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Massage therapy and reflexology awareness
Abstract
Holistic Nursing Principles Related to Massage Therapy and Reflexology
The nurse who performs massage therapy and reflexology is aware of the following:
• practice self-awareness
• be aware of intention to touch and permission to touch
• practice 4-H (healing hearts, healing hands) awareness
• offer touch to colleagues, family, friends, and clients daily
• receive touch daily
• be mindful of body-mind-spirit assessment outcomes
• be observant of precaution awareness
• be aware that massage or reflexology is client driven
• practice massage and reflexology in any setting, with or without oils
• be sensitive to changes in the body, mind, and spirit, and guide accordingly
• practice listening and understanding from the heart to facilitate healing in self and others
Information about massage therapy and reflexology has been shared for the purpose of creating awareness about healing modalities and encouraging the use of basic techniques that have been outlined. These basic techniques are used for self-care and for the care of others, in which intention to touch is understood by the heart and expressed by the hands. Creating touching moments in the work setting, where the compassionate nurse takes time to center and extend hands to a fellow nurse by massaging the shoulders and neck, is encouraged. Assessing areas of sensitivity on the hands or feet and applying pressure to these areas is a simple gesture used to release stress and tension and is offered to self, colleagues, or client. It is difficult to refute the power of a healing hand fueled of the understanding of a loving heart.
The evolution of massage therapy and reflexology over time certainly has shifted the education and training of the massage therapist and reflexologist. Nurses have evolved to a position of successfully completing additional education and training in massage therapy or reflexology and work as nurse massage therapists and reflexologists within nursing. Although basic information about massage therapy and reflexology is shown here to encourage the use of these healing modalities in almost any setting, proficiency in massage therapy or reflexology requires additional education and training to meet the standards of practice outlined by their respective governing authorities (The National Association of Nurse Massage Therapists and the International Institute of Reflexology). Nurses are encouraged to explore their interests and intentions, and if necessary, to seek additional education and training in their areas of interest.
... Massage has been defined as '. . . using the hands to apply various levels of pressure and motion on the skin to access underlying lymphatic channels, muscle and fascia for the purpose of promoting physical and psychological relaxation, improving circulation and muscle tone, increasing range of motion, enhancing of immune function, relieving pain and promoting lymphatic movement' 39 ...
... Reflexology is based on the concept that the bodies organs and systems are reflected on the surface of the hands and feet, with the left side of the body being reflected on the left hand and foot, and vice versa. 39,76 The manipulations used in reflexology are said to promote well-being. 39 It is said that reflexology helps to improve both acute and chronic pain, anxiety, blood pressure, pulse, temperature, hormone levels, circulation, breathing, elimination, relaxation, detoxification, healing, the immune systems, sleep and wound healing. ...
... 39,76 The manipulations used in reflexology are said to promote well-being. 39 It is said that reflexology helps to improve both acute and chronic pain, anxiety, blood pressure, pulse, temperature, hormone levels, circulation, breathing, elimination, relaxation, detoxification, healing, the immune systems, sleep and wound healing. Reflexology also has revitalizing, rebalancing and health promoting properties. ...
Nurses often use non-pharmacological measures to facilitate comfort for patients within the hospital setting. However, guidelines for use of these measures are commonly inadequate or absent. This paper presents 12 clinical practice guidelines that were developed from the findings of a literature review into non-pharmacological measures that are thought to facilitate patient comfort. The non-pharmacological measures addressed in these guidelines are: Aromotherapy, Distraction, Guided Imagery, Laughter, Massage, Music, Reiki, Heat or Cold, Meditation, Reflexology, Reposition and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. These are preliminary guidelines for the use of non-pharmacological measures and further research and development of such guidelines is recommended.
... 3 Reflex effects are known to release symptoms of stress 4 by accelerating blood flow, 5 diminishing tension, relaxing the mental state, increasing immunity, and improving the sense of wellbeing. 6 In particular, self-administered foot reflexology is unrestricted by time and space, economical, and practical because it is easy to learn and apply. 6 Therefore, in consideration of cost-effectiveness and time requirements, self-administered foot reflexology might be a beneficial therapy for sustainable health management. ...
... 6 In particular, self-administered foot reflexology is unrestricted by time and space, economical, and practical because it is easy to learn and apply. 6 Therefore, in consideration of cost-effectiveness and time requirements, self-administered foot reflexology might be a beneficial therapy for sustainable health management. ...
