Is bergamot oil aromatherapy beneficial for pain relief?

    Last Updated: July 23, 2024

    Although bergamot essential oil (BEO) aromatherapy has exhibited pain-relieving properties in animal studies,[1] very limited human research has not borne this out to date. One small RCT of 37 children and adolescents undergoing stem cell transplantation, a painful procedure, explored BEO aromatherapy for pain relief and found it had no significant effect on participants’ pain but did result in statistically significant increases in nausea and anxiety.[2]

    References

    1. ^Scuteri D, Crudo M, Rombolà L, Watanabe C, Mizoguchi H, Sakurada S, Sakurada T, Greco R, Corasaniti MT, Morrone LA, Bagetta GAntinociceptive effect of inhalation of the essential oil of bergamot in mice.Fitoterapia.(2018 Sep)
    2. ^Ndao DH, Ladas EJ, Cheng B, Sands SA, Snyder KT, Garvin JH Jr, Kelly KMInhalation aromatherapy in children and adolescents undergoing stem cell infusion: results of a placebo-controlled double-blind trial.Psychooncology.(2012 Mar)