Reflexology Research & Science
Does reflexology work? The honest answer from 808 peer-reviewed studies: the evidence is mixed and mostly early-stage. 245 are randomized controlled trials and 221 are systematic reviews or meta-analyses. The strongest signals are for relaxation, anxiety, and pain, not for curing disease. Every study is below, graded by evidence strength and pulled from PubMed.
808 studies · page 7 of 68
Effect of acupressure and acupuncture on sleep quality in cancer patients with insomnia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Researchers reviewed multiple studies testing whether acupressure and acupuncture could help cancer patients sleep better. They combined the results from these studies to see if these techniques actually work for treating insomnia in this patient population.
strong evidence
Q2 JournalChinese Medicines Treatment for Sleep Disturbance in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Network Meta-Analysis.
Researchers reviewed multiple studies on Chinese herbal medicines used to help breast cancer survivors with sleep problems. They analyzed which treatments worked best by comparing results across different studies to identify the most effective herbal options for improving sleep.
Efficacy of mobilization with movement (MWM) for shoulder conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Effect of Prenatal Perineal Massage on Postpartum Perineal Injury and Postpartum Complications: A Meta-Analysis.
Researchers combined results from multiple studies to examine whether massaging the perineum (the area between the vagina and anus) during pregnancy could reduce tears and complications after childbirth. They found that prenatal perineal massage was associated with reduced perineal trauma and fewer postpartum complications in women giving birth vaginally.
Perineal massage during labor: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
This study examined whether perineal massage during vaginal delivery can reduce the incidence of severe perineal trauma, such as significant lacerations. The findings revealed that women who received perineal massage had a 51% lower risk of severe perineal trauma compared to those who did not receive the massage. These results suggest that perineal massage could be an effective technique to minimize injury during childbirth.
Massage therapy research review.
A review of studies found that moderate pressure massage has many positive effects, such as aiding weight gain in preterm infants and reducing pain in conditions like fibromyalgia. It also helps reduce anxiety and depression by affecting brain areas responsible for emotional regulation, showing the importance of this type of massage in therapeutic settings.
Effect of aromatherapy on sleep quality of adults and elderly people: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis.
The study examined the impact of aromatherapy on sleep quality in adults and the elderly. Results showed that aromatherapy significantly improves sleep quality, reduces stress, pain, anxiety, depression, and fatigue. This is important because better sleep can enhance overall health and well-being.
Manual Therapy as a Management of Cervical Radiculopathy: A Systematic Review.
This study reviewed various clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of manual therapy for treating cervical radiculopathy, which is a condition causing pain and dysfunction due to problems with the cervical nerves. The findings suggest that manual therapy can help reduce pain and improve function, regardless of the specific techniques used, highlighting its potential value in treating this condition.
Massage therapy as a complementary treatment for Parkinson's disease: A Systematic Literature Review
There is no definite cure for Parkinson's disease (PD); therefore, the goals for symptomatic treatment are to improve quality of life and manage the motor and non-motor symptoms of the disease. Although massage is the one of the commonest used forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), there is no systematically-oriented review focusing specifically on the efficacy of the different massage techniques on PD.Aim of this review was to evaluate the quality of evidence referring to massage therapy for PD. A systematic search was conductedin the MEDLINE database to identify the efficacy of massage on PD between 01/01/1970 and 06/12/2019. A total of 12 studies were analyzed in this systematic review. Massage therapy seems to induce relaxation in most cases, which is accompanied by biological measures involving urine stress hormones. Quality of life has been shown to be improved upon various therapeutic massage styles, involving classical whole-body therapeutic massage and reflexology. Non-motor symptoms, such as sleep disturbances, pain, fatigue, anxiety and depressive symptoms have been demonstrated to be improved upon different massage techniques, including classical deep therapeutic massage, Traditional Japanese (Anma) massage, Thai massage, neuromuscular therapy and Yin Tui Na massage. Regarding motor symptoms, classical therapeutic massage, Traditional Japanese (Anma) massage, Thai massage, and neuromuscular therapy seemed to improve motor symptoms, whereas Yin Tui Na technique combined with acupuncture was associated with worse motor scores. Despite the methodological concerns regarding the existing evidence, there is a wide range of safe massage techniques with beneficial effects on both motor and non-motor symptoms of PD. Longitudinal studies are needed to justify the introduction of massage therapy into clinical practice.
