Testing aromatherapy to treat pain after surgery

Here are the results. Would you say that aromatherapy was effective?

Exposure to lavender oil aromatherapy after surgery had no effect on the use of pain medicine or in the time until the patients were ready to leave the postoperative care unit.

But, the patients in the lavender group were significantly more satisfied with the rate pain control than patients who did not get lavender oil.

The study was set up so that 25 out of 50 patients undergoing breast biopsy surgery received supplemental oxygen through a facemask with two drops of 2% lavender oil after the procedure. The other patients received supplemental oxygen only.

Again, my question is this. If both groups had the same level of pain (based on their use of pain relievers) but the lavender group experienced higher satisfaction, does that mean that adding lavender oil to the oxygen was successful??

Also, would men given lavender oil after surgery respond the same way?

12/5/06 22;10 JR