Effectiveness of Foot Soaking Therapy Using Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) Decoction to Reduce Blood Pressure among Pregnant Women with Mild Hypertension
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55018/janh.v7i3.421Keywords:
Foot Soak, Lemongrass, Mild Hypertension, Non-Pharmacological, Pregnant WomenAbstract
Background: Hypertension in pregnancy is a major contributor to maternal morbidity and mortality. Pharmacological therapy is common; however, evidence on safe and affordable non-pharmacological alternatives—such as lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) foot soaking—remains limited among pregnant women. Lemongrass contains citral and flavonoids that promote vasodilation and relaxation, potentially reducing blood pressure..
Methods: A quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design following the TREND guideline was conducted at Sarfina Primary Outpatient Clinic, Medan, Indonesia (February–April 2025). Thirty pregnant women with mild hypertension (140–159/90–99 mmHg) participated voluntarily after providing informed consent. Exclusion criteria were preeclampsia, chronic illness, or lemongrass allergy. Participants soaked their feet daily for 15 minutes in 1 L of warm lemongrass decoction (38–40 °C) for four weeks. Blood pressure was measured twice using a validated Omron HEM-7130 device, and the mean was analyzed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
Results: Mean systolic pressure decreased from 147.6 ± 5.8 mmHg to 132.4 ± 6.3 mmHg, and diastolic pressure from 93.8 ± 3.9 mmHg to 83.7 ± 4.2 mmHg (Z = –3.21, p < 0.001). The effect size (r = 0.59; 95% CI [–18.5, –11.3]) indicated a moderate clinical effect
Conclusion: Lemongrass foot soak therapy effectively lowers mild hypertension in pregnancy through vasodilatory and relaxation mechanisms. It represents a safe, simple, and culturally appropriate complementary method that midwives can integrate into antenatal care. Larger controlled trials are recommended to confirm its long-term efficacy.
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