Research
Quality clinical studies can cost a lot of money, there aren’t any large corporate interests to fund such clinical studies so research is limited and sample sizes tend to be small.
It is always interesting to read of clinical studies into reflexology and it can give those new to reflexology some assurance. I know before I started having regular reflexology, if someone had suggested that someone working on my feet would have any impact on for example back pain that I would have thought that they were ‘with the birds’!
Reflexology and sleep
This study examines the effectiveness of using foot reflexology to improve sleep quality in postnatal (postpartum) women. It found that intervention involving foot reflexology significantly improved the quality of sleep.
Reflexology – a general overview
This study reviewed 168 research studies and found that reflexology can have an impact on specific organs (for example kidneys), can be associated with improvement of symptoms, can create a relaxation effect and can aid pain reduction.
They are cautious in saying (because the clinical research was weak) that reflexology may have a positive effect on type 2 diabetes and may exert a beneficial effect on lowering blood pressure and incontinence and may be effective for tingling in MS.
Reflexology and back pain
Further research into the effect of reflexology on chronic lower back pain – comparing massage with reflexology – although both groups reported an improvement in the intensity of their pain, there was a significantly higher reduction in pain intensity scores in the reflexology group after the intervention as compared with the non-specific massage group.
Painful periods and reflexology
– Tony Porter and Lindsay McMillan FRCOG
The study included a number of young women who all suffered refractory dysmenorrhoea (period cramps, menstruation symptoms) and complained of pain at the time of their periods.
By the end of nine to ten months, the figures were correlated and it became plainly obvious that the success of ART reflexology in alleviating severe dysmenorrhea in these young women was in the region of 85% – 90%, whereas in surgical treatment it was probably less than half that figure. Further information about the study is here.
Reflexology is more than a foot massage. Massage involves manipulation of soft tissue and muscle, reflexology stimulates the nerve pathways
Book a Session with Me
I work from the very lovely treatment rooms at Flow Tunbridge Wells on Woodbury Park Road and at Groombridge Osteopathy practice (right between the village post office and the bakery).
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