Pain Research

Foot reflexology used to alleviate anxiety and pain for patients with breast and lung cancer

Reflexology can offer help to patients suffering from breast and lung cancer according to researchers at the School of Nursing, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA.

The researchers monitored twenty three patients (most of whom were female and over 65 years old) diagnosed with breast or lung cancer. The patients were given a 30 minute reflexology treatment by a certified reflexologist and there were no other changes made to their daily schedule or in their medications.

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The results revealed that, following the foot reflexology treatments, the patients with breast and lung cancer experienced a significant decrease in anxiety, and one of three pain measures showed that patients with breast cancer experienced a significant decrease in pain.

The report of this small scale study concludes that reflexology treatment can lead to a significant decrease in anxiety for patients diagnosed with breast or lung cancer, and a decrease in pain for patients with breast cancer. This has important implications for nursing practice as both professionals and lay people can be taught reflexology.

Foot reflexology is a simple technique for human touch which can be performed anywhere, requires no special equipment, is non-invasive, and does not interfere with patients' privacy.

Source: Oncol Nurs Forum 2000 Jan-Feb;27(1):67-72
The effects of foot reflexology on anxiety and pain in patients with breast and lung cancer. Stephenson NL, Weinrich SP, Tavakoli AS

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