Reflexology in oncological treatment - a systematic review.

Authors: Moritz Klaus, Sabine Kutschan, Heidrun Männle, Jutta Hübner, Jennifer DörflerJournal: BMC complementary medicine and therapiesPublished: January 15, 2024DOI: 10.1186/s12906-023-04220-4

Q2 JournalSJR: 0.579h-index: 47SCImago

Strong EvidenceSystematic Review

Cancer Pain Management Anxiety

In Plain Language: reflexology for cancer pain, explained

Researchers reviewed all available studies on reflexology as a treatment to help cancer patients manage symptoms and side effects. They examined the quality and results of existing research to determine whether reflexology has proven benefits for people undergoing cancer treatment.

Key Findings: what this systematic review found about cancer pain

✓The systematic review examined the effectiveness of reflexology as a complementary therapy for managing symptoms and treatment side effects in cancer patients.
✓The researchers assessed the quality and methodological rigor of existing studies to evaluate the strength of evidence supporting reflexology's clinical benefits in oncological care.

What This Means for You

While reflexology may help with certain cancer-related symptoms like pain and anxiety, the current evidence is still limited—talk with your oncology team before using it as a complementary therapy.

What This Means for Practitioners

Document your reflexology interventions and outcomes carefully, as the field needs more rigorous research to build stronger evidence for cancer care applications.

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Reflexology for cancer pain: common questions

Does reflexology help with cancer pain?

While reflexology may help with certain cancer-related symptoms like pain and anxiety, the current evidence is still limited—talk with your oncology team before using it as a complementary therapy.

What did this study find?

The systematic review examined the effectiveness of reflexology as a complementary therapy for managing symptoms and treatment side effects in cancer patients. The researchers assessed the quality and methodological rigor of existing studies to evaluate the strength of evidence supporting reflexology's clinical benefits in oncological care.

How strong is this evidence?

This is a systematic review and we rate its evidence strong. It was published in BMC complementary medicine and therapies, a Q2 journal. Reflexology is a complementary therapy, not a replacement for medical treatment.