Aromatherapy Massage vs. Foot Reflexology on the Severity of Restless Legs Syndrome in Female Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis
Strong EvidenceIn Plain Language: reflexology, explained
This study aimed to compare the effects of reflexology and aromatherapy massage on the severity of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in 105 female patients undergoing hemodialysis. A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted in a hemodialysis center with 48 beds in a high turnover hospital in an urban area of Iran. Intervention groups received reflexology (n = 35) and aromatherapy massage using lavender essential oil (n = 35) for 24 sessions, and the placebo group (n = 35) received simple foot massage. The restless legs syndrome rating scale was used to assess RLS severity in the groups before the intervention and after 4 and 8 weeks of the interventions. Results obtained by the mixed model analysis 3 * 3 (3 groups * 3 times) revealed the significant effect of time, group, and the time-group interrelationship (p = 0.001). Aromatherapy massage reduced the RLS severity, but reflexology did not appear to cause any significant reduction in it. Therefore, we suggest that aromatherapy massage be incorporated into routine care for relieving the ailment and suffering of patients undergoing hemodialysis.
Key Findings: what this randomised trial found
- ✓Aromatherapy massage with lavender essential oil significantly reduced restless legs syndrome severity in female hemodialysis patients over 8 weeks of treatment.
- ✓Foot reflexology did not produce a significant reduction in restless legs syndrome severity despite 24 treatment sessions.
- ✓Both time and treatment group type had significant effects on restless legs syndrome severity outcomes in hemodialysis patients (p = 0.001).
What This Means for You
If you have restless legs syndrome and are considering reflexology, this moderate-to-strong evidence suggests aromatherapy massage with lavender may be more effective, though reflexology alone did not help in this study.
What This Means for Practitioners
This RCT suggests reflexology alone may not effectively reduce restless legs syndrome severity in dialysis patients, so practitioners should consider combining reflexology with aromatherapy or referring clients to complementary approaches.
Study Design: how this randomised trial was run
Common questions about this study
What does this study mean in practice?
If you have restless legs syndrome and are considering reflexology, this moderate-to-strong evidence suggests aromatherapy massage with lavender may be more effective, though reflexology alone did not help in this study.
What did this study find?
Aromatherapy massage with lavender essential oil significantly reduced restless legs syndrome severity in female hemodialysis patients over 8 weeks of treatment. Foot reflexology did not produce a significant reduction in restless legs syndrome severity despite 24 treatment sessions. Both time and treatment group type had significant effects on restless legs syndrome severity outcomes in hemodialysis patients (p = 0.001).
How strong is this evidence?
This is a randomised trial and we rate its evidence strong. It covers 105 participants. It was published in Geriatrics (Basel, Switzerland). Reflexology is a complementary therapy, not a replacement for medical treatment.
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