The effects of reflexology on anxiety and pain in patients after abdominal hysterectomy: A randomised controlled trial
Strong EvidenceIn Plain Language: reflexology for anxiety, explained
This study aimed at finding out the effects of reflexology on pain, anxiety levels after abdominal hysterectomy. The study was performed on women hospitalized in the intensive care unit and gynecology services of Ege University Hospital in İzmir after abdominal hysterectomy between September 2013 and September 2014. This study was designed and conducted as a randomized controlled trial. The study sample consisted of 63 female patients: 32 in the experimental group and 31 in the control group. The postoperative daily monitoring sheet, Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory (SAI), was employed to collect research data and "visual analog scale" to evaluate pain levels. The female patients' average age was found to be 47.23 ± 4.71. The three-day monitoring showed a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of average pain levels and anxiety scores after reflexology (p < 0.05). Foot reflexology may serve as an effective nursing intervention to increase the well-being and decrease the pain of female patients after abdominal hysterectomy, and nurses should be aware of the benefits of reflexology.
Key Findings: what this randomised trial found about anxiety
- ✓Reflexology significantly reduced pain levels in patients after abdominal hysterectomy compared to the control group (p < 0.05).
- ✓Reflexology significantly decreased anxiety scores in postoperative patients over a three-day monitoring period (p < 0.05).
- ✓Foot reflexology demonstrated effectiveness as a complementary therapeutic intervention for managing both pain and anxiety in post-hysterectomy patients.
What This Means for You
If you're having abdominal hysterectomy surgery, reflexology appears to be a helpful complementary therapy that may reduce your pain and anxiety during recovery, though more research would strengthen this finding.
What This Means for Practitioners
This RCT supports reflexology as an evidence-based nursing intervention for post-surgical pain and anxiety management, providing clinical justification to incorporate it into patient care protocols.
Study Design: how this randomised trial was run
Reflexology for anxiety: common questions
Does reflexology help with anxiety?
If you're having abdominal hysterectomy surgery, reflexology appears to be a helpful complementary therapy that may reduce your pain and anxiety during recovery, though more research would strengthen this finding.
What did this study find?
Reflexology significantly reduced pain levels in patients after abdominal hysterectomy compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Reflexology significantly decreased anxiety scores in postoperative patients over a three-day monitoring period (p < 0.05). Foot reflexology demonstrated effectiveness as a complementary therapeutic intervention for managing both pain and anxiety in post-hysterectomy patients.
How strong is this evidence?
This is a randomised trial and we rate its evidence strong. It covers 63 participants. It was published in Complementary therapies in medicine, a Q2 journal. Reflexology is a complementary therapy, not a replacement for medical treatment.
Related Research
Effect of Reflexology on Decreasing Postoperative Pain and Anxiety After Total Abdominal Hysterectomy: Erratum
Improving Quality of Life in The Constipated Older Person: Reflexology or Abdominal Massage? A Two-Group, Randomized Comparative Trial
Effect of Reflexology on Decreasing Postoperative Pain and Anxiety After Total Abdominal Hysterectomy
The Effect of Hand Reflexology Massage on Pain and Anxiety After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Mental Health Promotion Through Nursing Interventions Focused on Anxiety, Sleep and Well-Being: A Scoping Review
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