Objectives:
Self-administered foot reflexology is unrestricted by time and space, economical, and practical because it is easy to learn and apply. This study estimated the effectiveness of self-foot reflexology for symptom management in healthy persons through a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Methods:
The participants were healthy persons not diagnosed with a specific disease. The intervention was foot reflexology administered by participants, not by practitioners or healthcare providers. The comparative studies either between groups or within group comparison were included. Our search utilized core databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, and CINAHL). We also searched Chinese (CNKI), Japanese (J-STAGE), and Korean databases (KoreaMed, KMbase, KISS, NDSL, KISTI, and OASIS). The search was used MeSH terminology and key words (foot reflexology, foot massage, and self).
Results:
Analysis of three non-randomized trials and three before-and-after studies showed that self-administered foot reflexology resulted in significant improvement in subjective outcomes such as perceived stress, fatigue, and depression. However, there was no significant improvement in objective outcomes such as cortisol levels, blood pressure, and pulse rate. We did not find any randomized controlled trial.
Conclusions:
This study presents the effectiveness of self-administered foot reflexology for healthy persons' psychological and physiological symptoms. While objective outcomes showed limited results, significant improvements were found in subjective outcomes. However, owing to the small number of studies and methodological flaws, there was insufficient evidence supporting the use of self-performed foot reflexology. Well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to assess the effect of self-administered foot reflexology in healthy people.
... A full body massage might be helpful. Massage helps to improve circulation and relieve pain (Mackey, 2001). ...
... The nurse can suggest full body massage for the employee. Massage helps improve circulation (Mackey, 2001). Because of the "demonstrated health benefits, self care use and low cost of meditation techniques," the National Institutes of Health now recommend meditation as a first line therapy for hypertension (Kowalak, 2001). ...
Dossey (2001) says, "The nurse serves as a facilitator and helps assist the patient and his or her significant others to be in the best state for healing to take place. Nurses are in a unique position to be instruments of healing at all times." According to Fitch (1999), "A fundamental goal of nursing is to comfort." Complementary and alternative therapies offer many self care and comforting remedies help employees prevent disease and promote healing. Occupational health nurses have the ability to educate employees and offer guidance about CAM therapies; encourage self care management of minor complaints; and encourage employees, when appropriate, to seek health care. As employees' use of CAM continues to increase, occupational health nurses need to monitor use of CAM therapies among employees. Nurses should inform the employer, case managers, and insurance companies involved about the potential increase in CAM use to promote changes in the health care system and integrate conventional and CAM therapies as needed. Further research related to CAM therapies continues as the health care system warrants safe, effective, and cost effective ways to promote health and prevent or manage illness.
... Corresponding organs of foot reflex points stimulated by reflexology will generate effects by body cell responses [6]. Reflexology owns a positive effect on tension, mental state, immunity, and the sense of wellbeing [7]. A few research works investigate the effects of reflexology on COPD patients especially in pulmonary rehabilitation outcomes. ...
Introduction. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex disease that requires multidisciplinary interventions provided by a team work of care providers working closely. Pulmonary rehabilitation should be considered a part of integrated patient management. Aim. The main goal of this study was to search for the effectiveness of introducing new reflexology maneuver as main component in pulmonary rehabilitation program (PRP). Material and Methods. Randomized control trial was done on 35 COPD patients of both genders their ages ranged from 50-70 with different degrees of functional severity. Patients were grouped into two groups; Reflexology Group (20 patients) including patients underwent classic PRP with addition of the new reflexology maneuver& control group(15 patients) who underwent classic PRP without reflexology maneuver.Outcomes were mentioned as refinement of pulmonary function,exercise tolerance and capacity measured by 6-min walk test,dyspnea score measured by the Modified British Medical Research Council (mMRC) Questionnaire, health status assigned by Combined Assessment test (CAT) score and parameters of blood gases. Results. Comparison between different variables in both groups before PRP and reflexology revealed statistically significant differences as regards the mean values of forced vital capacity (FVC) only, although the same comparison after full course of PRP and reflexology assigned statistically significant differences as regards the mean values of partial pressure of O2 (PO2), partial pressure of CO2 (PCO2), oxygen saturation (SaO2),forced expiratory volume in 1sec (FEV1), dyspnea &CAT score considering (p < 0.05). Conclusion. With addition of reflexology to PRP the comprehensive PR program outcomes in COPD patients resulted in significant improvement in dyspnea, blood gases, FEV1 and CAT score.
