Aromatherapy for Outpatients with Menopausal Symptoms in Obstetrics and Gynecology

Abstract

Objective:

To introduce Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) into a hospital department of obstetrics and gynecology with the goal of achieving integrative medicine, the authors investigated the effectiveness of aromatherapy for outpatients with menopausal symptoms.

Location:

The department of obstetrics and gynecology, St. Marianna University Hospital, Kawasaki, Japan.

Design:

Participants in the aromatherapy trial received a 30 minute aromatherapy session performed by an aromatherapist that included a consultation, massage, and home care guidance. After they carried out approximately 1 month of home care, they received a second aromatherapy session. The patients' physical and mental health status was measured at the start and endpoint of the trial by use of the Kupperman index (KI), the self-rating depression scale, and consultation.

Subjects:

Fifteen (15) outpatients (mean age, 54.3 ± 7.4 years) with menopausal symptoms in the department of obstetrics and gynecology of St. Marianna University Hospital.

Results:

The mean value of the KI score was significantly lowered after the aromatherapy trial from 31.4 ± 6.8 to 22.9 ± 6.1 (p = 0.001).

Conclusion:

This investigation shows that aromatherapy could be effective as a CAM method for menopausal symptoms in the setting of a hospital obstetrics and gynecology department.