Reflexology Research & Science
Does reflexology work? The honest answer from 808 peer-reviewed studies: the evidence is mixed and mostly early-stage. 245 are randomized controlled trials and 221 are systematic reviews or meta-analyses. The strongest signals are for relaxation, anxiety, and pain, not for curing disease. Every study is below, graded by evidence strength and pulled from PubMed.
808 studies · page 1 of 68
Massage therapy significantly improves cancer-related fatigue in cancer patients: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
This study was designed to investigate the effectiveness and safety of massage therapy in cancer-related fatigue (CRF) and to provide a reference for the future management of CRF. Eight databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Sinomed, Chinese Scientific Journal database (VIP), Wanfang, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI)) were systematically reviewed from inception to May 2022 for randomized controlled trials. Two reviewers critically and independently assessed the risk of bias using Cochrane Collaboration criteria and extracted correlated data using the designed form. The meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 to calculate the pooled effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Sensitivity analysis was performed to find the source of the heterogeneity. Publication bias was assessed via funnel plot analysis and the Egger test. A total of 11 qualified studies that included 789 patients (massage therapy group: 389; control group: 400) were included in the meta-analysis. Massage therapy had a marked effect on fatigue in cancer patients [standardized mean difference (SMD) = - 1.69, 95% CI (- 2.46, - 0.93), P < 0.01], especially in breast cancer [SMD = - 1.62, 95% CI (- 2.18, - 1.05), P < 0.01]. Reflexology [SMD = - 2.71, 95% CI (- 4.65, - 0.77), P < 0.01] and Chinese massage [SMD = - 1.14, 95% CI (- 1.95, - 0.33), P < 0.01] can have a more significant effect on fatigue. Massage time is 20 to 40 min [SMD = - 2.39, 95% CI (- 4.13, - 0.66), P < 0.01], twice a week [SMD = - 3.46, 95% CI (- 5.47, - 1.45), P < 0.01] for 3-5 weeks [SMD = 
strong evidence
Q1 JournalEffectiveness of reflexology on anxiety of patients undergoing cardiovascular interventional procedures: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
To appraise the evidence concerning the effect of reflexology on the anxiety in patients undergoing cardiovascular interventional procedures. Anxiety, fear, and other unpleasant emotional experiences are common among patients before and after cardiovascular interventional procedures. The higher anxiety may affect prognosis and recovery of patients. A systematic review and meta-analysis. The MEDLINE, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Cochrane Library), EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science were searched between 2001-2017. Randomized controlled trials evaluated the effectiveness of reflexology on anxiety among patients undergoing cardiovascular interventional procedures were included. Meta-analysis was done using Revman 5.3. Ten trials, representing 760 patients with the mean age of 59, fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Reflexology significantly decreased the anxiety of patients undergoing cardiovascular interventional procedures in the treatment group compared with the control group. Reflexology has some positive effects on anxiety among patients undergoing cardiovascular procedures. It may be a useful complementary therapy and further research is necessary to create reliable evidence.
Effects of perineal massage during childbirth on maternal and neonatal outcomes in primiparous women: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
A systematic review explored the effects of perineal massage during childbirth on mothers and their newborns. The study found that such massage can help prevent injuries to the perineum and reduce complications during labor, which is significant for improving maternal and neonatal health outcomes.
Antenatal perineal massage for reducing perineal trauma.
The study evaluated the effects of antenatal digital perineal massage on reducing perineal trauma during vaginal birth. The results showed that this massage technique significantly decreased the likelihood of women needing sutures for trauma and reduced the rate of episiotomies, especially among first-time mothers. This is important as it can lead to shorter recovery times and less discomfort after birth.
Integrative Oncology Care of Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Adults With Cancer: Society for Integrative Oncology-ASCO Guideline.
A scientific study investigated how integrative approaches, including reflexology, can alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression in cancer patients. The findings suggest that methods like reflexology can provide significant relief during and after cancer treatment. This is important because it offers alternative options for improving the mental well-being of individuals facing serious illness.
