Pain relief effects of aromatherapy with rose oil (Rosa damascena Mill.) inhalation in patients with primary dysmenorrhea: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Introduction: Pharmacological agents, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and non -pharmacological techniques, including acupuncture and aromatherapy, are commonly used for the manage-ment of abdominal pain in patients with primary dysmenorrhea. Essential rose oil obtained from Rosa Mill (RDM) is often used in aromatherapy for the treatment of many diseases. This study was aimed at using visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores and total analgesic consumption to evaluate the effects of adding RDM essential oil inhalation to the standard treatment (NSAID) of primary dysmenorrhea. Methods: In this prospective randomized controlled clinical trial, 86 patients were randomized into groups R and C. The patients in group C only used standard analgesics (50 mg diclofenac sodium enteric film tablets). In group R, patients used both standard analgesics and RDM inhalation aromatherapy. A 10-point VAS was used to determine the pain values of the patients and was recorded as pre-treatment (VAS-0) and post-treatment (VAS -60). The analgesic consumption by the patients was recorded for 24 h. Results: In both groups, there was a significant decrease in VAS scores after treatment. The VAS-60 scores in group R were significantly lower than those in group C (2 [1-4] vs. 5 [2-5], respectively; P = 0.013). Analgesic consumption in group R was significantly lower than in group C (50 [50-100] mg vs. 100 [50-100] mg, respectively; p = 0.003). Conclusion: Inhalational rose oil aromatherapy is a good self-treatment option for primary dysmenorrhea.