Evaluation of Pain Thresholds in Migraine Patients After Inhalation of Essential Oils: a Randomized Clinical Trial

This is a parallel, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial to evaluate pain thresholds before and after the inhalation of essential oils or a control, in patients of both genders diagnosed with migraine. There will be three experimental groups, each with 50 participants (lavender, peppermint, and a combination of lavender and peppermint) and one control group with 50 participants (distilled water with coconut oil). The intervention will be conducted in a single session lasting 15 minutes, and participants will be evaluated before and immediately after the inhalation of the essential oils or control by measuring their pain thresholds in the following cephalic regions: occipital, masseter, temporal, vertex, and frontal. The randomization sequence will be generated by a statistician using the R software. The resulting randomization list will be stored in a sealed envelope and handled by an assistant evaluator who will not take part in the intervention. Participants will be allocated according to the random sequence based on their order of arrival.

Inclusion criteria

• Adults aged 18-65 years
• Diagnosis of episodic or chronic migraine according to the Internactional Classification of Headache Disorders (ICDH-3)
• History of migraine for at least 1 year
• Ability to understand and provide informed consent
• Participants currently using or not using migraine preventive medication

Exclusion criteria

• Severe acute circulatory disorders
• Diabetes melitus
• Uncontrolled arterial hypertension
• Fribromyagia
• Anosmia or hyposmia
• Known allergy or hypersensitivity to essential oils or their components
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding