Key result
Lavender essential oil foot massage lowers systolic BP by ~26 mmHg in elderly hypertensive patients.
Why the study?
Older adults are particularly vulnerable to hypertension and its complications, creating a need for complementary non-pharmacological interventions such as foot massage with lavender essential oil to help control blood pressure.
Does foot massage with lavender essential oil reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure in older adults with hypertension residing in a nursing home?
Does foot massage with lavender essential oil reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure in older adults with hypertension residing in a nursing home?
Foot massage with lavender essential oil was associated with significant short-term reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure among institutionalized older adults with hypertension, though the lack of a control group precludes definitive causal conclusions.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Should not yet change practice in elderly hypertension; hypothesis-generating for lavender foot massage pending randomized trials.
Background: Hypertension is a common health problem and one of the leading causes of premature death worldwide. It is characterized by persistently elevated systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure and may lead to various serious complications. The increasing prevalence of hypertension is closely associated with population growth and aging. Older adults are particularly vulnerable to hypertension and its complications. Therefore, complementary non-pharmacological interventions are needed to help control blood pressure and improve the quality of life of older adults. Methods: This study employed a quantitative experimental design using a one-group pretest-posttest approach. The study population consisted of older adults with hypertension residing at the Embun Kehidupan Bangsa Nursing Home. A total of 20 participants were selected using a total sampling technique. Blood pressure was measured before and after the intervention. The intervention consisted of foot massage using lavender essential oil. Data were analyzed using the paired t-test to determine differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressure before and after the intervention. Results: The mean systolic blood pressure before the intervention was 175 mmHg, while the mean diastolic blood pressure was 90 mmHg. Following foot massage with lavender essential oil, the mean systolic blood pressure decreased to 144.80 mmHg, and the mean diastolic blood pressure decreased to 73.80 mmHg. The paired t-test showed a statistically significant difference in blood pressure before and after the intervention, with a p-value of 0.000 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Foot massage using lavender essential oil significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure among older adults with hypertension at the Embun Kehidupan Bangsa Nursing Home. This intervention may be considered a complementary non-pharmacological therapy for supporting blood pressure control in older adults with hypertension.
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Wisetri et al. (2026) studied Hypertension (n=20). Foot massage with lavender essential oil vs. Pre-intervention baseline (one-group pretest-posttest) was evaluated on Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) (MD -26.10 mmHg, p=0.00). Foot massage with lavender essential oil reduced mean systolic blood pressure by 26.10 mmHg (from 173.35 to 147.25 mmHg, p=0.00) and diastolic by 9.80 mmHg in elderly patients with hypertension.
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