Examining the benefits of aromatherapy massage as a pain management strategy for patients with multiple sclerosis

The pain experienced by patients who have multiple sclerosis (MS), remains a poorly understood phenomenon, although it is becoming more clearly defined. It is often the case that the pain patients with MS experience does not easily respond to traditional therapeutic treatments, and may therefore remain unrelieved. Patients may be reluctant to take additional medication to that they are taking for their MS-related symptoms, which means that many choose complementary therapies to help them manage their pain. However, like the pain experience, the nature of complementary therapies and their effectiveness in treating illness and alleviating symptoms is also poorly understood. Thus, while many patients choose treatments such as aromatherapy, there is little research evidence to support its application in a systematic and rigorous way. This paper reports the progress of a qualitative research study that aims to examine the benefits of aromatherapy massage in the management of chronic pain in patients diagnosed with MS. Patients were recruited to the study from a group of individuals attending a specialist pain management clinic led by the researcher (AH). The paper outlines the methods and processes undertaken, and points to the preliminary findings.