Effectiveness of reflexology on anxiety of patients undergoing cardiovascular interventional procedures: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Authors: Chandrababu Ramesh, Rathinasamy Eilean Lazarus, Suresh C, Ramesh JyothiJournal: Journal of advanced nursingPublished: January 1, 2019DOI: 10.1111/jan.13822

Q1 JournalSJR: 1.2h-index: 178SCImago

Strong EvidenceMeta Analysisn=760 participants

Anxiety

In Plain Language: reflexology for anxiety, explained

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.

Key Findings: what this meta-analysis found about anxiety

✓Reflexology significantly decreased anxiety in patients undergoing cardiovascular interventional procedures across 10 randomized controlled trials involving 760 patients.
✓Anxiety before and after cardiovascular interventional procedures is common and can negatively affect patient prognosis and recovery.
✓A systematic review of studies from 2001-2017 found sufficient evidence to support reflexology as an intervention for managing anxiety in cardiovascular patients.

What This Means for You

If you're anxious about a heart procedure, reflexology may help reduce your anxiety based on moderate evidence, though more research is needed to confirm how effective it truly is.

What This Means for Practitioners

Reflexology shows promise as a complementary approach for reducing anxiety in cardiovascular patients, providing a research-backed rationale to offer this service alongside conventional care.

Study Design: how this meta-analysis was run

Sample Size

760 participants

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Reflexology for anxiety: common questions

Does reflexology help with anxiety?

If you're anxious about a heart procedure, reflexology may help reduce your anxiety based on moderate evidence, though more research is needed to confirm how effective it truly is.

What did this study find?

Reflexology significantly decreased anxiety in patients undergoing cardiovascular interventional procedures across 10 randomized controlled trials involving 760 patients. Anxiety before and after cardiovascular interventional procedures is common and can negatively affect patient prognosis and recovery. A systematic review of studies from 2001-2017 found sufficient evidence to support reflexology as an intervention for managing anxiety in cardiovascular patients.

How strong is this evidence?

This is a meta-analysis and we rate its evidence strong. It covers 760 participants. It was published in Journal of advanced nursing, a Q1 journal. Reflexology is a complementary therapy, not a replacement for medical treatment.