Aromatherapy for Pain and Nausea in Acute Care Therapy

Enrolling by invitation at 1 trial location

Overseen By Elizabeth Koyle, PT, DPT, RN, BSN, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Phase 1

Sponsor: The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Must not be taking: Intranasal zinc, decongestants, phenothiazines

Disqualifiers: Respiratory disorders, Cognitive impairment, others

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

Duration: 30 minutes per session

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores whether inhaling essential oils can reduce pain or nausea for hospital patients, facilitating participation in physical or occupational therapy. Participants will receive lavender, mandarin, peppermint oil, or a placebo, and researchers will assess the effects on symptoms and hospital stay. Patients at University Health hospital experiencing pain or nausea, without allergies to these oils, might be suitable for this study. As a Phase 1 trial, this research aims to understand how the treatment works in people, offering participants the opportunity to be among the first to experience its potential benefits.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications, but it excludes those using certain drugs that affect the sense of smell, like some nasal sprays and oral drugs such as nifedipine and phenothiazines.

Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's treatments are likely to be safe?

Research shows that essential oils like lavender, mandarin, and peppermint are generally safe to inhale in small amounts. However, peppermint oil can irritate the skin if applied directly, though inhalation is usually fine.

Lavender oil is often used in aromatherapy and rarely causes issues. These oils are very strong, and direct inhalation can sometimes lead to coughing or a runny nose.

This trial is in an early stage, so researchers are still assessing the safety of the treatments for people. So far, participants have tolerated them well. Always keep essential oils away from children and pets to prevent ingestion, which can be dangerous. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial's treatments?

Researchers are excited about these aromatherapy treatments because they offer a natural and non-invasive alternative for managing pain and nausea. Unlike standard treatments that often involve medications like antiemetics or analgesics, which can have side effects, aromatherapy uses essential oils like lavender, mandarin, and peppermint. These oils are known for their soothing and calming properties and are applied through inhalation, making them easy and quick to use. This method could potentially provide faster relief and be a more pleasant experience for patients undergoing therapy sessions.

What evidence suggests that aromatherapy might be an effective treatment for pain and nausea?

Research has shown that certain essential oils, such as lavender and peppermint, can help with nausea and pain. In this trial, participants in the Nausea Symptom Arm may receive lavender or peppermint oil, which studies have found may reduce pain and lower anxiety, aiding in pain relief. Peppermint oil is particularly effective in calming nausea. Inhaling these oils has been linked to reduced anxiety and pain before medical procedures. Early findings suggest that using these oils might make treatment more comfortable for patients dealing with nausea or pain. Meanwhile, the Placebo Group will receive a placebo treatment, and the Standard of Care Group will receive standard therapy without aromatherapy. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Bianca Gonzales, OTR, CNT, EdD, MOT

Principal Investigator

University Health

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for adult patients in an acute care setting at University Health hospital who can consent and communicate in English or Spanish. They should be willing to follow the study procedures but cannot have respiratory disorders, cognitive impairments, olfactory issues, allergies to essential oils used in the study, or be pregnant or imprisoned.

Inclusion Criteria

Provision of a signed and dated informed consent form

Willing to comply with all study procedures

Inpatients of acute care setting at University Health hospital

Exclusion Criteria

Pregnant women (self-reported)

I have a lung condition such as asthma, COPD, or lung cancer.

Prisoner

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive aromatherapy using essential oils or placebo during physical or occupational therapy sessions

30 minutes per session

Multiple sessions as per therapy schedule

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in pain or nausea scale from baseline to post-therapy

30 minutes

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Lavender Oil
• Mandarin Oil
• Peppermint Oil
• Placebo

Trial Overview The trial tests if inhaling essential oils like peppermint oil, lavender oil, and mandarin oil can reduce pain or nausea compared to a placebo. This could help patients participate more in physical/occupational therapy and possibly shorten their hospital stay.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Pain Symptoms Arm Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Subjects who will receive physical or occupational therapy experiencing pain prior to therapy session.

Group II: Nausea Symptom Arm Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Subjects who will receive physical or occupational therapy experiencing nausea prior to therapy session.

