Abstract
ObjectivesPremenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a common disturbance among women of childbearing age. Aromatherapy is a commonly used form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to treat PMS. The purpose of this study is to quantify and summarize the effects of aromatherapy on premenstrual syndrome symptoms. Methods. PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases were searched through relevant search terms until October 2020. The effect sizes were pooled as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) using the random effect model. Egger tests and visual inspection of the funnel plot were performed to identify the existence of publication bias. The I-squared (I2) test was applied to measure heterogeneity. Results. Eight studies (n = 8) were included in this analysis. The quantitative synthesis of evidence found that aromatherapy decreases PMS scores (WMD –13.83; 95% CI (−22.04, −5.63), I2 = 94.5%), total psychological symptoms of PMS (WMD –3.51; 95% CI (−4.84, −2.18), I2 = 82.6%), anxiety of PMS (WMD–1.78; 95% CI (−3.17, −0.38), I2 = 94.2%), depression of PMS (WMD–2.0; 95% CI (−3.65, −0.34), I2 = 93.7%), and fatigue of PMS (WMD – 1.44; 95% CI (−2.44, −0.44), I2 = 89.7%) compared to the control group. Conclusion. Aromatherapy is an effective tool for the relief of PMS symptoms. Additional randomized controlled clinical trials with different durations and essential oils should be conducted to confirm our findings.
Highlights
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) refers to unpleasant changes in psychological, physical, and behavioral health that occur in the last week of the menstrual cycle and resolves at the beginning of the new menstrual cycle [1].is syndrome can be quantified by the sum of psychological symptoms, as well as physical symptoms [2]
There is no meta-analysis evaluating the entirety of the clinical literature on the effects of aromatherapy on PMS symptoms. e purpose of this study is to quantify and summarize the findings of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) regarding the effects of aromatherapy on premenstrual syndrome
Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) with either parallel or crossover design; (2) studies conducted on females with premenstrual syndrome; (3) studies assessing the effect of aromatherapy on premenstrual symptoms; and (4) studies reporting mean and standard deviation (SD) of symptoms of PMS
Summary
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) refers to unpleasant changes in psychological, physical, and behavioral health that occur in the last week of the menstrual cycle and resolves at the beginning of the new menstrual cycle [1]. Because PMS can disrupt both the professional and personal lives of women [4], safe and effective treatments are urgently needed. Some medications such as psychotropic medications (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), hormone treatments (estradiol and progesterone), or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been prescribed for treatment of PMS [3]. One previous review evaluated the effectiveness of aromatherapy in conjunction with Iranian herbal medicines on PMS and primary dysmenorrhea [13]. There is no meta-analysis evaluating the entirety of the clinical literature on the effects of aromatherapy on PMS symptoms. There is no meta-analysis evaluating the entirety of the clinical literature on the effects of aromatherapy on PMS symptoms. e purpose of this study is to quantify and summarize the findings of RCTs regarding the effects of aromatherapy on premenstrual syndrome
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