A team of researchers at Mansour University in Egypt demonstrated the effect of aromatherapy massage on dysmenorrhea. This study was conducted by scientists from the Department of Gynecological and Obstetric Nursing. in collaboration with the Department of Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants (Faculty of Pharmacy) of the same University of Egypt.
The results of this experiment show that, on the one hand, aromatherapy can provide non-pharmacological therapy to provide relief to women suffering from menstrual pain; on the other hand, they emphasize the possibility of using aromatherapy massage to treat dysmenorrhea or excessive menstrual bleeding in nursing care.
The tests were conducted on some nursing students who suffered from primary dysmenorrhea using two groups of women selected according to the following requirements: single; age between 17-20 years; with a normal cycle of 21-46 days; and are not affected by gynecological disorders.
In the first phase of treatment, group 1 received an abdominal massage with a 5% mixture of cinnamon, cloves, rose and lavender essential oils in a ratio of 1: 5: 1, 5: 1: 1, dissolved in sweet almond oil. once a day, for 10 minutes, in the week preceding the arrival of menstruation. Group 2 was treated with the same type of massage, but with placebo oil, ie. without essential oils.
In the second phase, aromatherapy treatment was reversed so that the group that initially received the placebo oil massage was treated with essential oils and vivevers.
During the two phases, the level and duration of pain and the amount of menstrual flow decreased significantly in the aromatherapy group compared to women treated with placebo oil.
What is Dysmenorrhea
Dysmenorrhea is defined as pelvic pain associated with the menstrual cycle and, in more serious cases, can affect daily activities, so much so that it is one of the most common causes of absenteeism at school and in the workplace. This female disease is classified into 2 categories:
- Primary dysmenorrhea: occurs with abdominal cramps just before and during menstruation and is not a consequence of disorders or pathologies of the hormonal system or the female genital tract. Sick syndrome includes lower abdominal pain (often very intense), back pain, sometimes headache, nausea and diarrhea. The causes of this disorder are not completely clear, but in general this is due to the excessive release of prostaglandins, especially PGF2, a hormone-like substance that causes contractions of the uterine vessels (uterine ischemia) to stimulate muscles to spastic and painful contractions.
- secondary dysmenorrhea: (also organic dysmenorrhea) is a consequence of uterine pathologies identified by diagnostic tests such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids, congenital malformations, pelvic inflammation, etc.
Studies in addition to demonstrating the effectiveness of aromatherapy for the treatment of dysmenorrhea, suggest the use of essential oils as a possible non-invasive therapy and complement the variety of alternative methods used for menstrual pain (acupuncture, herbs, etc.).
Aromatherapy massage for menstrual pain
Aromatherapy is a natural therapy that uses essential oils secreted by so-called "aromatic" plants to alleviate health problems and improve the quality of life overall. Massage with essential oils or aromatherapy massage uses the healing properties of the essences to improve blood circulation and reduce painful contractions of the uterine muscles and excessive menstrual bleeding.
There are many uses of essential oils: internal use, epidermal absorption and inhalation. In aromatherapy massage, essential oils are not only inhaled but also absorbed through the skin and transported to the organs and systems, through the circulatory system, spreading from here to the whole body. For this reason, it is considered an effective and completely natural non-invasive therapeutic intervention.