Randomised trial, 2016
Does foot reflexology with relaxation training reduce premenstrual symptoms in young women?
Yes, adding foot reflexology to relaxation training significantly reduced PMS symptoms more than relaxation training alone.
What they did
50 university students aged 19-23 with PMS were randomly divided into two groups of 25. Group A received foot reflexology plus relaxation training twice a week for 8 weeks. Group B received relaxation training only, twice a week for 8 weeks. Before and after, researchers measured heart rate, breathing rate, cortisol hormone levels, and daily symptom reports.
What they found
Both groups improved. Group A (reflexology plus relaxation) had highly significant decreases in heart rate, breathing rate, cortisol level, and symptom scores (p<0.001). Group B (relaxation only) also improved but less significantly (p<0.05).
What it means for you
Adding foot reflexology to relaxation training may provide extra benefit for PMS in young women. Study was small and only included college students in one city, so findings may not apply to all women.
50
women studied
8
weeks of treatment
25
women per group
About the study
- Original title
- Do Foot Reflexology and Relaxation Trainingdecrease Premenstrual Symptoms in Adolescent Females
- Authors
- Marwa Abd El-Rahman Mohamed, Asmaa M. El-Bandrawy, Amir A. Gabr
- Journal
- International Journal of Physiotherapy
- Year
- 2016
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 50
- What was tested
- Foot reflexology plus relaxation training twice weekly for 8 weeks
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.15621/ijphy/2016/v3i5/117433
Topics
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