... According to Laplantine, (1999) in Bordes 3 , through these manifestations, the body is attempting to balance its functions 3,27 using its capacity of self-regulation 27,28 spontaneously re-establishing therapeutic restoration. Some of these physiological or emotional manifestations could be related to the nervous system 7,25,[33][34][35] . However, little is known about the physical behaviors associated with reflexology or what they express 23 . ...
Recent studies on reflexology describe the appearance of different application-associated effects, attributed to a self-regulatory mechanism related to treatment efficacy. On the other hand, sleep is a physiological process of vital importance for health. Its main value lies in restoring the natural balance between neuronal centers. Among its associated behavioral characteristics are spontaneous movements and eye movements. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects that occur during application of reflexology and that are not described in the literature. This is a descriptive observational study with a quantitative methodology. Abivariate anlysis has been conductec through chi-square test or Anova as apropiate. A total of 111 clients of a therapy center in Tarragona have participated in the study. They were assigned into four groups (musculoskeletal, stress, anxiety, mantenance). Reflexology was administered and observered the manifestations that occured during the session. The findings have identified four categories of effects, of which there was no previous reference. These effects can be related to any of the stages of sleep. This study shows that reflexology promotes its application for different effects, such as eye movements and spontaneous movements. These data reveal the need to investigate these effects and their impact on health as well as their possible relationship with sleep.
... Perfumed oil absorbed by foot reflex massage comes to circulate in the whole body through capillaries and lymphs and then makes chemical reactions with hormones and enzymes in a certain organ with affinity, acts as a carrier for nourishing the skin cells to increase oxygen in the body, and stays for a few hours to a few days within the body to maintain a recovery process where neural tissues are stabilized [24]. If these actions of perfumed oil and stimuli from foot reflex delivered to the central nervous system through the centripetal nerve pathway reduce anxiety during the period of treatment and give physical relaxation, they allow energy to flow smoothly within the body and maximize the synergy effects of anxiety, tension relaxation, and improved relaxation [25] through improved blood circulation and evacuation, consequently creating a decrease in aggressive and wandering behaviors, which last for up to two weeks. ...
This study aims to evaluate the effects of aromatherapy and a foot reflex massage program on the cognition, anxiety, aggressive behavior, and wandering behavior of elderly with dementia. The research design was a non-equivalent control group, quasi-experimental study where 43 subjects were divided into two groups. Aromatherapy and foot reflex massage was administered to the experimental group (N=21), and no treatment was administered to the control group (N=22). The data was analyzed using the -test, t-test, while the repeated measures of ANOVA were utilized with the SPSS/Win 18.0 program. The experimental group did not show significant differences in cognitive function; however, it showed significant differences in anxiety, aggressive behavior, and wandering behavior in relation to the control group. Thus this research suggests aromatherapy and a foot reflex massage program as nursing intervention to improve the quality of life of elderly with dementia.
... (Mackey, 2001). 또한 간호학과 학생의 스트레스 경감 (Won et al., 2000), 암환자의 활력징후, 피로 감소, 기분상승 (Won, Jeong, Kim, & Kim, 2002), 노인의 심신이완 (Kim, 2003), 고혈압 환자의 혈압 하강 (Park & Cho, 2004), 수면증진 (Han & Lee, 2005), 피로회복 (Jin & Kim, 2005) ...
Purpose: This study was aimed to identify the effects of Self-Foot Reflexotherapy on the Fatigue, Mood and Vital Signs of the Nursing students. Methods: The research design was a quasi experimental, one-group pretest-posttest design. The data were collected from June 15 to August 31, 2008. The one group was consisted of 21 subjects. The instruments used for the study were the Fatigue and Paleasant mood. The data were analyzed by SPSS WIN 12.0 program. In order to compare the effect of the pre-post Foot Reflexotherapy, paired-test and Repeated Measures ANOVA was employed. Results: A significant decrease in fatigue, increase in Mood and Vital signs after providing self foot reflexotherapy was observed. Conclusion: The result suggests that a self foot reflexotherapy could be utilized as an effective nursing intervention to the patients to reduce fatigue, Mood and vital signs.
