A pragmatic case series of clients living with medically diagnosed migraines self-referred to reflexology

Authors: Smith Tracey A, Thurgood Sarah LJournal: Complementary therapies in clinical practicePublished: November 1, 2020DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2020.101230

Q2 JournalSJR: 0.65h-index: 72SCImago

Limited EvidenceCase Studyn=20 participants

Migraines

In Plain Language: reflexology for migraines, explained

Migraine affects approximately 2% of the population of the UK with around 190,000 people experiencing a migraine daily. This study investigated the effectiveness of reflexology on migraine symptoms provided under pragmatic, personally funded conditions. Data was gathered on a case series of 20 reflexology clients with medically diagnosed migraine. All participants self-referred to a member of the Association of Reflexologists (AoR). The Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile (MYMOP) was completed at each appointment. All participants received six reflexology sessions. In terms of an improvement in the overall MYMOP profile, 75% (n = 15) of clients had an improvement of two or more points. The minimal clinically important difference for the MYMOP change score is 1.0; this was achieved by 90% (n = 18) of participants. The mean difference in scores for each of the MYMOP aspects was calculated and the greatest improvement was found with symptom 1, their chosen primary symptom, which changed an average of 3.40 points (95% CI: 2.35, 4.45.) CONCLUSION: The results indicate the potential for reflexology to relieve the symptoms of migraine.

Key Findings: what this case study found about migraines

✓Seventy-five percent of reflexology clients with medically diagnosed migraines showed clinically meaningful improvement of two or more points on the MYMOP scale after six sessions.
✓Ninety percent of participants achieved the minimal clinically important difference of 1.0 points on the MYMOP change score following reflexology treatment.
✓The study demonstrated that reflexology provided under pragmatic, personally funded conditions was associated with measurable improvements in migraine symptoms in a self-referred client population.

What This Means for You

This small study suggests reflexology may help reduce migraine symptoms, but the evidence is still developing since it lacked a control group to compare results against.

What This Means for Practitioners

This case series provides preliminary evidence that reflexology clients with migraines may experience clinically meaningful improvements, supporting the value of tracking outcomes with tools like MYMOP in your practice.

Study Design: how this case study was run

Sample Size

20 participants

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Reflexology for migraines: common questions

Does reflexology help with migraines?

This small study suggests reflexology may help reduce migraine symptoms, but the evidence is still developing since it lacked a control group to compare results against.

What did this study find?

Seventy-five percent of reflexology clients with medically diagnosed migraines showed clinically meaningful improvement of two or more points on the MYMOP scale after six sessions. Ninety percent of participants achieved the minimal clinically important difference of 1.0 points on the MYMOP change score following reflexology treatment. The study demonstrated that reflexology provided under pragmatic, personally funded conditions was associated with measurable improvements in migraine symptoms in a self-referred client population.

How strong is this evidence?

This is a case study and we rate its evidence limited. It covers 20 participants. It was published in Complementary therapies in clinical practice, a Q2 journal. Reflexology is a complementary therapy, not a replacement for medical treatment.