Reflexology and polysomnography: Changes in cerebral wave activity induced by reflexology promote N1 and N2 sleep stages

Esmel-Esmel, Neus; Tomás-Esmel, Eudald; Tous-Andreu, M.; Bové-Ribé, A.; Herrera, María

doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2017.05.003

Cited by 9 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Our meta-analyses revealed that foot reflexology statistically significantly improved sleep quality and produced a reduction in the risk of having sleep problems by about 75%. Foot reflexology possibly works by stimulating the release of endorphins, decreasing sympathetic nervous system activity, increasing responses of the parasympathetic nervous system and stimulating circulation and in these ways may help increase feelings of well-being and relaxation (Esmel-Esmel et al, 2017;Ramezanibadr et al, 2018 using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and evaluated findings using the blood oxygen level demand response which is related to changes in blood flow to the brain during activation and results showed positive responses due to foot reflexology (Sliz et al, 2012). Additionally, research using fMRI demonstrated that foot reflexological stimulation induced a somatosensory process corresponding to the stimulated reflex areas (Nakamaru et al, 2008) and showed an immediate hemodynamic effect corresponding to the stimulated reflex areas by cardiac index or colour Doppler sonography (Jones et al, 2012;Sudmeier et al, 1999).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is evident that foot reflexology helps eliminate stress, reduce pain, improve blood circulation and restore the mind's balance (Dashti et al., 2016; Nakamaru et al., 2008). Moreover foot reflexology was suggested to improve sleep health (Esmel‐Esmel et al., 2017). The beneficial effects of foot reflexology have been researched in various settings using a variety of measures, ranging from self‐reported questionnaires to the therapeutic effect.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Particularly, CAMs have become notable treatments for people with poor sleep quality (Kemppainen et al, 2018). In addition, the worldwide use of CAMs has increased in recent decades (de Jonge et al, 2018;Esmel-Esmel et al, 2017).…”

Section: Backg Rou N Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Particularly, CAMs have become notable treatments for people with poor sleep quality (Kemppainen et al., 2018). In addition, the worldwide use of CAMs has increased in recent decades (de Jonge et al., 2018; Esmel‐Esmel et al., 2017). CAMs include a wide list of interventions, such as meditation, tai chi, yoga, herbal medicines, homeopathy, and aromatherapy (de Jonge et al., 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Reflexology is one of the top CAMs (Esmel‐Esmel et al., 2017; Jones & Leslie, 2013). This non‐invasive treatment produces beneficial effects on the human body by applying pressure to specific areas on some body parts, called reflex areas.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Can foot reflexology be a complementary therapy for sleep disturbances? Evidence appraisal through a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials

Huang

Chen

Kuo

et al. 2020

Journal of Advanced Nursing

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Aims To systematically summarize and quantify the effects of foot reflexology on improvements in sleep disturbances. Design Systematic review and meta‐analysis. Data sources Datasets including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, CINAHL and two Chinese electronic databases (i.e., AiritiLibrary and China National Knowledge Infrastructure) were used to search from their inception to 31 January 2019. Review methods Studies which were randomized controlled trials that reported changes in sleep disturbances after the intervention among adults over 18 years old and written in the English or Chinese language were included. Two reviewers’ independently assessed the eligibility, extracted data, and conducted a quality assessment. Based on the extracted data, two separate meta‐analyses were performed. Results Forty‐two articles with a total sample of 3,928 participants were included in the systematic review and were eligible for the meta‐analysis. The most commonly employed outcome measurement tool was the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, followed by the therapeutic effect between the intervention and control groups (as evaluated by participants with sleep problems compared with those without sleep problems in each group after the intervention). Results revealed that foot reflexology resulted in a greater reduction in the sleep quality score compared with the controls (Hedges’ g = −1.37; 95% confidence interval (CI) = −1.81~‐0.94). As for the therapeutic effect, participants in the intervention group were less likely to have sleep problems than those in the control group (pooled odds ratio = 0.25; 95% CI = 0.19 ~ 0.31). Conclusion The findings suggested that foot reflexology produced significant improvements in sleep disturbances. Impact Foot reflexology is a non‐invasive and convenient intervention and regularly receiving foot reflexology can be considered complementary therapy to improve the sleep quality of adults with sleep disturbances. Furthermore, healthcare providers can actively press the solar plexus and heart zones to alleviate sleep disturbances when performing foot reflexology.

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