Can foot reflexology be a complementary therapy for sleep disturbances? Evidence appraisal through a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
The study examined the effects of foot reflexology on sleep disturbances among adults. It found that those who received foot reflexology reported significant improvements in sleep quality, indicating that this non-invasive therapy could be beneficial for people struggling with sleep issues. This matters because it offers an alternative treatment option that is both easy to administer and effective.
Effects of foot reflexology massage on pregnant women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.
This study investigated the impact of foot reflexology massage on various factors affecting pregnant women, such as anxiety, pain during labor, and overall satisfaction with the birthing experience. The findings revealed that reflexology significantly reduced anxiety and pain, shortened labor duration, and enhanced overall birth satisfaction, indicating that it is a beneficial complementary therapy for pregnant women.
Massage therapy can effectively relieve cancer pain: A meta-analysis.
A comprehensive study evaluated the effectiveness of massage therapy on cancer pain relief. The analysis revealed that massage significantly alleviates pain, particularly in patients with hematological malignancies and those undergoing surgery. These findings highlight massage therapy as a beneficial complementary treatment for managing cancer pain, offering a non-invasive option to improve patient quality of life.
Interventions for improving sleep quality in people with chronic kidney disease
Sleep disorders are commonly experienced by people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Several approaches for improving sleep quality are used in clinical practice including relaxation techniques, exercise, acupressure, and medication. To assess the effectiveness and associated adverse events of interventions designed to improve sleep quality among adults and children with CKD including people with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) treated with dialysis or kidney transplantation. We searched the Cochrane Kidney and Transplant Register of Studies up to 8 October 2018 with the Information Specialist using search terms relevant to this review. Studies in the Register are identified through searches of CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and EMBASE, conference proceedings, the International Clinical Trials Register (ICTRP) Search Portal and ClinicalTrials.gov. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-randomised RCTs of any intervention in which investigators reported effects on sleep quality. Two authors independently screened titles and abstracts of identified records. Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias for included studies. The primary outcomes were sleep quality, sleep onset latency, sleep duration, sleep interruption, and sleep efficiency. Risks of bias were assessed using the Cochrane tool. Evidence certainty was assessed using the GRADE approach. We calculated treatment estimates as risk ratios (RR) for dichotomous outcomes or mean difference (MD) or standardised MD (SMD) for continuous outcomes to account for heterogeneity in measures of sleep quality. Sixty-seven studies involving 3427 participants met the eligibility criteria. Thirty-six studies involving 2239 participants were included in meta-analyses. Follow-up for clinical outcomes ranged between 0.3 and 52.8 weeks (median 5 weeks). Interventions included relaxation techniques, exercise, acupressure, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), educational interventions, b
Non-pharmacological interventions for fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis
Fatigue is a common and potentially distressing symptom for people with rheumatoid arthritis with no accepted evidence based management guidelines. Non-pharmacological interventions, such as physical activity and psychosocial interventions, have been shown to help people with a range of other long-term conditions to manage subjective fatigue. To evaluate the benefit and harm of non-pharmacological interventions for the management of fatigue in people with rheumatoid arthritis. This included any intervention that was not classified as pharmacological in accordance with European Union (EU) Directive 2001/83/EEC. The following electronic databases were searched up to October 2012, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL); MEDLINE; EMBASE; AMED; CINAHL; PsycINFO; Social Science Citation Index; Web of Science; Dissertation Abstracts International; Current Controlled Trials Register; The National Research Register Archive; The UKCRN Portfolio Database. In addition, reference lists of articles identified for inclusion were checked for additional studies and key authors were contacted. Randomised controlled trials were included if they evaluated a non-pharmacological intervention in people with rheumatoid arthritis with self-reported fatigue as an outcome measure. Two review authors selected relevant trials, assessed risk of bias and extracted data. Where appropriate, data were pooled using meta-analysis with a random-effects model. Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criteria, with a total of 2882 participants with rheumatoid arthritis. Included studies investigated physical activity interventions (n = 6 studies; 388 participants), psychosocial interventions (n = 13 studies; 1579 participants), herbal medicine (n = 1 study; 58 participants), omega-3 fatty acid supplementation (n = 1 study; 81 participants), Mediterranean diet (n = 1 study; 51 participants), reflexology (n = 1 study; 11 participants) and the provision of Health Tracker information (n