... De ahí la búsqueda por parte de los sujetos de terapias capaces de poner en movimiento el cuerpo en su totalidad y profundidad, en pos de lograr un estado de equilibrio entre mente, cuerpo y espíritu. En estrecha vinculación con esta idea, cabe mencionar algunos estudios recientes en el área de la salud y las ciencias sociales en Estados Unidos y Europa, los cuales señalan que, desde el punto de vista de los sujetos que padecen enfermedades crónicas, contracturas y dolor, resulta cada vez más habitual la percepción positiva de la calidad en las ofertas de salud cuando las terapias realizadas adoptan un abordaje holístico y logran activar la circulación energética en el cuerpo (Gunnarsdottir y Peden-McAlpine, 2004;Mackey, 2001;Rooney, 2006;Stephenson y Dalton, 2003). ...
This paper focuses on the relationships between the social actor´s representations of illness and the idea of energy circulation and flow in the context of reflexology practices. This discipline, as well as other alternative therapies, has considerably grown during the lasts decades in Argentina. Based on original materials, the author describes and analyzes the etiological illness theories among the users and the specialists of reflexology. Then, she explores how the notion of energy generates meaning, by making sense of the suffering experience.
... A stress response stimulates the sympathetic nervous system by releasing epinephrine and norepinephrine, resulting in increased heart rate, respiratory rate, arterial blood pressure and state anxiety levels. Reflexology provides tactile stimuli on the reflex arc on the soles of the feet (Mackey 2001). This reflex arc is the smallest portion of the nervous system capable of receiving a stimulus and yielding a response. ...
Our purpose was to pilot test whether reflexology may reduce anxiety in patients undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery in Iceland.
Nurses need to study the effects of complementary therapies in general and particularly those that may be beneficial to decrease patients' anxiety. It has been assumed that reflexology lessens anxiety, but research is needed to substantiate such expectations.
A pilot study using randomized design with experimental and control groups.
Nine patients were recruited and randomly assigned into groups with five patients assigned into an experimental group receiving reflexology for 30 minutes and four patients into control group which rested for 30 minutes. Anxiety and physiological variables were measured pre- and post-reflexology sessions once a day over five days.
The anxiety scores were lower for patients in the control group on all measures. Systolic blood pressure lowered significantly more in the control group than in the treatment group. No significant changes were observed for other variables. Patients' comments and responses overwhelmingly suggested increased well-being due to both experimental and control intervention.
This study showed little evidence to support reflexology as a mean of reducing anxiety in CABG patients. Several methodological problems were identified that need to be considered further.
It is suggested that reflexology should be tailored to individual needs and research methods used that allow for capturing its holistic nature. Further scholarly work is warranted to explore several methodological issues in studying complementary therapies in a highly complex treatment situation.
... It is used by various healthcare professions such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, manual and massage therapists, and nurses in a wide variety of clinical settings. 1 Massage has a long history within orthodox medicine and has been adopted as a therapeutic modality in all cultures since early civilization. 2,3 This treatment also has been cited as having social, educational, cultural, and humanitarian importance by addressing patients' need for human contact. ...
This article narratively reviews the evidence of 2 therapeutic modalities, massage and passive movement. The authors suggest that these 2 treatment techniques may be combined as 1 treatment to be used in a variety of clinical settings. We present the rationale through which the concept of massage with movement (MWM) has been developed and constructed from the principles of passive movements with gentle massage during Lomi Lomi massage. It is hypothesized that through further investigation and empirical studies, this concept may allow bodywork and movement therapists, nurses, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists to combine the positive effects of passive movements with those of massage for patients' health benefits, most notably through enhanced relaxation.
Different wounds produce different types of pain. Pain assessment should form part of the initial wound assessment and be reassessed regularly. Verbal cues and pain assessment tools are useful when assessing pain, and observing non-verbal cues, such as grimacing, guarding the affected area and limited movement can also be helpful. Nurses should stay up to date on how to minimise pain during dressing changes, as this has been shown to cause some of the highest levels of pain. Several types of analgesia can be used to manage wound pain, and the type prescribed should be based on the type of wound pain and level of pain experienced by the patient. It is key that health professionals always acknowledge how pain impacts their patient's quality of life.
