Written by Angeline A. De Leon, Staff Writer. A six-week intervention of aromatherapy or reflexology significantly reduced mean pain and fatigue scores in the participating intervention groups compared to the control group.

essential oilsFor individuals suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), symptoms are not limited to just joint pain and swelling, but instead also include a less tangible symptom: fatigue. The high prevalence of RA-related pain and fatigue significantly diminish quality of life 1, and current conventional pharmacological treatments, which include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids, demonstrate limited efficacy in symptom management 2. In the field of complementary and alternative medicine, aromatherapy massage, involving essential oils, has been found to relieve pain, fatigue, and muscle stiffness in patients with RA and fibromyalgia 3,4, significantly reducing pain scores and joint inflammation 5. Similarly, reflexology, using specific finger and hand techniques to apply pressure to certain reflex points on the body, demonstrates efficacy in decreasing muscle-related pain and improving muscle-tone 6. In case studies, reflexology has been reported to significantly diminish fatigue in RA patients 7. Given the promising benefits of both alternative therapies for RA, a 2016 study published in Pain Management Nursing conducted a comparative investigation looking at the effects of aromatherapy massage and reflexology on symptoms of pain and fatigue in patients with RA.

A total of 51 participants (aged 18 years and older) who were diagnosed with RA for at least one year and reported significant pain and fatigue symptoms (not receiving biological drug therapy) were enrolled in a 6-week, randomized, controlled trial and randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: aromatherapy massage (applied to both knees of subjects for 30 minutes), reflexology (administered to both feet of subjects for 40 minutes during weekly home visits), or control (no intervention). At baseline and within one hour after each intervention for six weeks, pain and fatigue symptoms were measured using the DAS28 index, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS).

At the end of six weeks, a significant reduction in VAS and FSS scores was evident for both aromatherapy massage (VAS = from 6.00 +/- 1.96 to 1.59 +/- 1.17, FSS = from 5.86 +/- 0.71 to 2.94 +/- 1.13) and reflexology (VAS = from 6.35 +/- 2.17 to 0.56 +/- 1.14, FSS = from 5.58 +/- 0.98 to 1.88 +/- 1.18), relative to controls (p < 0.05 for both). More specifically, the reflexology intervention appeared to reduce mean pain and fatigue scores earlier than aromatherapy massage (Week 1 vs. Week 2 for pain, Week 1 vs. Week 4 for fatigue) (p < 0.05). This short six-week preliminary study had no follow up; therefore, long term intervention effects are unknown.

Overall, results suggest both aromatherapy massage and reflexology to be effective non-pharmacological interventions capable of improving RA-related pain and fatigue. Both forms of alternative therapy should be considered as a component of care for symptom management in patients with RA. Further research is needed to determine what other RA-related symptoms beyond pain and fatigue may benefit from aromatherapy massage and reflexology and what the long-term effects of therapy are.

Source: Metin ZG and Ozdemir L. The effects of aromatherapy massage and reflexology on pain and fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized controlled trial. Pain Management Nursing. 2016; 17(2): 140-149. DOI: 10.1016/j.pmn.2016.01.004.

© 2016 by the American Society for Pain Management Nursing

Posted September 10, 2018.

 

Angeline A. De Leon, MA, graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2010, completing a bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a concentration in neuroscience. She received her master’s degree from The Ohio State University in 2013, where she studied clinical neuroscience within an integrative health program. Her specialized area of research involves the complementary use of neuroimaging and neuropsychology-based methodologies to examine how lifestyle factors, such as physical activity and meditation, can influence brain plasticity and enhance overall connectivity.
 

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