Every participant was to receive both aromatherapy massage (with lavender oil) and placebo massage
(with odorless liquid petrolatum [soft paraffin]). The application order of these massages was determined
randomly.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]).