Aromatherapy halves need for post-surgery pain relief
ANXIOUS patients given aromatherapy treatments before they go under the knife are half as likely to require pain relief after surgery, research suggests.
The US study found that those given lavender and peppermint oils before hip replacement operations relied far less heavily on opioid drugs to control pain as they recovered. Previous research has found that those who are apprehensive about surgery are up to 50 per cent more likely to suffer postoperative pain, and to end up taking painkillers, which can be addictive.
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh screened more than 350 patients, picking out 25 anxious participants for a randomised controlled trial.
Around half were given a lavender and peppermint “aromatab”, an adhesive patch that slowly releases essential oils when stuck to clothes, skin or a hospital gown from at least an hour before their operation, and for 72 hours afterwards. The remainder were given a placebo.
Researchers found that while baseline anxiety scores were similar in both groups, those treated with aromatherapy saw a far greater drop in anxiety and that total opioid use in the first 48 hours after surgery was 50 per cent lower in the same group.
The findings, presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC) in Milan, follow a number of studies suggesting that lavender and peppermint aromatherapy, in particular, can reduce anxiety. However, there have been very few randomised, placebo-controlled trials, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions.
Opioids have sedative and analgesic effects and are often prescribed after surgery to control pain. Researchers said that aromatherapy may affect the limbic system, a brain structure known to regulate pain, emotion and anxiety.
Prof Jacques Chelly, from the department of anaesthesiology at the University of Pittsburgh, said it could cut the risk of routine operations becoming a “gateway” to long-term opioid use and addiction.
“Aromatherapy is a simple and costeffective technique which can minimise the impact of anxiety on post-operative pain and opioid consumption,” he said.