Aromatherapy massage reduced blood pressure and improved sleep quality in middle-aged, hypertensize women.
In research involving 85 subjects, an experimental group received a massage with essential oils prescribed by an aromatherapist once a week and body cream once a day, while a placebo group received a massage using artificial fragrance oil once a week and body cream once a day.
Blood pressure, pulse rate, sleep conditions and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure were monitored before and after the experiment.
There was a significant difference in systolic and diastolic blood pressure between groups after intervention, as well as a significant difference in sleep quality between groups.
“In conclusion, aroma massage may help improve patient quality of life and maintain health as a nursing intervention in daily life,” the researchers noted.
The research was conducted by investigators at Eulji University Hospital and published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.