduction:This study evaluated the effects of geranium aromatherapy massage on premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Methods:A total of 120 female students with diagnosed PMS were randomly divided into three groups as control group, aromatherapy massage group, and massage group. Essential oil of geranium 2% in almond oil and sweet almond oil were used in aromatherapy massage group and massage group, respectively. Aromatherapy massage protocol was run for 8 weeks.

Results:The study revealed that aromatherapy massage decreased the PMS physical and mental symptoms and massage therapy decreased the PMS physical and mental symptoms too (<0.001); however, this decrease was more in aromatherapy massage group (<0.001).

Conclusions:This study recommends aromatherapy massage, as a complementary treatment, to improve PMS.