Topical Application of Chamomile Oil in Combination with Dry Cupping for Dysmenorrhea: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

Dysmenorrhea has a negative impact on women's daily activities and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of topically applied chamomile oil along with dry cupping on dysmenorrhea. A total of 12 patients with dysmenorrhea were included in this quasi-experimental study and treated for three consecutive cycle periods. One mL of chamomile oil was gently massaged on the skin of the suprapubic area for 10 minutes once every night. After the massage, dry cupping was done. During the study, patients were visited on the third day of menstruation for three consecutive cycles, and mean pain was evaluated and recorded based on the visual analog scale (VAS). The mean ± SD of pain intensity in three cycles before the study was 7.5 ± 0.43 and in three cycles after the interventions was 1.44 ± 0.33 (P= 0.002). Indeed, the pain score was decreased as 86.72±1.12% due to the interventions. All the patients discontinued using the analgesic during the study. Topical application of chamomile oil and dry cupping significantly reduced the severity of pain during menstruation and it could be considered as a low-cost modality without side effects for dysmenorrhea. Further studies with larger sample size and longer follow-up are recommended.