The Effect of Reflexology on the Pain-Insomnia-Fatigue Disturbance Cluster of Breast Cancer Patients During Adjuvant Radiation Therapy.

Authors: Ricardo Tarrasch, Narin N Carmel-Neiderman, Sarah Ben-Ami, Bella Kaufman, Raphi Pfeffer, Merav Ben-David et al.Journal: Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.)Published: February 23, 2018DOI: 10.1089/acm.2017.0023

Q2 JournalSJR: 0.55h-index: 90

Moderate EvidenceRandomized Controlled Trial

Insomnia Cancer Pain Management

In Plain Language: reflexology for sleep, explained

Researchers tested whether reflexology could help breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy who were experiencing pain, insomnia, and fatigue. The study compared patients who received reflexology treatment to a control group to see if reflexology reduced these three interconnected symptoms.

Key Findings: what this randomised trial found about sleep

✓The study investigated whether reflexology could alleviate the interconnected symptoms of pain, insomnia, and fatigue in breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant radiation therapy.
✓Researchers compared reflexology treatment outcomes against a control group to evaluate the effectiveness of this complementary therapy in managing radiation-related side effects.

What This Means for You

If you're undergoing radiation for breast cancer and struggling with pain, sleep problems, and exhaustion, reflexology shows moderate promise as a complementary therapy, though more research with larger groups is needed to confirm benefits.

What This Means for Practitioners

This study suggests reflexology may be effective for managing the pain-insomnia-fatigue cluster in cancer patients during active treatment, positioning it as a valuable supportive therapy within oncology care.

Read Full Paper↗

Reflexology for sleep: common questions

Does reflexology help with sleep?

What did this study find?

The study investigated whether reflexology could alleviate the interconnected symptoms of pain, insomnia, and fatigue in breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant radiation therapy. Researchers compared reflexology treatment outcomes against a control group to evaluate the effectiveness of this complementary therapy in managing radiation-related side effects.

How strong is this evidence?

This is a randomised trial and we rate its evidence moderate. It was published in Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), a Q2 journal. Reflexology is a complementary therapy, not a replacement for medical treatment.