Systematic review, 2020
Does aromatherapy reduce PMS symptoms?
Yes, aromatherapy appears to reduce PMS scores, anxiety, depression, and fatigue compared to control. However, only 8 studies exist with significant differences between them.
What they did
Searched PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library through October 2020 for studies comparing aromatherapy to control in women with PMS. Included 8 studies in the analysis.
What they found
Aromatherapy reduced PMS scores by 13.83 points compared to control. Anxiety decreased by 1.78 points, depression by 2.0 points, fatigue by 1.44 points, and total psychological symptoms by 3.51 points. Variation between studies was very high (94.5%).
What it means for you
Aromatherapy may help several PMS symptoms. But the evidence comes from only 8 small studies with major differences in methods, so more consistent and larger research is needed.
8
studies included
-13.83
reduction in PMS score
-1.78
reduction in anxiety score
About the study
- Original title
- The Effects of Aromatherapy on Premenstrual Syndrome Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
- Authors
- Es-Haghee S, Shabani F, Hawkins J et al.
- Journal
- Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
- Year
- 2020
- Study design
- Systematic review
- What was tested
- Aromatherapy (types of oils and application methods varied)
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1155/2020/6667078
Original abstract
Objectives Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a common disturbance among women of childbearing age. Aromatherapy is a commonly used form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to treat PMS. The purpose of this study is to quantify and summarize the effects of aromatherapy on premenstrual syndrome symptoms. Methods . PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases were searched through relevant search terms until October 2020. The effect sizes were pooled as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) using the random effect model. Egger tests and visual inspection of the funnel plot were performed to identify the existence of publication bias. The I -squared ( I 2 ) test was applied to measure heterogeneity. Results . Eight studies ( n = 8) were included in this analysis. The quantitative synthesis of evidence found that aromatherapy decreases PMS scores (WMD -13.83; 95% CI (-22.04, -5.63), I 2 = 94.5%), total psychological symptoms of PMS (WMD -3.51; 95% CI (-4.84, -2.18), I 2 = 82.6%), anxiety of PMS (WMD-1.78; 95% CI (-3.17, -0.38), I 2 = 94.2%), depression of PMS (WMD-2.0; 95% CI (-3.65, -0.34), I 2 = 93.7%), and fatigue of PMS (WMD - 1.44; 95% CI (-2.44, -0.44), I 2 = 89.7%) compared to the control group. Conclusion . Aromatherapy is an effective tool for the relief of PMS symptoms. Additional randomized controlled clinical trials with different durations and essential oils should be conducted to confirm our findings.
Reproduced under CC-BY.
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