Each participant was monitored during 3 menstrual
periods. During the first period participants
documented their own pain levels on the VAS without
any intervention applied. During the second period,
one of the two applications (placebo massage or aromatherapy
massage) was applied. In the third menstrual
period, those participants who had previously
received aromatherapy massage received placebo massage;
and those who had received placebo massage received
aromatherapy massage through the same
means. Following each application, the severity of
pain was noted on the VAS. To maintain the study as
unbiased, the VAS evaluation was conducted by a researcher
who did not know the study groups. On completion
of the study, three VAS scores had been
obtained for every participant (1 before interventionand 2 after intervention [with aromatherapy and with
placebo]).