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. 2024 Jan;45(1):18-26.
doi: 10.4082/kjfm.23.0106. Epub 2023 Oct 30.

Essential Oils as an Alternative Treatment for Migraine Headache: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Pireimathy Murtey  1 , Norhayati Mohd Noor  1 , Azlina Ishak  1 , Nur Suhaila Idris  1
Affiliations

Essential Oils as an Alternative Treatment for Migraine Headache: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Pireimathy Murtey et al. Korean J Fam Med. 2024 Jan.

Abstract

Background: Alternative and complementary medicines are widely used to treat migraine headaches. This review aimed to determine the effectiveness of essential oils as an alternative treatment approach.

Methods: A structured search was conducted to identify randomized trials comparing essential oils with a placebo for migraine headaches, using databases (MEDLINE and CENTRAL) to search for articles published between 1966 and 2021. We included trials involving adult males and females diagnosed with migraine headaches according to the International Headache Society. The outcomes included number of attacks, headache severity, associated symptoms, number of days of limited activity, headache duration, use of analgesics, and adverse effects. Seven trials were included with a total of 558 participants.

Results: No difference was observed in the number of migraine headache attacks compared to placebo (mean difference [MD], -1.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], -3.31 to 0.64; I2=94%; P=0.190; four trials, 242 participants; moderate- quality evidence). There was no difference in this outcome between the essential oils treated group and the placebo (MD, -0.38; 95% CI, -1.76 to 0.99; I2 statistics=86%; P=0.580; five trials, 240 participants; moderate-quality evidence).

Conclusion: We found no significant difference between the use of essential oils and placebo in managing migraine headaches.

Keywords: Aromatherapy; Complementary Therapy; Essential Oils; Headache, Migraine Headache.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Figure. 1.
Figure. 1.
Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow chart of the search results. RCT, randomized controlled trial.
Figure. 2.
Figure. 2.
Risk of bias graph.
Figure. 3.
Figure. 3.
Risk of bias summary.
Figure. 4.
Figure. 4.
Number of attacks. SD, standard deviation; IV, inverse variance; CI, confidence interval; df, degrees of freedom.
Figure. 5.
Figure. 5.
Headache severity. SD, standard deviation; IV, inverse variance; CI, confidence interval; df, degrees of freedom.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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