Pain assessment and management is an important part of caring for people with wounds. Annemarie Brown provides an overview of the types of wound pain and strategies for minimising and managing it
Different wounds produce different types of pain. Pain assessment should form part of the initial wound assessment and be reassessed regularly. Verbal cues and pain assessment tools are useful when assessing pain, and observing non-verbal cues, such as grimacing, guarding the affected area and limited movement can also be helpful. Nurses should stay up to date on how to minimise pain during dressing changes, as this has been shown to cause some of the highest levels of pain. Several types of analgesia can be used to manage wound pain, and the type prescribed should be based on the type of wound pain and level of pain experienced by the patient. It is key that health professionals always acknowledge how pain impacts their patient's quality of life.
Introduction: Fatigue is one of the most annoying complaints reported in people undergoing hemodialysis. However, the lack of awareness of health care providers about evidence-based interventions in one hand and unavailability of information in a coherent manner on the other hand is an important barrier to taking more effective measures. Therefore, it was decided to investigate evidence-based nursing interventions on the fatigue of hemodialysis patients in Iran.
Methods: Data collection in this systematic review study was conducted without any time limit in both Persian and English articles by searching on different databases of Iran medical articles bank such as IranDoc databases, elmnet, SID, Google scholar, Magiran, PubMed, Library Cochrane CINAHL, and Scopus. Finally, the findings of each study were entered into the data entry form as a data collection tool.
Results: Out of 119 available articles, 25 related articles were reviewed. These studies were conducted between 2012 to 2019.Various interventions such as massage therapy, aromatherapy, care patterns, nutrition therapy, exercise and laugh therapy have been investigated to reduce the fatigue of hemodialysis patients. The results of studies on fatigue reduction have shown that all the proposed interventions can be effective in reducing the fatigue of hemodialysis patients.
Conclusion: A look at the evidence-based interventions of various studies shows an increased tendency to control health using complementary medicine and it expresses the importance of combining complementary and clinical medicine, however, its use in hospitals has been neglected
Purpose:
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) can interfere with activities of daily living and can negatively affect symptoms. Thus, this study aimed to develop and implement an aroma self-foot reflexology regimen based on Cox's Interaction Model of Client Health Behaviour (IMCHB) as an intervention that can be self-performed at home and at any time. The effects of aroma self-foot reflexology on peripheral neuropathy, peripheral skin temperature, anxiety, and depression were examined in patients with gynaecologic cancer who were undergoing chemotherapy.
Methods:
This randomized controlled trial included 32 experimental and 31 control patients with CIPN. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires (CIPN assessment tool, HADS). In the experimental group, peripheral neuropathy, peripheral skin temperature, anxiety, and depression were measured before and after aroma self-foot reflexology therapy for 6 weeks. The control group was provided with identical aroma self-foot reflexology training 6 weeks later and underwent the intervention at that time.
Results:
The intervention resulted in lower levels of symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, less interference with activities (p < .001), and higher peripheral skin temperature level (p < .001). Anxiety and depression decreased in the experimental group (p < .001). The ratio of borderline and definite cases of anxiety and depression did not differ between groups.
Conclusions:
An aroma self-foot reflexology intervention can reduce CIPN, anxiety, and depression in gynaecologic cancer patients. Further research is required to assess the effects of differences in the content of the intervention and the effects of various numbers of applications and durations of applications based on each individual patient's condition.
Introduction: Despite many advances in medical technology still, many patients are faced with physiological stress associated with hemodialysis treatments. That causes severe side effects inpatients on them. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of effleurage massages as a non-drug approaching on intensity of physiological stress associated with treatment in hemodialysis patients. Methods: This Clinical-Trial study was conducted on 41 patients treated with hemodialysis (n= 20 test), and (n= 21 controls) in dialysis Centre of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran. Instruments were demographic questionnaire and hemodialysis stress scale (HSS) stress was recorded before and during the intervention in both groups. Massage therapy was performed in the test group for 12 sessions (20 min). Data were analyzed using SPSS software with Mann-Whitney, Chi-square, Friedman and sign test. The significance level was (0.05). Results: Demographic data did not differ between two groups (P<0.05). Intensity of physiological stress associated with the treatment gradually decreased during the 4-weeks in experimental group. However, these changes were not observed in the control group, After the intervention reduced all physiological stress associated with the treatment in the intervention group (P>0.05). While the change in the control group were not statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: Effleurage massage is effective in reducing Intensity of physiological stress associated with the treatment in hemodialysis patients. It is recommended that this procedure be done on a wider range of dialysis patients to determine the definite effect.
