A randomized clinical trial on the effect of foot reflexology performed in the fourth stage of labor on uterine afterpain

Effects of Reflexology on Anorexia and Sleep Quality in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background

Cancer and associated treatment methods present numerous complications, including anorexia and disturbances in sleep patterns. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to examine the impact of reflexology on the symptoms of anorexia and sleep quality among individuals afflicted with cancer.

Materials and Methods

In this double-blinded randomized clinical trial, a total of 60 patients undergoing chemotherapy at Khansari Hospital, Arak, Iran, were selected using convenience sampling and then assigned to two groups of control and experimental using blocked randomization (30 patients in each group). The sample intervention group received reflexology in an exceedingly 4-week amount (two sessions a week), By contrast, the control group was administered a placebo treatment without exerting any pressure on the reflex points during the same time frame. Sleep quality and anorexia in patients were measured using a Pittsburgh questionnaire and visual analog scale before and right after the intervention. Eventually, the data were analyzed, and we used the tests of central tendency, dispersion, independent- and paired-samples t-tests, and Chi-square.

Results

The findings of the study revealed a significant improvement in sleep quality and reduction in anorexia symptoms among patients who received reflexology treatment scores (p < 0.001). Conversely, there was no significant difference in the control group before and after the intervention (without pressure effect on the foot points) (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

According to the positive effects on sleep quality and the reduction of anorexia symptoms, it is recommended to incorporate this therapeutic modality along with conventional medication for the treatment of individuals with cancer.

Effects of foot reflexology massage on pregnant women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies

To explore the effects of foot reflexology massage on anxiety, pain, duration of labor, labor satisfaction, blood pressure, pulse rate and respiratory rate in pregnant women. We systematically searched eight databases for randomized controlled studies on the effects of foot reflexology massage on pregnant women. The inclusion criteria were as follow: participants were pregnant woman; the intervention is foot reflexology or foot massage; the control intervention is placebo, usual care, or no intervention; outcome indicators included pain, anxiety, birth satisfaction, duration of labor, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration; and study type was randomized controlled study. Studies that did not meet the above requirements were excluded. We assessed the quality of the included studies using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale, the risk of bias using the Risk of Bias 2.0 tool, and the level of evidence for the outcomes using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation. We used Review Manager 5.3 for data analysis and generated funnel plots to assess publication bias. In addition, sensitivity analysis was used to test the stability of the results. A total of 13 randomized controlled studies with 1189 participants were included in this study. Compared to the control group, foot reflexology massage reduced anxiety and pain in pregnant women, shortened the three stages of labor, and increased birth satisfaction. In addition, it also reduced the pulse rate and respiratory rate of pregnant women, but not for blood pressure. Foot reflexology massage can significantly reduce anxiety and pain, shorten the duration of labor, increase birth satisfaction, and stabilize vital signs in pregnant women. It is a safe and non-invasive form of complementary therapy.PROSPERO registered number: CRD42022359641. URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=359641 .

Effectiveness of breathing exercise on the duration of labour: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Prolonged labour intensifies labour pain, and failure to address labour pain may lead to abnormal labour and augments the usage of operative interventions. Prolonged labour is common among women, resulting in maternal morbidity, increased caesarean section (CS) rates, and postpartum complications. It may bring forth negative birth experiences that may increase the preference for CS. There is a dearth of evidence concerning the effectiveness of breathing exercises on the duration of labor. As per our knowledge, this is the first systematic review and meta-analysis on the effect of breathing exercises on the duration of labor. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to appraise the evidence concerning the effectiveness of breathing exercises on the duration of labour.

Methods

Electronic databases MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), EMBASE, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and ClinicalKey were searched for randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies published in the English language between January 2005 to March 2022 that reported on the effectiveness of breathing exercises on the duration of labour. Duration of labour was the primary analysed outcome. The secondary outcomes assessed were anxiety, duration of pain, APGAR scores, episiotomy, and mode of delivery. Meta-analysis was done using RevMan v5.3.

Results

The reviewed trials involved 1418 participants, and the study participants ranged from 70 to 320. The mean gestational weeks of the participants among the reported trials was 38.9 weeks. Breathing exercise shortened the duration of the intervention group's second stage of labour compared with the control group.

Conclusions

Breathing exercise is a beneficial preventive intervention in shortening the duration of second stage of labour.

Registration

The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021247126).

The Effects of Foot Reflexology for Smoking Cessation on Brain Activities with Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI): A Pilot Study

Background. Foot reflexology is a treatment with the hypothesis that such massage stimulation on the feet may cause a therapeutic effect which should be helpful for smoking cessation. However, its mechanism of action in the brain of smoking people remains unknown. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is helpful for real-time brain activity detection. We aim to compare the brain activity effects of foot reflexology with fMRI between smoking and nonsmoking subjects. Materials and Methods. We divided participants into experimental (smokers) and control groups (nonsmokers). Both groups received similar foot reflexology under the fMRI examination. Then, we compared the mean response score in each brain area before and after foot stimulation among groups and between groups. Results. Five nonsmokers and fifteen smokers had completed the study. All participants were right-handed males, with a mean age of 38.6 years. The fMRI brain response in the areas correlated with foot stimulation, including the precentral gyrus of the frontal lobe and the postcentral gyrus of the parietal lobe, was present for all participants. The fMRI response outside the correlated area, including other parts of the frontal and parietal lobes, the temporal and occipital cortices, and the thalamus, was also found in all participants, but was not consistent. Conclusions. The fMRI of the brain is feasible and safe for demonstrating foot reflexology reactions. The response signal outside the correlated motor-sensory cortical area with foot reflexology may have clinical significance and may be helpful for smoking cessation. We suggest conducting a large-scale, randomized controlled trial to confirm these findings.