Immediate effects of a five-minute foot massage on patients

[pueppi]

This is not exactly Reflexology, but I thought it might be of interest.

Link

1: Intensive Crit Care Nurs. 1999 Apr;15(2):77-82.Links

Immediate effects of a five-minute foot massage on patients in critical care.

Hayes J, Cox C.

University of Hertfordshire, Centre for Research in Primary and Community Care, Hatfield, UK.


Critical care can be considered to be a stressful environment at both physiological and psychological levels for patients. In this article, a research study in which a five-minute foot massage was offered to 25 patients (68 sessions in total) as a stress-reduction intervention is described. A quasi-experimental repeated measures design was used to collect data before, during and after the intervention. Physiological data (heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure, respirations and peripheral oxygen saturation) were obtained from the patient bedside monitoring system. Repeated measures analysis of variance indicated there was no significant effect from the intervention on peripheral oxygen saturation. However, a significant decrease in heart rate, blood pressure and respirations was observed during the foot massage intervention. Results indicated foot massage had the potential effect of increasing relaxation as evidenced by physiological changes during the brief intervention administered to critically ill patients in intensive care.

PMID: 10595045 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Edited 1/23/08 to fix URL link - Dragonflies

[kathryn]

Don't even have to read the article to believe that statement. When I get reflexology my entire body relaxes within minutes. On the hand work--I can feel the entire upper half of my body (on side being worked) just release and float away only after a couple moments. Same with the feet.

[AnastasiaB]

sort of on a side-note..............

Zabulowski determined, way back there [late 1800s or early 1900s] that 2 minutes of massage equaled 2 hours of total rest for the body......... did the experimentation with frogs, but, it translated to humans.............


for whatever its worth.............

[DrD]

and all that is just by making a very fast massage on the foot over the center of the lungs.. creates a powerful increase of oxygen needs..and the heart is pumping very fast and creates a stress or shocking situation.