The Effects of Foot Reflexology on the Physical Symptoms of Cancer Patients

Abstract

Purpose Foot reflexology has become popular for sustainable health management because it is free from side effects, easy to learn and perform. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of foot reflexology on the physical symptoms of cancer patients. Methods The systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted by following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Data were pooled using fixed− or random-effects models. Pain, sleep, fatigue, and nausea and vomiting were analyzed for the main effects. Eighteen studies were included, representing 931 participants. Results Foot reflexology was effective in alleviating pain (d=−1.05; 95% CI: −1.52, −0.59), promoting sleep (d=1.15; 95% CI: 0.45, 1.85), and relieving fatigue (d=−1.46; 95% CI: −1.79, −1.14), but it was not significantly effective in reducing nausea and vomiting (d=−0.53; 95% CI: −1.29, 0.22). Conclusions Based on these findings, there is clear evidence that foot reflexology has significant positive effects on the physical symptoms of cancer patients. Further study is needed, however, to perform subgroup analysis using the frequency of sessions as predictors.

Keywords

• cancer
• fatigue
• foot reflexology
• pain
• sleep