Bioelectrodynamics is an interdisciplinary subject that offers a pathway for nursing to develop a new patient care strategy in health care. The application of bioenergy to living organisms has the potential to advance medical science in the areas of prevention, cancer, wound care, pain, and many other chronic diseases.
Purpose:
To identify the effects of foot reflexology massage on fatigue, stress and depression of postpartum women.
Methods:
A nonequivalent control group pre-post design was used. A total of 70 women in a postpartum care center were recruited and were assigned to the experimental group (35) or control group (35). Foot reflexology massage was provided to the experimental group once a day for three days. Data were collected before and after the intervention program which was carried out from December, 2013 to February, 2014. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and t-test.
Results:
The level of fatigue in the experimental group was significantly lower than the control group (t=-2.74, p=.008). The level of cortisol in the urine of women in the experimental group was significantly lower than the control group (t=-2.19, p=.032). The level of depression in the experimental group was significantly lower than the control group (t=-3.00, p=.004).
Conclusion:
The results show that the foot reflexology massage is an effective nursing intervention to relieve fatigue, stress, and depression for postpartum women.
Este estudo de caso com abordagem qualitativa teve como objetivo central analisar a prática da massagem ofertada pelo Programa de Medicina Alternativa do município do Rio de Janeiro. Limita-se à área programática 3.1 (zona da Leopoldina), onde o programa foi implantado e a prática vem sendo realizada em quatro serviços de complexidade distinta. Por meio da observação participante, de entrevistas, e da análise das fichas dos usuários, verificamos as modalidades e os conhecimentos utilizados para esta prática, o perfil dos profissionais e dos usuários, e ainda, os motivos ou indicações. Os resultados revelaram que a massagem, fundamentada no paradigma vitalista, tem sido captada pela racionalidade biomédica, mas os benefícios relatados pelos usuários são expressivos; há expansão e diversificação da demanda e dos motivos e ou encaminhamentos. Acreditamos que esta prática pode ser, de fato, uma alternativa de atendimento e melhoria da assistência no SUS.This study of a case with a qualitative approach has the main objective the analysis of massage practice offered by the Alternative Medicine program at Rio de Janeiro County. It is limited by the programmatic area 3.1 (Leopoldina Area), where this program was implemented, and this practice has been utilized in four services of distinctive complexity. Trough the participant observation, of interviews, and the analysis of user’s records, we have verified the sort and knowledge used by this practice, the profiles of users and professionals, based in the oriental paradigm, has been captured by the biomedical rationality, nevertheless, the benefits related by users, are expressive; there is a expansion and demand diversification and the causes and orientation. We believe that this practice could be, in fact, an alternative to the care and an improvement at the SUS assistance.
Persons diagnosed with cancer are increasingly using non-pharmacological interventions as a therapy for cancer, either independently or in addition to usual medical treatment. Within mainstream medical systems, information availability and access to these therapies is generally limited and patients’ usage is commonly self-initiated. Self-initiation raises issues regarding personal safety, efficacy of the intervention, and the minimisation of potential side effects. A search was undertaken to identify relevant scientific literature related to the use of 15 non-pharmacological interventions widely used in cancer populations as therapy: acupuncture, biofeedback, exercise, meditation, music, visualization/guided imagery, yoga, kinesiology, massage, reflexology, healing touch, Qigong, Reiki, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. These interventions were classified as mind-body, touch-based or energy-based therapies. This literature search was not intended to be a systematic review, but a comprehensive assessment of current scientific publications relating to the safety and side effects of each intervention. This chapter reveals that such interventions had been used in a number of different countries worldwide, in a variety of cancer populations, to address approximately 23 different symptoms associated with the experience of cancer. For all of the interventions reviewed, the recorded occurrence of side effects was minimal. Safety issues and precautions were rarely discussed in the literature relating to these non-pharmacological therapies, apart from the literature relating to the use of exercise. For hospitals considering the use of non-pharmacological interventions, a framework to facilitate the safe administration of non-pharmacological interventions as a therapy for cancer is presented. There are six main elements of this framework: the considered selection of non-pharmacological interventions, recruitment of quality practitioners, provision of oncology education and preparation for the care of persons with cancer, the use of clinical practice guidelines for each intervention, careful monitoring of persons receiving non-pharmacological interventions, and adherence to the principles of occupational health and safety. It is important that these elements are addressed by hospitals offering non-pharmacological interventions. In addition, the provision of detailed and accurate information to enable patients to continue certain therapies independently and after hospitalisation is also essential.