A Systematic Review of Potentially Effective Nonpharmacological Interventions for Reducing Fatigue among Iranian Patients Who Receive Hemodialysis
Fatigue control in hemodialysis (HD) patients requires a multidisciplinary approach. This study aimed to comprehensively review the available research literature regarding the nonpharmacological interventions used for reducing fatigue among Iranian HD patients. In this systematic review, an extensive search of the literature was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases, using the keywords related to the purpose. Also, the Persian equivalent of these keywords was searched in Iranian databases, such as Iranmedex and Scientific Information Database (SID) from the inception to June 16, 2020. Of 2,761 articles, 25 studies were included in the review. Among a total of 1,748 Iranian HD patients with a mean age of 54.17 (SD = 12.27) years, 61.38% were male. Interventions such as educational-based programs (n = 5), nutrition-based programs (n = 2), massage therapy (n = 3), exercise-based programs (n = 4), relaxation technique (n = 3), combination of relaxation technique and inhalation aromatherapy (n = 1), energy therapy (reflexology and acupressure) (n = 3), and mind-guided imagery (n = 1) were effective in reducing fatigue in Iranian HD patients. These simple, low-cost, and practical interventions can be used for the reduction of fatigue among HD patients by nurses. However, future well-designed studies are recommended to confirm the efficacy of these and other potentially effective interventions for reducing fatigue in HD patients. Hintergrund und Zielsetzung: Um die im Zusammenhang mit Hämodialyse (HD) auftretende Müdigkeit zu beherrschen, ist ein interdisziplinäres Vorgehen erforderlich. Das Ziel dieser Studie ist es, einen umfassenden Überblick über die vorliegende Forschungsliteratur zu nicht-pharmakologischen Maßnahmen zur Reduktion der Müdigkeit bei iranischen HD-Patienten zu geben. Methoden: Für diese systematische Übersichtsarbeit wurde eine umfassende Literaturrecherche in den Datenbanken PubMed, W
Effect of complementary and alternative medicine interventions on cancer related pain among breast cancer patients: A systematic review
This systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy of CAM interventions for cancer-related pain in breast cancer patients. Databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EMBASE) were searched from January 1, 2000, up to April 31, 2019, using the keywords: Complementary and alternative medicine therapies and cancer related pain. Standard tools were used to evaluate the quality of the studies included. Of the 3742 articles found, 46 articles comprising 3685 participants entered the final phase. Our results indicate that interventions including acupuncture/acupressure, tai chi/qi gong, hypnosis, meditation, music therapy, yoga, massage, reflexology, and Reiki improve cancer-related pain in breast cancer patients. However, aromatherapy had no effect on the same. Despite the positive effect of various CAM interventions in reducing cancer-related pain, necessary precautions should be adopted to use them alongside other treatments to control cancer pain in the clinical setting.
Efficacy of Musculoskeletal Manipulation for Endoscopic Discomfort in Patients Undergoing Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and Colonoscopy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGIE) and colonoscopy often experience discomfort, including anxiety, abdominal pain, and bloating. The efficacy of musculoskeletal manipulation (e.g., massage) for these symptoms remains unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to clarify its efficacy in patients undergoing UGIE and colonoscopy. We searched major electronic databases (MEDLINE (PubMed), CENTRAL, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PEDro) and trial registries up to July 17, 2025, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Meta-analyses employed a random-effects model, and risk of bias was formally assessed. Four trials were included. Two trials on reflexology showed a non-significant effect on pre-procedural anxiety, with the evidence being highly variable and leading to very low certainty findings. Two trials on abdominal massage following colonoscopy suggested a possible benefit for reduced abdominal pain, but this finding was limited by substantial heterogeneity. The overall evidence for musculoskeletal manipulation on anxiety, abdominal pain, and bloating is generally low or very low certainty due to imprecision and high risk of bias. While the overall evidence is insufficient for routine clinical recommendations, future high-quality, large-scale trials that standardize outcome assessments are essential to establish definitive conclusions. This review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD420251104522).
Does reflexology work? Common questions
Is reflexology scientifically proven?
No. The most careful reviews conclude reflexology isn't a proven treatment for any specific medical condition. What the research more consistently supports is relaxation and short-term relief of anxiety and pain. We track 808 studies here, graded by evidence strength, so you can judge for yourself.
Does reflexology actually work?
It depends what you mean. For curing or treating a disease, the evidence doesn't support it. For helping people relax and feel less anxious or in less pain during a session, a number of small studies are positive, including 245 randomized controlled trials and 221 systematic reviews or meta-analyses in this library.
Is reflexology a pseudoscience?
Reflexology's core idea, that specific points on the feet map to distant organs, isn't backed by anatomy or physiology, and that's why critics call it pseudoscience. The relaxation and comfort people feel during a session are real, though. It's best understood as a complementary relaxation practice, not a medical treatment.
What is reflexology best supported for?
The strongest and most consistent evidence is for relaxation and short-term reduction in anxiety and pain, plus some cancer-care symptoms like nausea and fatigue. Evidence for treating specific diseases is weak. Use the evidence-strength filter to sort studies by how solid they are.
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