The Effects of Aromatherapy With Clove and Lavender on Headache Caused by Spinal Anesthesia in Patients Undergoing Urological Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Headache is a common side effect of spinal anesthesia. Medicinal plants have been studied for their potential to relieve pain naturally. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of clove and lavender aromatherapy in reducing headaches caused by spinal anesthesia in patients undergoing urological surgery.

METHODS

This randomized clinical trial study involved 90 patients undergoing urological surgery at Bahonar Hospital in Kerman in 2021. Participants were selected using a convenience sampling method and randomly divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention group received aromatherapy with clove and lavender essential oils, while the control group received standard care. The effectiveness of aromatherapy in reducing post-operative headaches was measured using the Visual Analog Scale. Data analysis was performed using SPSS25.

RESULTS

The study found that, while both lavender and clove aromatherapy reduced headache severity compared to the control group at 8 and 24 h post-surgery, the difference was not statistically significant ( > 0.05). However, a significant reduction in headache severity was observed in all three groups, with lavender and clove groups showing a greater reduction than the control group ( < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Aromatherapy could be a simple, affordable, and safe way to reduce pain and the need for post-surgical sedatives. Due to conflicting results in previous studies, further research is necessary to confirm its effectiveness.

UNLABELLED

IRCT20211124053172N1.