[The effects of foot reflexology on nausea, vomiting and fatigue of breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy]
Limited EvidenceIn Plain Language: reflexology for nausea, explained
The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of foot reflexology on nausea, vomiting and fatigue in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The research was a quasi-experimental study using a non-equivalent pre-post design and was conducted from Jan. 26, to Mar. 20, 2004. The subjects consisted of 34 patients with 18 in the experimental group and 16 in control group. A pretest and 2 posttests were conducted to measure nausea, vomiting and fatigue. For the experimental group, foot reflexology, which was consisted of 4 phases for 40 minutes, was given by a researcher and 4 research assistants. The collected data were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA using the SPSS WIN 10.0 program. There was a statistically significant decrease in nausea, and vomiting in the experimental group compared to the control group over two different times. In addition, there was a statistically significant decrease in fatigue in the experimental group compared to the control group over two different times. Foot reflexology was effective on nausea, vomiting and fatigue in breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in this study. Therefore, foot reflexology can be usefully utilized as a nursing intervention in the field of cancer nursing for breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.
Key Findings: what this observational study found about nausea
- ✓Foot reflexology significantly reduced nausea in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy compared to the control group across two measurement periods.
- ✓Foot reflexology significantly reduced vomiting in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy compared to the control group across two measurement periods.
- ✓Foot reflexology significantly reduced fatigue in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy compared to the control group across two measurement periods.
What This Means for You
While this small study suggests foot reflexology may help reduce chemotherapy side effects like nausea and fatigue, the evidence is preliminary and should not replace standard medical care—discuss it with your oncology team first.
What This Means for Practitioners
This quasi-experimental study provides preliminary support for reflexology as a nursing intervention in cancer care, though larger randomized trials are needed to establish it as a standard supportive therapy.
Study Design: how this observational study was run
Reflexology for nausea: common questions
Does reflexology help with nausea?
While this small study suggests foot reflexology may help reduce chemotherapy side effects like nausea and fatigue, the evidence is preliminary and should not replace standard medical care—discuss it with your oncology team first.
What did this study find?
Foot reflexology significantly reduced nausea in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy compared to the control group across two measurement periods. Foot reflexology significantly reduced vomiting in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy compared to the control group across two measurement periods. Foot reflexology significantly reduced fatigue in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy compared to the control group across two measurement periods.
How strong is this evidence?
This is a observational study and we rate its evidence limited. It covers 34 participants. It was published in Taehan Kanho Hakhoe chi, a Q3 journal. Reflexology is a complementary therapy, not a replacement for medical treatment.
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