Aromatherapy Massage Applied on Constipation (Aromatherapy)

Effect of Abdominal Massage Applied With Ginger and Lavender Oil on Constipation for Elderly Individuals

Aim: This study was conducted as a randomized controlled experimental study to examine the effect of abdominal massage with ginger and lavender oil on constipation in elderly individuals. Design: The study was completed with 40 elderly individuals in Kayseri nursing home, including 20 in intervention and 20 in control group who met the criteria for inclusion in the study. In the study, written informed volunteer consent was obtained from the individuals with the approval of the ethics committee and the permission of the institution. The elderly individuals in the intervention group underwent aromatherapy massage with ginger and lavender oils for a period of five days and 15 minutes on weekdays for four weeks according to the abdominal massage application protocol. No application was made to individuals in the control group.

Aim: This study was conducted as a randomized controlled experimental study to examine the effect of abdominal massage with ginger and lavender oil on constipation in elderly individuals. Design: The study was completed with 40 elderly individuals in Kayseri nursing home, including 20 in intervention and 20 in control group who met the criteria for inclusion in the study. In the study, written informed volunteer consent was obtained from the individuals with the approval of the ethics committee and the permission of the institution. The data were collected by the researcher using the Questionnaire Form, Bristol Stool Scale, Rome IV Criteria, Constipation Severity Scale and Mini Mental Test. The elderly individuals in the intervention group underwent aromatherapy massage with ginger and lavender oils for a period of five days and 15 minutes on weekdays for four weeks according to the abdominal massage application protocol. No application was made to individuals in the control group. The "Bristol Stool Scale" and "Constipation Severity Scale" were re-applied to the individuals in the intervention and control group before, during the second week of practice and at the end of practice (fourth week).

The elderly individuals in the intervention group underwent aromatherapy massage with ginger and lavender oils for a period of five days and 15 minutes on weekdays for four weeks according to the abdominal massage application protocol. The "Bristol Stool Scale" and "Constipation Severity Scale" were re-applied to the individuals in the intervention before, during the second week of practice and at the end of practice (fourth week).

No application was applied to the individuals in the control group. "Bristol Stool Scale" and "Constipation Severity Scale" were applied to the individuals in the control group at the same time as (at the beginning, second week and fourth week) the intervention group.

The elderly individuals in the intervention group underwent aromatherapy massage with ginger and lavender oils for a period of five days and 15 minutes on weekdays for four weeks according to the abdominal massage application protocol.

The mini mental test was first developed by Folstein et al. in 1975 to assess cognitive functions. The SMMT consists of five categories, which are orientation, attention and calculation, recall, registration and language. The maximum total score is 30 points. A score higher than 18/19 is considered as good cognitive state for uneducated individuals and a score of 23/34 for educated individuals. The scale was filled out by the researcher before the application by interviewing the elderly participants face to face, who were diagnosed with constipation and agreed to participate in the study.

In this study the diagnosis of constipation was made with the Rome IV criteria. The Rome IV criteria are; straining, lumpy or hard stool, feeling of incomplete emptying, feeling of anorectal obstruction, need for manual intervention, fewer than three defecations per week and rare occurrence of soft stool without laxatives in at least 25% of defecations and insufficient criteria for irritable bowel syndrome. If at least 2 of these symptoms are present and if these symptoms have begun at least 6 months prior or have been lasting for the last three months leads to the diagnosis of constipation.

The Bristol Stool Scale was developed by Lewis and Heaton at Bristol University in the United Kingdom. The Bristol Stool Scale provides information about the duration of stool in the colon and its changing physical characteristics during this period and divides the stool types into seven different categories. Type 1 and type 2 describe constipation, type 2, type 4 and type 5 normal stool shapes and type 6 and type 7 diarrhea. The constipation status of the individuals was evaluated with the Bristol Stool Scale three times in total, before the application and in the second and fourth weeks of the application.

The Constipation Severity Scale (CSS) consists of 16 questions to determine the frequency of defecation of individuals and the difficulty and pain experienced during defecation. The CSS has three subscales; Obstructive Defecation Subscale (ODSS), Lazy Bowel Subscale (LBSS) and Pain Subscale (PSS). The minimum total score of the CSS is 0 and the maximum score is 73. As the total scale score increases the level of symptoms also increases. In the study, the constipation status of the elderly individuals was evaluated three times in total, before the application and in the second and fourth weeks of the application.

Inclusion Criteria: Elderly individuals with constipation determined by the institution doctor, Individuals diagnosed with constipation according to the Roma-criteria, Individuals, who achieved a score of 24 and higher on the standardized mini mental test (SMMT), Individuals, who do not have lesions disrupting skin integrity in the abdominal region, And elderly individuals, who agreed to participate in the study were included. Exclusion Criteria: Individuals diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Individuals who have undergone bowel surgery before, Individuals diagnosed with colon cancer, Individuals with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, Individuals with umbilical hernia And individuals allergic to lavender and ginger oil.