THE EFFECT OF LOCAL THERAPY OF ESSENTIAL OIL APPLICATIONS ON THE OUTCOME OF THE DISEASE AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS
Objectives. To study the effectiveness of essential oil applications on the dynamics of quality of life indicators and the outcome of the disease in patients with osteoarthritis. Materials and methods. The randomized open, comparative in parallel groups, with active control study included 60 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee II-III-V stage, pain when moving more than 40 mm in Your and Leken index more than 9 points. 30 patients were treated with essential oil applications during the 28-day follow-up period and 30 patients in the comparison group received oral diclofenac treatment during the same period. The dynamics of pain during movement and at rest according to Your womac index, the overall assessment of the effectiveness of therapy by the patient and the doctor, the quality of life (QL) was evaluated on the scale of well-being EQ-5Dvas, the effectiveness of OMERACT-OARSI and the need for NSAIDs. Results. The OMERACT-OARSI TEST showed a high response rate to therapy, a statistically significant decrease in the intensity of pain during movement and at rest was demonstrated by all patients of the essential oil application group and the comparison group: 82-83% pain decreased in the main group and 70-71% in the control group. A statistically significant decrease in the indicator was obtained by calculating the total score of WOMAC, as well as on the scales of "pain" P<0.01, and a statistically significant difference between the main treatment group and the control group P< 0.01. P> 0.05 was not obtained for the WOMAC scale and "stiffness" and "function" of statistically significant difference between research groups. QOL in both study groups increased significantly and was higher in the main group P< 0.05. Conclusion. The obtained data of the conducted scientific study on the criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of OMERACT-OARSI suggest comparability as a method of treatment of applications of essential oils with NSAIDs on the effect on stiffness and improvement of the patient's functionality and superiority in the effect on pain in the joints.