Reflexology in the management of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

Authors: Seda Kurt, Gulbeyaz CanJournal: European journal of oncology nursing : the official journal of European Oncology Nursing SocietyPublished: July 9, 2018DOI: 10.1016/j.ejon.2017.11.001

Q2 JournalSJR: 1.213h-index: 30SCImago

Preliminary EvidencePilot

Peripheral Neuropathy Chemotherapy Side Effects Cancer Pain Management

In Plain Language: reflexology for neuropathy, explained

This pilot study tested whether reflexology could help cancer patients manage nerve pain and numbness caused by chemotherapy. Researchers randomly assigned participants to receive reflexology or standard care and measured changes in their symptoms and quality of life.

Key Findings: what this pilot study found about neuropathy

✓This pilot randomized controlled trial evaluated reflexology as a potential therapeutic intervention for managing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in cancer patients.
✓The study compared reflexology treatment to standard care and measured outcomes including symptom severity and quality of life improvements.
✓The research design used random assignment to either a reflexology treatment group or a standard care control group to assess the intervention's effectiveness.

What This Means for You

Reflexology may help reduce chemotherapy-related nerve pain, but this is a small pilot study, so more research is needed before drawing firm conclusions about its effectiveness.

What This Means for Practitioners

This pilot work provides preliminary support for reflexology in managing chemotherapy side effects; document outcomes carefully to contribute to the evidence base for this application.

Read Full Paper↗

Reflexology for neuropathy: common questions

Does reflexology help with neuropathy?

Reflexology may help reduce chemotherapy-related nerve pain, but this is a small pilot study, so more research is needed before drawing firm conclusions about its effectiveness.

What did this study find?

This pilot randomized controlled trial evaluated reflexology as a potential therapeutic intervention for managing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in cancer patients. The study compared reflexology treatment to standard care and measured outcomes including symptom severity and quality of life improvements. The research design used random assignment to either a reflexology treatment group or a standard care control group to assess the intervention's effectiveness.

How strong is this evidence?

This is a pilot study and we rate its evidence preliminary. It was published in European journal of oncology nursing : the official journal of European Oncology Nursing Society, a Q2 journal. Reflexology is a complementary therapy, not a replacement for medical treatment.