Group III: Standard of Care Group Active Control 1 Intervention

Subjects who will receive physical or occupational therapy experiencing pain or nausea prior to therapy session that decline the option to use an aromatherapy patch.

Group IV: Placebo Group Placebo Group 1 Intervention

Subjects who will receive physical or occupational therapy experiencing pain or nausea prior to therapy session.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Lead Sponsor

Trials

486

Recruited

92,500+

University Health

Collaborator

Trials

2

Recruited

560+

University Hospital

Collaborator

Trials

3

Recruited

390+

Published Research Related to This Trial

In a study of 50 patients undergoing breast biopsy surgery, lavender oil aromatherapy did not significantly reduce pain scores compared to a control group, indicating limited analgesic efficacy.

However, patients who received lavender oil reported higher satisfaction with their pain control, suggesting that while it may not reduce pain intensity, it could enhance the overall experience of pain management.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluation of aromatherapy in treating postoperative pain: pilot study. Kim, JT., Wajda, M., Cuff, G., et al.[2021]

Aromatherapy (AT) was found to be 100% effective in managing postdischarge nausea and vomiting (PDNV) in ambulatory surgical patients, compared to 67% effectiveness with standard care (SC).

For postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), the AT group had a similar incidence (52%) to the SC group (48%), but overall satisfaction with treatment was high in both groups, indicating that AT is a viable option for managing nausea in surgical patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Comparison of Aromatherapy to Standard Care for Relief of PONV and PDNV in Ambulatory Surgical Patients. Stallings-Welden, LM., Doerner, M., Ketchem, EL., et al.[2019]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11236078/

Aromatherapy for the prevention of postoperative nausea ... Subgroup analysis indicated that ginger essence, lavender, and peppermint oils were particularly effective in managing postoperative nausea.

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5192342/

The Effectiveness of Aromatherapy in Reducing Pain The results of the study support that acupressure type massage with lavender oil may help improve subacute lower back pain. However there was no group that ...

3. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1744388124000112

Effects of aromatherapy on nausea and vomiting in patients ... In these studies, lavender [18,19] and chamomile [17] are reported to be effective in reducing anxiety, lavender [14,18] is found effective in reducing pain and ...

4. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07126301

Aromatherapy Essential Oils to Manage Anxiety and ... Using aromatherapy essential oils such as ginger, peppermint, and lavender, may help reduce nausea and anxiety. Some studies have shown significant reductions ...

5. eurjbreasthealth.com eurjbreasthealth.com/articles/the-effect-of-aromatherapy-on-pain-and-anxiety-levels-before-breast-biopsy-a-randomized-controlled-trial/doi/ejbh.galenos.2025.2025-2-11

The Effect of Aromatherapy on Pain and Anxiety Levels ... The use of lavender and lavender-peppermint essential oil via inhalation before breast biopsy was effective in reducing reported anxiety and pain levels.

6. lung.org lung.org/blog/essential-oils-harmful-or-helpful

Essential Oils: More Harmful Than Helpful? Essential oils are highly concentrated, so inhaling them directly can irritate the respiratory tract. This may lead to symptoms such as coughing, nose and ...

7. medicalnewstoday.com medicalnewstoday.com/articles/can-you-eat-essential-oils

Can people eat essential oils? Safety and risks Neat consumption of essential oils may lead to adverse side effects, from digestive issues to severe complications. Examples of GRAS essential ...

8. nccih.nih.gov nccih.nih.gov/health/peppermint-oil

Peppermint Oil: Usefulness and Safety | NCCIH Side effects of applying peppermint oil to the skin can include skin rashes and irritation. Peppermint oil should not be applied to the face of infants or young ...

9. healthline.com healthline.com/health/are-essential-oils-safe

Are Essential Oils Safe? 13 Things to Know Before Use As a safety precaution, essential oils should always be kept out of reach of children and pets. Oils. A 2007 study reported that using lavender and tea tree oil ...

10. healthywa.wa.gov.au healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/A_E/Essential-oils

Essential oils – Health warning Essential oils are not safe to consume and can cause significant poisoning even if small amounts are ingested.