This study was performed to analyze the characteristics and effect sizes of intervention studies on foot-reflexo-massage applied to cancer patients.
This study was done to clarify the effects of foot reflexology on peripheral neuropathy, symptom distress, anxiety and depression in cancer patients treated with oxaliplatin.
Purpose: This study was done to verify the effects of foot reflexology on the self-esteem and vitality of elders. Method: A non- equivalent control group pre- and post-test design was used. Research instruments to measure self-esteem and vitality were used in this study. The participants were elderly women hospitalized in a hospital in Okcheon County, Chungbuk Province, Korea. The 18 patients in the experimental group performed 40 minutes of foot reflexology per time for a total of 12 times over two weeks, and the 18 patients in the control group received regular care only. Before and after the experiment, both groups were tested for self-esteem and vitality. Frequencies, percentages, -test, t-test and Mann-Whitney U test with the SPSS/WIN 10.0 program were used to analyze the collected data. Results: Vitality of the elderly women patients improved significantly in the experimental group. However self-esteem did not increase significantly. Conclusion: Foot reflexology is effective as a nursing intervention in improving the health of elders.
Purpose: This study was to evaluate the effects of aromatherapy and foot reflex massage on emotion, sleep disturbance and wandering behavior in older adults with dementia. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study with a non-equivalent control group. A total of 39 participants were divided into two groups. Aromatherapy and foot reflex massage was administrated to experimental group (N=19). There was no treatment for the control group (N=20). Data were analyzed using the SPSS/Win 18.0 program. Results: Experimental group showed significant differences in emotion, sleep disturbance and wandering behavior in comparison to the control group. Conclusion: The results showed that aromatherapy and foot reflex massage program was effective on emotion, sleep and decreasing a wandering behavior in older adults with dementia. This research suggests that aromatherapy and foot reflex massage could be recommended as a nursing intervention for enhancing quality of life in older adults with dementia.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a combination program of meridian massage and foot reflexology on stress and natural killer (NK) cell activity in adults. Methods: This study is a quasi-experimental research usingone-group-pretest-posttest design. The subjects of the study were 42 adults in T city. Stress level was assessed with systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, pulse rate, and serum cortisol level. The data were analyzed by SPSS/WIN 17.0 program with descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The period of this study was from January 4 to July 11 of 2008. The program was performed three days per week, two hours per session. Results: The degrees of perceived stress were significantly different while objective stress levels were partially different between pre-and post-program. The NK cell activity did not show a significant difference between before and after the program. Conclusion: This study suggests that combination of meridian massage and foot reflexology may be an optional nursing intervention to reduce subjective and objective stress in adults.
Background: The practice of Qi Gong is based on the following assumptions: complexity and multidimensionality, various positive influences on an individual's wholeness through the mind, body, and the relationships between them. In a similar vein, the essence of physiotherapy as a multifaceted process requires teamwork and the efforts of various specialists such as psychologists, sociologists, occupational therapists, and nurses if patients are to benefit. Aims: This paper aims to present the conceptual integration of Qi Gong and physiotherapy when considering the essence of their underlying principles. The author also emphasizes the usefulness of Qi Gong practice in clinical units and explains how Qi Gong might be extrapolated and incorporated into the theoretical principles of the physiotherapy process. Methods: This paper reviews Qi Gong literature in a narrative manner. Consequently, during the discourse analysis some information regarding Qi Gong's and physiotherapy's essence is derived from the presented data to reveal the underlying core principles and the conceptual interface of both practices on the level of abstraction grounded in the qualitative approaches. Results: Within the scope of this article the existence of several similarities between these two 'concepts' has been suggested in terms of their multidisciplinary approach toward patients and complexity of holistic care. Discussion: Researchers, physiotherapists and their patients as well as Qi Gong practitioners can obtain valuable and additional arguments through the cross-fertilization of ideas across presented studies united by shared, underlying concepts. Conclusion: Such conceptual enrichment may be a useful source of inspiration for physiotherapists concerned about their patients' overall health on a daily basis.
