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Meta-analysis revealed that lavender, particularly L. angustifolia, significantly reduces stress, making it a potentially valuable component in stress management programs.
Results found that lavender significantly reduced stress levels, with a decrease in the intervention group compared to the control group. Subgroup analysis revealed that L. angustifolia species, aromatherapy as a delivery method, and student populations showed the most significant stress reduction effects.
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Inhalation and massage therapy with lavender essential oil significantly mitigates perceived labour pain in women.
2022 Explore: The Journal of Science & Healing Determining the effect of inhalation and lavender essential oil massage therapy on the severity of perceived labor pain in primiparous women: A randomized controlled trial Karatopuk S, Yarıcı F
Randomised Controlled Trial Labour Pain Lavender
The study was implemented using a random controlled trial on pregnant women divided into three groups – a control group, a group for lavender essence inhalation and a third group for lavender essence massage. After being divided into their respective groups, the first stage of labour was divided into three phases – early, active and transition – during which the interventions were applied. In the massage group, sacral compression and lower back massage were given, incorporating 2 drops of lavender oil in each labour phase. For the inhalation group, 2 drops of lavender oil were dripped onto the palms of the participants, who were then asked to inhale it for 3 minutes. Individual information was gathered through formats like the Personal Information Form, Visual Analogue Scale and Postpartum Assessment of Women Survey.
The results showed that women who underwent inhalation and massage therapies with lavender essential oil experienced less severe labour pain as compared to the control group. It was also discovered that the lavender oil inhalation was notably beneficial during the latent phase of labour whilst massage therapy demonstrated greater effectiveness during the active and transition periods. Therefore, incorporating lavender oil via massage therapy and inhalation methods during labour and delivery is highly recommended as a supplementary method to manage labour pain.
Inhalation aromatherapy using lavender and chamomile essential oils effectively reduces depression, anxiety, and stress levels in community-dwelling older adults.
2022 Explore: The Journal of Science & Healing The effects of Lavender and Chamomile essential oil inhalation aromatherapy on depression, anxiety and stress in older community-dwelling people: A randomized controlled trial Ebrahimi H, Mardani A, Basirinezhad MH, Hamidzadeh A, Eskandari F
Randomised Controlled Trial Anxiety Chamomile Depression
From a methodological perspective, the researchers adopted a three-armed, parallel, randomized, and controlled trial design. A total of 183 participants were enrolled in the study and were randomly divided into three groups: lavender, chamomile, and control group with equal numbers in each. The individuals in the experimental groups were given three drops of 1.5% lavender and chamomile essential oils to inhale for 30 consecutive nights, while the control group inhaled distilled water in the same manner. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress-Scale (DASS) was utilized to collect data both prior to the intervention, directly following the intervention, and a month after the treatment.
In terms of the results gathered, there was significant improvement in the depression, anxiety, and stress levels of individuals in the lavender and chamomile groups both immediately and one month after the treatment compared to the control group. This indicates that inhalation aromatherapy utilizing lavender and chamomile essential oils can be efficacious in reducing mental health issues among older adults residing in the community.
Aromatherapy, specifically lavender, appears to be an effective, affordable, and holistic approach to reducing the length of labour in expectant women.
2022 Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Effectiveness of aromatherapy in reducing duration of labour: a systematic review Ghiasi A, Bagheri L, Sharaflari F
Systematic Review Aromatherapy Labour Induction Lavender
The research executed a systematic review of clinical trial studies regarding the use of aromatherapy in labour augmentation, sourced from diverse databases including Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ProQuest, Google scholar, Irandoc, Science direct, Magiran and Sid up until September 2021. 22 articles meeting the inclusion criteria were examined, with the reported experiences of 3234 women who employed a variety of aromatherapies forming the analysis base.
In discussing the results, it was observed that certain aromatherapies notably lavender, showed efficacy in decreasing labour time for women. However, the paper emphasized the importance of prudent use of aromatherapy, most probably owing to the varying individual responses and potential for allergic reactions to such holistic interventions.
Pumpkin extract exhibits potential antidepressant effects similar to fluoxetine and ameliorates biochemical and structural changes in rat brains resulting from chronic stress.
2021 Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity L. Cucurbita pepo Alleviates Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress via Modulation of Apoptosis, Neurogenesis, and Gliosis in Rat Hippocampus Ayuob N, Shaker SA, Hawuit E, Al-Abbas N, Shaer NA, Al Jaouni S, et al.
Animal Study Chronic Stress Depression Fluoxetine
The researchers used forty male albino rats, split into four different groups: a negative control group, a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) group, a fluoxetine-treated group, and a pumpkin-treated group. These rats were exposed to CUMS for 28 days, with the treatments applied during the last 14 days of this exposure period. After these 28 days, the scientists evaluated the behavioral, biochemical, and histopathological alterations in these rats.
The application of pumpkin extract significantly reduced markers of stress and inflammation, while increasing antioxidant levels. Additionally, the extract helped reduce structural damage in the hippocampal region of the brain caused by exposure to CUMS. These effects were comparable to those observed by administering fluoxetine, a conventional antidepressant.
Lavender aromatherapy, whether administered through massage or inhalation, appears effective in reducing active phase labor pain.
2021 Disease and Diagnosis Effect of Aromatherapy with Lavender on Labor Pain: A Literature Review Hatami Rad R
Review Article Labour Pain Lavender
The researchers conducted their study by performing a detailed search using a number of specific keywords such as lavender, childbirth, labor, pregnancy, labor pain, aromatherapy, and delivery across multiple databases. These databases included MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Using these keywords they extracted relevant data from the seven most reliable studies they found, two of which originated in Egypt and Indonesia, and remaining five in Iran. The chosen studies depicted a range of qualities, with some using massage aromatherapy, and others applying inhalation as their method of practice.
In analyzing these studies, it was found that all of them indicated that lavender aromatherapy, regardless of whether it was applied via massage or inhalation, had the potential to lessen the pain felt during the active phase of labor. The studies provided basis for insightful consideration of the application of lavender aromatherapy as a viable method for managing labor pain.
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