Effect of Aromatherapy Massage With Foeniculum vulgare Mill. Seed Essential Oil Compared to Massage on Anxiety,...

Aromatherapy is a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) widely used in the management of several mental and physical conditions. The fennel seed essential oil (FEO) has several biological activities and has been reported as potentially beneficial in the management of anxiety and sleep disorders. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of aromatherapy massage using FEO compared to massage alone on reducing anxiety and improve sleep quality and overall well-being.

FEO was extracted by hydrodistillation, and its chemical composition was determined by GC-MS. In the aromatherapy trial, 40 participants were randomly divided into the "Massage Group" (n = 20) and the "Aroma Massage Group" (n = 20). Individuals in the "Aroma Massage Group" were treated with 1.6% of FEO diluted in sweet almond oil, while the "Massage Group" only received the massage with sweet almond oil. The intervention consisted of one massage session every 15 days over a 2 months period. The questionnaires on anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality), and well-being (WHO-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5)) were performed at four different times. Data were analyzed using SPSS software with a significance level of 5%.

The major compound in FEO was trans-Anethole (78.2%). In the aromatherapy trial, scores on the State Anxiety scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), were significantly lower in the "Aroma Massage Group" compared to "Massage Group" with mean values of 32.47 ± 7.86 and 41.75 ± 11.74, respectively, in Questionnaire 3 (after the last session), corresponding to a difference of -9.28 (p = 0.007). No statistically significant differences were observed over time across the four assessment points, with p = 0.536 for the "Massage Group" and p = 0.381 for the "Aroma Massage Group." Additionally, the "Aroma Massage Group" showed a higher proportion of individuals reporting strong well-being (89%) and good sleep (32%) compared to the "Massage Group" (65% and 25%, respectively) in Questionnaire 4 (1 month after the end of the intervention), however, these differences were not statistically significant when considering mean questionnaire scores.

This exploratory study suggests that aromatherapy with FEO may be associated with beneficialeffects on anxiety reduction and improvements in well-being and sleep quality; however, further studies are required to confirm this results.