Effects of Aromatherapy on Pain and Inflammatory Responses in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of a 4-week aromatherapy on pain and inflammation in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: A quasi-experimental study using a nonequivalent control group, pretest-posttest non-synchronized design was used. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, independent samples t-test, and Fisher's exact test were used. Results: After a 4-week aromatherapy, tender joint count (M=5.67 to 4.17), swollen joint count (M=4.13 to 2.54), and patient's assessment of pain (M=43.33 to 31.08) decreased significantly for the aromatherapy participants compared to the control group. But there was no significant difference between the groups in erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Conclusion: These findings suggest that aromatherapy could decrease joint pain, tenderness, and swelling in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, but some modifications in aromatherapy intervention and research method will be required to examine the effects of aromatherapy on inflammatory level in this population.