Non-pharmacological interventions for pain in people with dementia: A systematic review
Pain commonly occurs in people living with dementia but is often undertreated. Non-pharmacological interventions are a safer first-line option for pain management, but evidence-based interventions for people living with dementia have not been established. An increasing number of studies have examined the effect of non-pharmacological interventions in pain management. However, the evidence that specifically focuses on people living with dementia has not been systematically reviewed. This review aimed to systematically synthesize current evidence on non-pharmacological interventions to manage pain in people living with dementia. A comprehensive search of the literature was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Studies were included if they were 1) peer-reviewed original quantitative research, 2) tested the effect of non-pharmacological interventions on pain in people with dementia, and 3) English language. Studies were excluded if they 1) included both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions and did not report separate results for the non-pharmacological interventions; 2) enrolled participants with and without dementia and did not have separate results reported for individuals with dementia; 3) tested dietary supplements as the intervention; and 4) were not original research, such as reviews, editorials, commentaries, or case studies. Title, abstract, and full text were screened. Quality assessment was conducted using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and Johns Hopkins Level of Evidence. Pain assessment tools, participant characteristics, study designs, intervention condition, and results were extracted. Results were synthesized through grouping the type of the interventions and weighting evidence based on quality and design of the studies. A total of 11 articles and 12 interventions were identified. A total of 486 participants were included. Interventions that have shown a positive impact on pain include ear acupressure, mus
How best to capture the impact of complementary therapies in palliative care: A systematic review to identify and assess the appropriateness and validity of multi-domain tools
Complementary therapies are widely used in palliative care settings. Qualitative research found that people with advanced disease report a range of physical and psychological benefits from complementary therapies, however evidence of their effectiveness from clinical trials is inconclusive. This may be because trials are limited by use of inappropriate outcome measures. To identify tools which capture the impact of massage, reflexology and aromatherapy in people with advanced disease. We (1) identified multi-domain tools used to evaluate these therapies in populations with any chronic health condition and (2) assessed whether tools were valid and psychometrically robust in populations with advanced disease. A two-stage systematic review was conducted using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) guidelines (PROSPERO: CRD42020161199). Six databases were searched (August 2021). Study methodological quality, tool psychometric properties and evidence quality were assessed. A global comparison score was generated. Stage 1: 66 trials using 40 different multi-domain tools were identified. Stage 2: Of these tools, we identified papers for seven tools regarding development or validation in advanced disease populations. The majority of psychometric data were inconsistent or inconclusive. Data were mostly of low quality due to methodological issues. Of the tools identified, 'Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General' appears to be the most suitable alternative tool against COMSIN criteria, for trials of massage, reflexology and aromatherapy in palliative care. Further tool validation is required before firm recommendations can be made. Co-development of a core outcome set could ensure relevant domains are assessed.
Does reflexology work? Common questions
Is reflexology scientifically proven?
No. The most careful reviews conclude reflexology isn't a proven treatment for any specific medical condition. What the research more consistently supports is relaxation and short-term relief of anxiety and pain. We track 808 studies here, graded by evidence strength, so you can judge for yourself.
Does reflexology actually work?
It depends what you mean. For curing or treating a disease, the evidence doesn't support it. For helping people relax and feel less anxious or in less pain during a session, a number of small studies are positive, including 245 randomized controlled trials and 221 systematic reviews or meta-analyses in this library.
Is reflexology a pseudoscience?
Reflexology's core idea, that specific points on the feet map to distant organs, isn't backed by anatomy or physiology, and that's why critics call it pseudoscience. The relaxation and comfort people feel during a session are real, though. It's best understood as a complementary relaxation practice, not a medical treatment.
What is reflexology best supported for?
The strongest and most consistent evidence is for relaxation and short-term reduction in anxiety and pain, plus some cancer-care symptoms like nausea and fatigue. Evidence for treating specific diseases is weak. Use the evidence-strength filter to sort studies by how solid they are.
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