Joint Pain and Swelling Due to Arthritis: Effects of Aromatherapy Massage

The most important symptom of osteoarthritis, known as osteoarthritis, is pain. with knee arthritis
joint stiffness when patients do not move enough or when they wake up in the morning
they live. Although this stiffness lasts for an average of 30 minutes, the decrease in pain and physical function continues.
does not lose.
Current guidelines for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, pharmacological and non-pharmacological
recommends the use of these methods together. However, long-term use of multiple drugs
patients suffer from stomach problems, sleep disturbances and depression. Therefore many
they start to use their drugs irregularly and interrupt their treatment processes. Like this
For these reasons, the trend towards non-pharmacological methods is also increasing.
Aromatherapy message, non-pharmacological used for the control of arthritis pain
is one of the methods. Basically, the goal is not to eradicate a disease, but to treat the symptoms of the disease.
to minimize it as much as possible and to do it in the most natural way. In aromatherapy massage,
lymph and blood vessels in the epidermis (one of the skin layers) of the components of essential oils
movement to relieve pain and improve physical function by accessing the circulatory system through
indicates that it can also be applied for joint pain. Also, some essential oils
Its components are successful in reducing pain by activating certain hormone releases.
Studies have been conducted on joint function in the management of osteoarthritis pain.
ginger with its effects; effects of lavender and eucalyptus oil on pain
shows that it can be used. Bozok University and Gazi University Medical Nursing Department
The effects of aromatherapy on knee arthritis in 2017 with the collaboration of Dallari
examined. Orthopedics and physical therapy at Bozok University Research and Application Hospital.
calcification patients over the age of 25 with pain complaints applying to rehabilitation departments
participated in the research as a participant. Aromatherapy with 35 people in each group.
massage, traditional massage and control group. All patients' pain scores were visualized.
It was measured with the analog scale (VAS) both during an activity and at rest. Moreover
Pain, stiffness and physical functions can be evaluated using the WOMAC osteoarthritis index.
evaluated.
For the patients in the aromatherapy massage group, a total of 9 times 30 minutes of ginger, lavender and
Eucalyptus massage was applied. Such as pre-treatments, massage technique, application steps, session duration
Olive oil massage was applied to the patients in the traditional massage group by keeping the parameters the same.
Done. The control group was created to observe the placebo effect of aromatherapy and
massage was applied to this group without using essential oil. Analysis of all data obtained,
There was a significant decrease in pain scores of patients in the aromatherapy group compared to those in the other group.
showed that. This is because of the aromatic oils used in massage therapy. Aromatic
In addition to the positive effects of its components, the oils increase the effectiveness of the massage and
It is also of critical importance as it provides benefits on circulation. lavender oil
Linalool, one of its components, slows down nerve impulses and relieves muscle tension and pain.
It helps to reduce perception and anxiety. Eucalyptus oil, especially rheumatic
It is effective in relieving joint, muscle and bone pain in diseases. analgesic of ginger oil
It has also been observed that it compresses the increased range of motion of the joint with its (pain reliever) effects.
Aromatherapy massage reduces the joint stiffness of the participants, while traditional massage does this.
did not show any effect. All of these are the benefits of aromatherapy massage in joint disorders such as arthritis.
its potential to improve physical function by reducing pain and stiffness is superior to traditional massage.
It's a sign of that!

SOURCE
The Effect of Aromatherapy Massage on Knee Pain and Functional Status in Participants with
Osteoarthritis- Pain Management Nursing, 2019