Suffering from Pain: Reflexology as an Advantageous Adjuvant to Palliative Care.
Reflexology is a non-invasive, complementary therapy that is based on the theory that, by applying controlled pressure to certain reflex zones in the palm and foot, channels along the nervous system are stimulated, thereby facilitating energy pathways that may be blocked or congested.
The reflex zone is the region in zone therapy that illustrates its interconnection with all parts of the body. It is hypothesized that there is an invisible pathway which runs along the body vertically, from the top of the head down to the tips of the fingers and toes, while each zone represents a specific area of the body. A recent study in India examined the effectiveness of foot massage on the reduction of pain among cancer patients undergoing palliative care. The findings revealed a highly significant improvement in the degree of their pain as compared with that of control patients.
Reflexology is currently being considered as a complementary therapy, widely used in palliative care to alleviate a problem without necessarily determining its underlying cause in order to improve a patient’s emotional, physical, psychological and spiritual health and to upgrade the patient’s value of life.
Reflexology does not cause any harmful effects as long as necessary
preventions are taken for patients with special medical conditions such as blood clot disorders, cancer and heart failure. Therefore, it is imperative that reflexology practitioners take their clients’
overall health condition into consideration. Furthermore, practitioners should ask
about and listen to their clients regarding their health status,
which may be influenced by a variety of factors such as their psychological and emotional well-being.
Palliat Med Hosp Care Open J. 2020; 6(1): e1-e2. doi: 10.17140/PMHCOJ-6-e009
