Aromatherapy massage proven to improve anxiety in cancer patients
FEBRUARY 16, 2007
Professor Amanda Ramirez and colleagues have had the result of a multicentre study showing aromatherapy massage improves mild to moderate anxiety and depression in cancer patients. Aromatherapy massage could offer a therapeutic option alongside psychological interventions.
This randomised controlled trial makes a significant contribution to the body of evidence on the effectiveness of complementary therapy in cancer care and should help guide the commissioners of cancer care in determining what complementary therapies they wish to fund. The paper is published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (J Clin Oncol. 2007 Feb 10;25(5):532-9) and the study was supported by Cancer Research UK, Marie Curie cancer care, Macmillan Cancer Support and Dimbleby cancer care.