Pain and Quality of Life in Diabetic Patients: Lavender Aromatherapy

Diabetes is a disease that affects the health of millions of people all over the world and has serious consequences.
is an inconvenience. According to the data in 2017, while the number of patients with diabetes was 425 million, in 2045
This number is predicted to rise to 629 million. Diabetes balance disorder, sensation in feet
loss, has serious consequences such as diabetic ulcer. Diabetic patients most commonly
One of the problems is neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain, pain transmission systems of nerves
occurs and is very difficult to cure. Due to chronic pain, patients both physically
social activities decrease, as well as sleep disturbance, anxiety and increase in adherence to treatment.
They face different challenges such as isolation. Current studies say that the most effective way to manage neuropathic pain is to use pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods together. Drugs used for neuropathic pain (opioid, antidepressant, analgesic, etc.)
Although it has a partial effect on the relief of pain, dizziness, drowsiness, mood
It also brings with it many side effects such as constipation and constipation. non-pharmacological
treatments, on the other hand, are becoming more and more common due to their low risk of side effects and ease of application.
used as. Aromatherapy, which is one of them, benefits from the healing effects of essential oils obtained from aromatic plants with various application methods.
Lavender essential oil, which is one of the oils commonly used in aromatherapy, supports the general health of people with its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, sedative and anti-anxiety effects.
and improves their quality of life. Especially in lavender aromatherapy applied through massage
Linalool and linalyl acetate, which are components of lavender, have a high absorption feature in the bloodstream. Linalool has a sedative effect while linalyl acetate has narcotic effects. In aromatherapy applied by inhalation, odor molecules are absorbed through the mucosa and odor
converted into nerve signals in the bulb. Thus, it reaches the limbic system and has a healing effect by enabling the amygdala to release various neurotransmitters (endorphin, serotonin, enkephalin).
Correct management of neuropathic pain experienced by diabetic patients is critical, as it both reduces the quality of life of patients and causes weakening. A study conducted in Iran in 2020 examined the effects of massage aromatherapy with lavender on neuropathic pain and quality of life in these patients. According to the data of the study, the rate of diabetes over the age of 30 in Iran is between 14% and 23%. Iran Shiraz Medicine
75 patients who applied to diabetes clinics of the University of Sciences were included as participants in this study. Patients were divided into intervention and placebo groups. Patients in the intervention group received an aromatherapy massage with lavender oil before going to sleep every day for a month. The same procedures were applied to the placebo group, but no aromatic oil was used. Thus, by making a comparison between the two groups,
whether it was due to aromatherapy or not could be analyzed. Patients were followed up at regular intervals and many inventories were used to measure various parameters such as pain, physical function, and social function. The results of all the data obtained show that neuropathic pain and quality of life (depending on many parameters) after aromatherapy massage with lavender.
were evaluated) differences occurred in the scores. The results revealed that lavender improved quality of life by relieving pain.
Aromatherapy helped reduce patients' pain two to four weeks after it started to be applied regularly, and no side effects were observed during this period. Improvements were observed in the physical and mental health of the patients whose pain decreased, and their quality of life was positively affected. Therefore, aromatherapy; ease of use, safety, applicability and
Considering its low cost, it is recommended that nurses use it as a complementary method to reduce neuropathic pain and improve patients' quality of life.

SOURCE

The effects of aromatherapy massage with lavender essential oil on neuropathic pain and quality of life in diabetic patients: a randomized clinical trial, Complementary Therapies in Clinical Patience,2021