Massage Therapy Journal Fall 2025

10 • Massage Therapy Journal

Aromatherapy + Palliative Care

Aromatherapy + Early Palliative Care for Oncology Patients

Researchers wanted to assess the efficacy of aromatherapy in managing symptoms of pain, anxiety, nausea and sleep disturbances among palliative care patients. The study. This systematic review included a comprehensive search across various databases to identify relevant studies. Eight studies met eligibility criteria. The review assessed efficacy of aromatherapy—primarily through massage— in symptom management. Researchers accounted for variations in intervention procedures and outcomes. The results. Researchers found promising outcomes associated with the use of aromatherapy in palliative care. Aromatherapy interventions demonstrated significant efficacy in helping with some of the more troublesome symptoms, including pain, anxiety and nausea, while also aiding in improving sleep quality among patients. However, the small sample size and diversity of methods observed across the studies highlight the need for both standardized methodologies and larger-scale trials. “This systematic review underscores the potential of aromatherapy as a complementary intervention in palliative care,” researchers noted. “While the findings support its efficacy in symptom management, methodological inconsistencies across studies warrant further research.”

This 2023 blind controlled study aimed to assess the comparative efficacy of massage, aromatherapy massage and massage combined with aromatherapy inhalation in cancer patients receiving palliative care. The study. A total of 100 participants were randomly divided into four groups. Three intervention groups and a control group who received standard hospital nursing care. One intervention group received massage with an odorless almond carrier oil. A second intervention group received massage with lavender oil, and the third intervention group received combined inhalation aromatherapy and massage with aromatherapy. The Rotterdam Symptom Checklist (RSCL) was given two weeks after aromatherapy and examined participants’ perspectives of care. The results. According to the RSCL, combined inhalation and aromatherapy massage performed best and, when compared to the control, each experimental group showed statistically significant differences in terms of reported physical and psychological symptoms, and activities. The total quality of life score, however, showed no significant difference between the control group and the massage only group. “When paired with aromatherapy inhalation, massage has a positive effect on physical, psychological symptoms, activities, and overall quality of life for cancer patients receiving early palliative care,” researchers noted. “Nurses and other health care providers are recommended to support programs that provide massage therapy to reduce reported bodily symptoms, psychological problems and limited activities among cancer patients.”

References 1. Goncalves S, Marques P, Matos RS. “Exploring aromatherapy as a complementary approach in palliative care: a systematic review.” J Palliat Med . 2024 Sep;27(9): 1247–1266. 2. Khamis E, Raddaha A, Nafae W, Al-Sabeely A, Ebrahim E, Elhardary S. “Effectiveness of aromatherapy in early palliative care for oncology patients: blind controlled study.” Asian Pac J Cancer Prev . 2023 Aug 1;24(8):2729–2739.

WANT MORE INFORMATION?

For more information on some of the research being done on the benefits of massage therapy, browse the Research section of AMTA’s website at amtamassage.org/research.

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