Effect of essential oils on pain management: what do we know and where do we go?
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Pain is a complex and subjective experience that affects the quality of life and well-being of individuals. Conventional pharmacological treatments for pain have limitations and adverse effects, such as addiction, tolerance, and organ damage. Therefore, alternative, and complementary therapies, such as essential oils, are needed. Essential oils are volatile and aromatic compounds extracted from plants, which have been used for centuries in traditional medicine and aromatherapy for pain relief. Essential oils can modulate the activity of pain receptors, neurotransmitters, inflammatory mediators, and immune cells, as well as influence the psychological and emotional aspects of pain. However, the evidence on the effect of essential oils on pain management is still limited and inconsistent, due to the heterogeneity of the methods, the variability of the essential oil composition and quality, and the lack of standardized outcome measures and rigorous clinical trials. More research is needed to establish the efficacy, safety, and optimal dosage of essential oils for pain management, as well as to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and the potential interactions with other treatments. This article reviews the current state of knowledge on the effect of essential oils on pain management and identifies the gaps and challenges for future research.
Downloads
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
Scuteri D, Hamamura K, Sakurada T, Watanabe C, Sakurada S, Morrone LA, Rombolà L, Tonin P, Bagetta G, Corasaniti MT. Efficacy of Essential Oils in Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Preclinical Evidence. Front Pharmacol. 2021 Mar 1;12:640128. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.640128. PMID: 33732159; PMCID: PMC7957371. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.640128
Brennan SE, McDonald S, Murano M, McKenzie JE. Effectiveness of aromatherapy for prevention or treatment of disease, medical or preclinical conditions, and injury: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis. Syst Rev. 2022 Jul 26;11(1):148. doi: 10.1186/s13643-022-02015-1. PMID: 35883155; PMCID: PMC9317467. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-022-02015-1
Johnson SA, Rodriguez D, Allred K. A Systematic Review of Essential Oils and the Endocannabinoid System: A Connection Worthy of Further Exploration. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 May 15;2020:8035301. doi: 10.1155/2020/8035301. PMID: 32508955; PMCID: PMC7246407. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8035301
Hzounda Fokou JB, Dongmo PJ, Fekam Boyom F. Essential Oil’s Chemical Composition and Pharmacological Properties. IntechOpen. 2020. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.86573. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86573
Lakhan SE, Sheafer H, Tepper D. The Effectiveness of Aromatherapy in Reducing Pain: A Systematic Review and Me-ta-Analysis. Pain Res Treat. 2016;2016:8158693. doi: 10.1155/2016/8158693. Epub 2016 Dec 14. PMID: 28070420; PMCID: PMC5192342. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/8158693
Sarmento-Neto JF, do Nascimento LG, Felipe CF, de Sousa DP. Analgesic Potential of Essential Oils. Molecules. 2015 Dec 23;21(1):E20. doi: 10.3390/molecules21010020. PMID: 26703556; PMCID: PMC6273222. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules21010020
de Lavor ÉM, Fernandes AWC, de Andrade Teles RB, Leal AEBP, de Oliveira Júnior RG, Gama E Silva M, de Oliveira AP, Silva JC, de Moura Fontes Araújo MT, Coutinho HDM, de Menezes IRA, Picot L, da Silva Almeida JRG. Essential Oils and Their Major Compounds in the Treatment of Chronic Inflammation: A Review of Antioxidant Potential in Preclinical Studies and Mo-lecular Mechanisms. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2018 Dec 23;2018:6468593. doi: 10.1155/2018/6468593. PMID: 30671173; PMCID: PMC6323437. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/6468593
Zuo X, Gu Y, Wang C, Zhang J, Zhang J, Wang G, Wang F. A Systematic Review of the Anti-Inflammatory and Immuno-modulatory Properties of 16 Essential Oils of Herbs. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Dec 7;2020:8878927. doi: 10.1155/2020/8878927. PMID: 33354224; PMCID: PMC7735857. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8878927
Manion CR, Widder RM. Essentials of essential oils. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2017 May 1;74(9):e153-e162. doi: 10.2146/ajhp151043. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2146/ajhp151043
Hýbl M, Bohatá A, Rádsetoulalová I, Kopecký M, Hoštičková I, Vaníčková A, Mráz P. Evaluating the Efficacy of 30 Different Essential Oils against Varroa destructor and Honey Bee Workers (Apis mellifera). Insects. 2021 Nov 21;12(11):1045. doi: 10.3390/insects12111045. PMID: 34821845; PMCID: PMC8623799. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12111045
Li Y, Fabiano-Tixier AS, Chemat F. Essential Oils as Reagents in Green Chemistry. In: Essential Oils: From Conventional to Green Extraction; pp 9–20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08449-7_2
Cimino C, Maurel OM, Musumeci T, Bonaccorso A, Drago F, Souto EMB, Pignatello R, Carbone C. Essential Oils: Pharma-ceutical Applications and Encapsulation Strategies into Lipid-Based Delivery Systems. Pharmaceutics. 2021 Mar 3;13(3):327. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13030327. PMID: 33802570; PMCID: PMC8001530. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13030327
Corasaniti MT, Bagetta G, Morrone LA, Tonin P, Hamamura K, Hayashi T, Guida F, Maione S, Scuteri D. Efficacy of Essential Oils in Relieving Cancer Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Apr 11;24(8):7085. doi: 10.3390/ijms24087085. PMID: 37108246; PMCID: PMC10138439. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24087085
Sattayakhom A, Wichit S, Koomhin P. The Effects of Essential Oils on the Nervous System: A Scoping Review. Molecules. 2023 Apr 27;28(9):3771. doi: 10.3390/molecules28093771. PMID: 37175176; PMCID: PMC10180368. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28093771