Written by Jessica Patella, ND. This study determined that inhaling eucalyptus oil for 30 minutes significantly decreased pain after total knee replacement surgery and also significantly decreased blood pressure.
Eucalyptus oil is commonly used in folk medicine for upper respiratory infections, although new discoveries are being made in its healing effects (1,2). Past research on mice found eucalyptus oil reduced pain and inflammation in the feet (3). For the first time, research on eucalyptus oil and pain has been conducted in humans. The research found that inhaling eucalyptus oil after total knee replacement surgery significantly reduced pain and lowered blood pressure (1).
Osteoarthritis is one of the most common disorders throughout the world (4). It causes pain, restricts activity and reduces the quality of life (1, 4). The most common symptoms of osteoarthritis are pain, stiffness, swelling and inflammation (1, 4). When the pain becomes so severe that it interferes with daily life, surgery is considered (1). One of the most common surgeries due to severe osteoarthritis is total knee replacement (1, 5). Therefore, the recent research studied the effects of eucalyptus oil inhalation after total knee replacement surgery (1).
A total of 52 participants from 43-85 years of age completed the study. The participants were randomly divided into two groups: a eucalyptus oil group (3% concentration) and an almond oil group. Thirty-seven of the participants (71.2%) underwent a unilateral total knee replacement, while 15 (28.9%) participants underwent a bilateral total knee replacement (1).
The oil was placed onto a 4 x 2 inch gauze pad and positioned underneath the nose for 30 minutes per day for 3 days, during continuous passive motion of the knee, beginning the third day after surgery (1). The control group received a gauze pad with only almond oil, while the treatment group had a gauze pad with eucalyptus essential oil on it (1).
Pain was recorded by the visual analog scale, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates extreme pain. The visual pain scores after aromatherapy with eucalyptus oil on days 1-3 decreased 1.1 +/- 0.2, 1.2 +/- 0.2, and 1.2 +/- 0.2 points respectively from before inhalation. The control group visual pain scores on days 1-3 increased 0.4 +/- 0.2, 0.3 +/- 0.2, and 0.1 +/- 0.1 points respectively from before inhalation. Overall, the visual analog scale for pain was significantly lower in the eucalyptus oil group than the control group (P<0.001) (1).
Blood pressure also improved in the eucalyptus group. Systolic blood pressure on days 1–3 decreased 0.8 ± 1.9 mmHg, 4.8±2.2 mmHg, and 2.0±2.0 mmHg, respectively, in the eucalyptus oil group. In the control group, systolic blood pressure increased 0.4 ± 1.7 mmHg, 3.3 ± 2.2 mmHg, and 1.9 ± 1.6 mmHg, respectively. On day 2, systolic blood pressure was significantly lower in the eucalyptus group than in the control group (P<0.05) (1).
Similarly, diastolic blood pressure in the eucalyptus oil group decreased 0.4 ± 1.5mmHg, 0.8 ± 1.5mmHg, and 0.0 ± 1.2mmHg, respectively, on days 1– 3. In the control group, diastolic blood pressure increased 1.1 ± 1.5 mmHg, 3.7 ± 1.4 mmHg, and 2.6±1.1 mmHg, respectively, on the same days. Diastolic blood pressure on day 2 was significantly lower in the eucalyptus oil group than in the control group (P=0.03) (1). There were no significant differences between the two groups in inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein and white blood cell counts) (1).
In conclusion, inhaling eucalyptus oil for 30 minutes significantly decreased the visual pain scores in participants after total knee replacement surgery. Inhaling eucalyptus oil also significantly decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressures after total knee replacement surgery, indicating possible relaxation (1). Based on these findings, the researchers suggest eucalyptus oil may be a valuable option for pain relief after total knee replacement surgery (1). This is the first research of its kind and future studies should confirm these results.
Source: Yang Suk Jun, Purum Kang, Sun Seek Min, Jeong-Min Lee, Hyo-Keun Kim, Geun Hee Seol1. Effect of Eucalyptus Oil Inhalation on Pain and Inflammatory Responses after Total Knee Replacement: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.Volume 2013, Article ID 502727, 7 pages; http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/502727
© 2013 Yang Suk Jun et al. Open access article under Creative Commons Attribution License.
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Posted July 30, 2013.
Jessica Patella, ND, is a naturopathic physician specializing in nutrition and homeopathic medicine and offers a holistic approach to health. She earned her ND from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, AZ, and is a member of the North Carolina Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Visit her website at www.awarenesswellness.com.
References:
- Jun YS, et al. Effect of Eucalyptus Oil Inhalation on Pain and Inflammatory Responses after Total Knee Replacement: A Randomized Clinical Trail. 2013 Evidence-Based Comp and Alt Med. doi: 10.1155/2013/502727.
- H. D. Kumar and S. Laxmidhar. A review on phytochemical and pharmacological of Eucalyptus globulus: a multipurpose tree. International Journal of Research in Ayurveda & Pharmacy, vol. 2, no. 5, pp. 1527–1530, 2011.
- F. A. Santos and V. S. Rao, “Antiinflammatory and antinociceptive effects of 1,8-cineole a terpenoid oxide present in many plant essential oils,” Phytotherapy Research, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 240–244, 2000.
- F. Salaffi, et al. Prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions in an Italian population sample: results of a regional community-based study. I. The MAPPING study. Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology, vol. 23, no. 6, pp. 819–828, 2005.
- A. J. Carr, et al. Knee replacement. The Lancet, vol. 379, no. 9823, pp. 1331–1340, 2012.
