The effect of aromatherapy massage on the psychological symptoms of postmenopausal Iranian women

Summary Background Menopausal symptoms experienced by women vary widely, and while many women transition through menopause with manageable symptoms, others experience severe symptoms, which may impair their quality of life. Objectives A randomized clinical trial was conducted to determine the effect of aromatherapy massage on psychological symptoms during menopause. Methods The study population comprised 90 women. Each subject in the aromatherapy massage group received 30 min aromatherapy sessions with aroma oil, twice a week, for four weeks; each subject in the massage therapy group received the same treatment with odorless oil, while no treatment was provided to subjects in the control group. The outcome measures were psychological symptoms, as obtained through the psychological subscale of the Menopause Rating Scale. Results A total of 87 women were evaluated. A statistically significant difference was found between the participants’ pre- and post-application psychological score in intervention groups, whereas the score in the control group did not differ significantly. Aromatherapy massage decreased the psychological score MD: −3.49 (95% Confidence Interval of Difference: −4.52 to −2.47). Massage therapy also decreased the psychological score MD: −1.20 (95% Confidence Interval of Difference: −2.19 to −0.08). To distinguish the effect of aromatherapy from massage separately, we compared the reduction in the psychological score. Aromatherapy massage decreased the psychological score more than massage therapy MD: −2.29 (95% Confidence Interval of Difference: −3.01 to −0.47). Conclusion Both aromatherapy massage and massage were effective in reducing psychological symptoms, but, the effect of aromatherapy massage was higher than massage.