International Journal of Innovative Research in Health Science

Background: Postoperative pain is a key clinical issue for individuals undergoing open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) in orthopaedic practice. Poorly controlled pain can slow recovery, extend the duration of hospitalization, increase the likelihood of complications, and adversely affect both physical and psychological health. Aim: This study sought to determine the effectiveness of lavender essential oil aromatherapy, delivered via dry inhalation, in reducing postoperative pain among orthopaedic patients. Methodology: A quantitative evaluative design using a true experimental pre-test–post-test control group approach was adopted. Sixty postoperative ORIF patients were selected through simple random sampling and randomly allocated to an intervention group (n = 30) or a control group (n = 30). Pain intensity was evaluated using the Numerical Pain Rating Scale. The intervention group received dry inhalation of lavender essential oil for five minutes, twice daily, from the second to the fourth postoperative day, whereas the control group continued to receive only routine postoperative care. Pain scores were recorded immediately before and after each intervention period. Results: At baseline, there was no statistically significant difference in pain scores between the two groups (p > 0.05). By the second postoperative day, the intervention group showed a significant reduction in pain intensity (p = 0.001), with additional significant decreases noted on the third postoperative day. Conclusion: Dry inhalation of lavender essential oil appears to be an effective, safe, non-invasive, and low-cost complementary strategy for alleviating postoperative pain in patients following ORIF procedures.