Authors: Imanishi, Jiro¹; Kuriyama, Hiroko¹; Shigemori, Ichiro¹; Watanabe, Satoko¹; Aihara, Yuka²; Kita, Masakazu¹; Sawai, Kiyoshi³; Nakajima, Hiroo³; Yoshida, Noriko⁴; Kunisawa, Masahiro⁴; Kawase, Masanori⁵; Fukui, Kenji⁴

Source: Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Volume 6, Number 1, 27 March 2009 , pp. 123-128(6)

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Abstract:

We examined how aromatherapy massage influenced psychologic and immunologic parameters in 12 breast cancer patients in an open semi-comparative trial. We compared the results 1 month before aromatherapy massage as a waiting control period with those during aromatherapy massage treatment and 1 month after the completion of aromatherapy sessions. The patients received a 30 min aromatherapy massage twice a week for 4 weeks (eight times in total). The results showed that anxiety was reduced in one 30 min aromatherapy massage in State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) test and also reduced in eight sequential aromatherapy massage sessions in the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) test. Our results further suggested that aromatherapy massage ameliorated the immunologic state. Further investigations are required to confirm the anxiolytic effect of aromatherapy in breast cancer patients.

Keywords: anxiety; aromatherapy massage; breast cancer

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ecam/nem073

Affiliations: 1: Department of Microbiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamikyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, , 2: Department of Psychosomatic Internal Medicine, Kansai Medical University, 10-15 Fumizono-cho, Moriguchi, Osaka 570-8506, , 3: Department of Endocrine and Breast Surgery, , 4: Department of Psychiatry, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamikyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566 and , 5: Department of Psychology, Kyoto Notre Dame University, 1 Minami-Nonogamicho, Shimogamo, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-0847, Japan,

Publication date: 2009-03-27

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• Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (eCAM) is an international, peer-reviewed journal that seeks to understand the sources and to encourage rigorous research in this new, yet ancient world of complementary and alternative medicine.

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• By this author: Imanishi, Jiro ;  Kuriyama, Hiroko ;  Shigemori, Ichiro ;  Watanabe, Satoko ;  Aihara, Yuka ;  Kita, Masakazu ;  Sawai, Kiyoshi ;  Nakajima, Hiroo ;  Yoshida, Noriko ;  Kunisawa, Masahiro ;  Kawase, Masanori ;  Fukui, Kenji

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