Purpose:
This study was done to examine the effects of aroma self-foot reflexology massage on stress and immune responses and fatigue in middle-aged women in rural areas.
Methods:
The study was a nonequivalent control group pre-post test design. The participants were 52 middle-aged women from rural areas of which 26 were assigned to the experimental group and 26 to the control group. Data were collected from July to September, 2011 and analyzed using SPSS Win 17.0 version program. The intervention was conducted 3 times a week for six weeks.
Results:
There were significant differences in reported perceived stress, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and fatigue between the two groups. However, the issue of salivary cortisol and immune response were not significant.
Conclusion:
Aroma self-foot reflexology massage can be utilized as an effective intervention for perceived stress, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and fatigue in middle-aged woman in rural areas.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of self-foot reflexology on stress (perceived stress, urine cortisol level, and serum cortisol level), fatigue, skin temperature and immune response in female undergraduate students.
The research design was a nonequivalent control group pretest-post test design. Participants were 60 university students: 30 in the experiment group and 30 in the control group. The period of this study was from April to June 2010. The program was performed for 1 hr a session, three times a week for 6 weeks. The data were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 17.0 program.
The results showed that self-foot reflexology was effective in reducing perceived stress and fatigue, and raised skin temperature in female undergraduate students. But cortisol levels and immune response were not statistically significant different.
The results of this study indicate that self-foot reflexology is an effective nursing intervention in reducing perceived stress and fatigue and, in improving skin temperature. Therefore, it is recommended that this be used in clinical practice as an effective nursing intervention for in female undergraduate students.
This article presents the potential integration of psychotherapy and massage when considering the essence of their beneficial effects. The essence of this model of practice is multifaceted, combining principles from anatomy, physiology and neuroscience with psychotherapy to benefit patient care. It has been advocated that possessing multidisciplinary knowledge from these areas of science enhances psychotherapists' holistic care of their depressive patients. A narrative review of the literatures and a qualitative, conceptual synthesis has been performed to create a new theoretical-pragmatic construct. This article introduces the concept of massage practice as a part of psychotherapy practice and presents the potential integration of psychotherapeutic knowledge with clinical decision-making and the management of depressive symptoms. The authors emphasize the usefulness of multi- and interdisciplinary knowledge in the psychotherapeutic process and explain how this knowledge might be extrapolated and incorporated into theoretical and practical settings to benefit depressive patients. The justification for this concept is also presented. The principles set out in this article may be a useful source of information for psychotherapists concerned about their patients' holistic well-being in addition to the psychopathology for which they have sought treatment. Researchers and psychotherapists can obtain valuable and additional knowledge through cross-fertilization of ideas across the arguments presented here.
This study was to examine the effects of self-foot reflexology on stress, fatigue and blood circulation in premenopausal middle-aged women.
A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group, pretest-posttest design was used. Participants were 59 premenopausal, middle-aged women in their 40s and 60s living in G city: 30 in the experiment group and 29 in the control group. Data were collected from May to August 2008. Self-foot reflexology was performed three times a week for 6 weeks for 40 min at each session.
The results showed that self-foot reflexology was effective in reducing perceived stress and fatigue and helped blood circulation in premenopausal middle-aged women.
Self-foot reflexology may be an effective nursing intervention in reducing perceived stress and fatigue and in improving blood circulation.
Occupational health nurses have the opportunity to work effectively with employees in the area of complementary and alternative health care. The above Sidebar summarizes important points related to the occupational health nurse's role in this rapidly growing aspect of health care delivery.
More than two thirds of Americans with chronic pain are now using complementary and alternative therapies. One complementary and alternative therapy, reflexology, has a long history and has been found useful on a case-by-case basis. This article provides a review of the literature on the use of reflexology as a therapy in pain management. Although reflexology is widely used, systematic research is needed to examine its effectiveness. To date, however, only a few studies have focused on reflexology's use in pain management. Because reflexology is a noninvasive, nonpharmacological therapy, nurses are in a position to do research on and make decisions about its clinical effectiveness.
Reflexology: Research and uses
- Kunz
Massage in intensive care nursing
- Hill
The Paralysis Report
- Kunz