Effect of foot reflexology on an infant with sensorineural hearing loss: A case report
Preliminary EvidenceIn Plain Language: reflexology, explained
Our study contributes to the further understanding of the mechanism of foot reflexology. Foot reflexology has been reported to affect hearing recovery, but no physiological evidence has been provided. This lack of evidence hampers the acceptance of the technique in clinical practice. A girl was taken to North Sichuan Medical University Affiliated Hospital for a hearing screen by her parents. Her parents reported that her hearing level was the same as when she was born. The girl was diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) by a doctor in the otolaryngology department. After we introduced the foot reflexology project, the parents agreed to participate in the experiment. After 6 months of foot reflexology treatment, the hearing threshold of the girl recovered to a normal level, below 30 dB. Foot reflexology should be encouraged in clinical practice and for families of infants with SNHL.
Key Findings: what this case study found
- ✓An infant with sensorineural hearing loss achieved normal hearing thresholds (below 30 dB) after 6 months of foot reflexology treatment.
- ✓Previous reports suggest foot reflexology may affect hearing recovery, but this case represents an attempt to provide clinical evidence for the mechanism.
- ✓The authors recommend encouraging foot reflexology in clinical practice and for families of infants with sensorineural hearing loss.
What This Means for You
While this single case shows promise, it's too early to rely on foot reflexology as a proven treatment for infant hearing loss—more rigorous research with larger groups is needed before drawing firm conclusions.
What This Means for Practitioners
This case report suggests foot reflexology may warrant further investigation for hearing loss in infants, but you should present it as exploratory rather than established practice and encourage families to work with their medical team.
Study Design: how this case study was run
Common questions about this study
What does this study mean in practice?
While this single case shows promise, it's too early to rely on foot reflexology as a proven treatment for infant hearing loss—more rigorous research with larger groups is needed before drawing firm conclusions.
What did this study find?
An infant with sensorineural hearing loss achieved normal hearing thresholds (below 30 dB) after 6 months of foot reflexology treatment. Previous reports suggest foot reflexology may affect hearing recovery, but this case represents an attempt to provide clinical evidence for the mechanism. The authors recommend encouraging foot reflexology in clinical practice and for families of infants with sensorineural hearing loss.
How strong is this evidence?
This is a case study and we rate its evidence preliminary. It covers 1 participants. It was published in World journal of clinical cases, a Q2 journal. Reflexology is a complementary therapy, not a replacement for medical treatment.
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