Anxiety, insomnia, stress and restless legs syndrome. For all this we now know that help can come from massages and aromatherapy. In fact, foot massages made with lavender and sweet orange essential oils have led to significant improvements in all of these conditions. This emerges from two very recent scientific studies. The first was published in the journal Complementary therapies in clinical practice by a team of scientists from Taiwan (Hsu et al, Complement Ther Clin Pract, 2021), the second in the Journal of complementary and integrative medicine by Iranian researchers (Oshvandi et al, J Complement Integr Med, 2021).
Foot massage with lavender oil, useful against insomnia
The first research focused on the benefits of a foot massage performed with lavender oil added to sweet almond oil. For this purpose, 112 nurses from the intensive care units were recruited, therefore people under great pressure. The volunteers were divided into two groups. The first group was asked to undergo four sessions of foot massage with lavender essential oil. The second group was used as a comparison. What emerged is that the lavender oil massage has been able to improve the quality of sleep and reduce the use of sleeping pills, even in the case of very stressful jobs.
Aromatherapy and foot massage in case of insomnia and restless legs syndrome
The second research determined the effectiveness of a foot massage performed with a carrier oil to which the essential oils of lavender and sweet orange were added. The 105 study participants were selected among patients undergoing dialysis for severe renal insufficiency, as they were at an increased risk of suffering from disorders such as insomnia and restless legs syndrome. The volunteers were divided into three groups. The first two groups underwent foot massage three times a week for three weeks with sessions lasting half an hour each. One group received the massage with lavender essential oil, the other group with sweet orange essential oil. The third group was used as a comparison. What emerged was that both lavender and sweet orange massages brought significant improvements in both sleep quality and restless legs syndrome, alleviating symptoms and the severity of the condition.
