A soothing massage for painful periods
Self-massage of the abdomen with essential oils reduces menstrual pain and anxiety during menstruation.
This is what we learn by studying the results of a placebo-controlled clinical study in nurses 1.
Let's take stock with Dr. Abdesselam Zhiri, Research Director at Pranarôm, on the results of this study and let's try to see how they can be useful to us in daily life.
Mon-Aromatherapy.com (MA): What exactly are we talking about when we talk about menstrual pain?
Recurring pain Abdesselam Zhiri (AZ): In general, dysmenorrhea refers to menstrual disorders, but it is commonly used to refer to pain in the lower abdomen that precedes or accompanies periods. The more accurate term is algomenorrhea (algos = pain) 2 . 25 to 97% of women experience this pain and 5 to 25% experience very severe pain 3 . Algomenorrhea is treated conventionally with medications such as prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors, oral contraceptives, and painkillers. It is noted that medications may not have an effect if not used regularly and algomenorrhea is not managed effectively, despite its high frequency 1 .
MA: What was the methodology of the clinical study in question?
AZ: The clinical study in question, controlled 1 on nurses suffering from algomenorrhea (dysmenorrhea), consisted of proving the effectiveness of self-massage with a synergy of essential oils to reduce menstrual pain. The authors of this study selected 83 nurses from Daejeon University Hospital, South Korea. They had menstrual pain greater than 5 points out of 10; compared to a pre-established scale of 0 to 10 points (with 0 as 'no pain at all' and 10 as 'the most severe pain'). Clary Sage, often a friend of women After selection based on strict criteria, 55 nurses were selected for the trial. They had no systemic diseases or diseases of the genital organs, they had not used contraceptives or any other treatment. They also did not have a proven allergy to essential oils. The study distinguished between three groups of nurses:
- The experimental group (n = 25), treated with the following formula: absolute of Rosa centifolia, HE of Rosa damascena, HE of Salvia sclarea, HE of Pelargonium graveolens and HE of Zingiber officinale (in a ratio 0.5-0.1 -1-1-1), mixed in vegetable oils of sweet almond, jojoba, and evening primrose (in an 8-1-1 ratio). The treatment consisted of self-massaging the abdomen with this mixture, on the 1st and 2nd day of the period and when the pain was too severe, for 10 minutes, twice a day.
- The placebo group (n=15), treated in the same way but only with sweet almond vegetable oil.
- The control group (n= 15), no treatment.
Researchers assessed levels of menstrual pain and anxiety using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) before the massage and 24 hours after. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Daejeon University Hospital.
MA: What were the results of the study? Pain soothed by aromatic massage
AZ: We can summarize them as follows: * The level of pain was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the other two groups * For anxiety, the trend was the same. Change in anxiety level was strongly associated with essential oil use. * Changes in pain and anxiety levels were significantly associated. These results suggest that self-massage of the abdomen with this synergy of essential oils is effective in combating menstrual pain and anxiety. They accredit the traditional use of clary sage as an antispasmodic and as a regulator of menstruation, rose to alleviate uterine problems, geranium to regulate menstrual disturbances and ginger for abdominal flatulence and warming.
MA: What conclusions can we draw from this?
AZ: The authors of this study conclude that aromatherapy can be considered a safe and effective treatment for reducing menstrual pain and anxiety during menstruation. However, further randomized studies, using more objective measures, larger sample size and long-term trials, are needed for definitive confirmation.
References :
1 Yoo-Jin Kim, Myeong Soo Lee, Yun Seok Yang, Myung-Haeng Hur. Self-aromatherapy massage of the abdomen for the reduction of menstrual pain and anxiety during menstruation in nurses: A placebo-controlled clinical trial. European Journal of Integrative Medicine 3 (2011) pp. 165–168. September 2011
2 Painful periods (dysmenorrhea). http://www.passeportsante.net/fr/Maux/Problemes/Fiche.aspx?doc=dysmenorrhee_pm
3 Latthe PM, Champaneria R, Khan KS. Dysmenorrhoea. Clin Evid 2011;2:813.
After reading this study, it is interesting to remember that essential oils can indeed be massaged on the abdomen and lower abdomen in the event of gynecological discomfort. Make sure to dilute them in an appropriate neutral massage oil .
Inspired by the formulas given by Dominique Baudoux in his works, you can, for example, massage the stomach 2 to 4 times a day with 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil flavored with 2 drops of clary sage essential oil and 2 drops of geranium, Damascus rose or, very relaxing, tarragon.
We can also remember that taking essential oils orally can be beneficial in order to combat these discomforts. Oléocaps 5 capsules of Pranarôm are rightly recommended during delicate periods. They contain essential oils of basil, tarragon, coriander and noble laurel, which have in common a capacity to soothe, relax and soften sensitive muscles.
