Abstract
In order to be able to use the aroma hand massage as a skill that can be done by a nurse who does not have a special aromatherapy technique, we examine antistress effects of simplified aroma hand massage for healthy subjects. We evaluated the anti-stress action of aroma hand massage and the different components of the procedure in 20 healthy women in their twenties. We used autonomic nervous function measured via electrocardiogram as an index of stress. After conducting a baseline electrocardiogram, we induced stress in the participants by asking them to spend 30 minutes completing Kraepelin’s arithmetic test. We then administered various treatments and examined the anti-stress effects. Kraepelin’s test significantly increased sympathetic nervous function and significantly reduced parasympathetic nervous function. Compared with massage without essential oil or aroma inhalation, aroma hand massage significantly increased parasympathetic nervous function and significantly decreased sympathetic nervous function. The effect of the aroma hand massage persisted when the procedure was simplified. The anti-stress action of the aroma hand massage indicates that it might have beneficial application as a nursing technique. There are several limitations in this study; ambiguities of low component/high component ratio of heart rate variability and bias by small subjects groups of the same women.
Highlights
As interest in aromatherapy has increased in recent years, many attempts have been made to characterize the effects of this treatment
We found no difference in the high frequency (HF) values before stress loading among the different groups
The HF values after stress loading did not differ among the groups, indicating that the different participant groups did not vary in terms of their reaction to stress
Summary
As interest in aromatherapy has increased in recent years, many attempts have been made to characterize the effects of this treatment. Inhalation of lavender, which is often used for aroma inhalation, has been reported to be effective in improving 1) anxiety and the quality of sleep in an intensive care unit,4 2) sleep quality and fatigue in subjects undergoing hemodialysis in combination with sweet orange,5 3) mood before menstruation,6 4) conditions such as pain, depression, and anxiety in elderly people in combination with bergamot,[7] and 5) conditions such as pain, anxiety, and nausea in combination with ginger, sweet marjoram, and mandarin.[8] Inhalation of lavender has been found to reduce stress in nurses, thereby improving the quality of treatment that patients receive.[9] Lavender inhalation[10] and 10 minutes of yuzu inhalation[11] have been found to increase parasympathetic function. We reported that the fragrance of lemon can have anti-stress action[12,13] and an antidepressant effect,[12] yielding positive results in depressed patients.[14]
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