Reflexology – a scientific literary review


The following reflexology literature review covers over 60 articles and publications and summarizes over 350 pages of scientific literature from reputable sources including The Cochrane Library, The American Psychological Association, Medscape, The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and GreenMedInfo. We invite you to learn more about the benefits of reflexology including global trends and other important information.

Download the literature review – [ 50 page PDF ]

The above link leads to a brief 50 page PDF, which is protected under Creative Commons.   Creative Commons License

Conducting such literature reviews is no longer a constructive use of time. With the availability of authoritative sites such as naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com, the evidence behind different modalities is clearly detailed and is backed by reputable studies. In addition, it is updated as new studies are published. The platform, which all active AQTN members have access to, includes printable hand-outs in both English and French. Two examples with possible effectiveness of reflexology include :

  • Pain in people with cancer. Some early research shows that reflexology may reduce pain and anxiety in people with cancer. But the effect doesn’t last long. The pain returns in less than 3 hours. Other early research shows that reflexology doesn’t reduce pain or improve the mental outlook of people with advanced cancer.
  • Premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Most evidence shows that reflexology given for at least 30 minutes decreases PMS symptoms, including bloating, cramps, breast tenderness, anxiety, depression, and irritability.