the effect of aromatherapy massage with lavender oil on the severity of primary dysmenorrhea among university students: a randomized clinical trial

Background aim: dysmenorrhea is one of the most common problems among women, and researchers are looking into treatment modalities using herbal methods. this study aimed to determine the effect of aromatherapy massage with lavender oil on the severity of primary dysmenorrhea among university students.methods: this randomized clinical trial was performed on 71 students with primary dysmenorrhea who were recruited from dormitories of mashhad university of medical sciences, mashhad, iran and were randomly assigned to three groups. questionnaires for demographic and menstrual-related data and a visual analogue scale (vas) were used to collect data. the intervention was a 15-minute massage at the top of the symphysis pubis on the first day of menstruation and for the next three cycles. the first group used 2% lavender oil (2 ml), the second group used 1% odorless paraffin oil (2 ml), and the third group just did massage. the subjects measured and recorded their pain intensity before and 30 minutes after the intervention using vas. analysis was done with spss version 16 software.results: the average pain score changes in three groups in repeated observations over time were different, so the time effect (p=0.009), the group effect (p≤0.001), and the time-group interaction effect (p≤0.001) were statistically significant. pain score changes between groups and at different times had different patterns, and the most changes were observed in the massage group with lavender oil.conclusion: massage with lavender oil is effective in reducing dysmenorrhea and suggested to be used in the management of dysmenorrhea.