TREATMENT OF KNEE ARTHRALGIA WITH FOOT REFLEXO-THERAPY: AN ANALYSIS OF SEVENTEEN CASES

By Chen Guang-ming, Yang-Hua Clinic, Shen Zhen City

Patients received ten daily 30 - 45 minute foot reflexo-therapy treatment.

17 Patients - Eight females and nine males, aged 5 to 80 years old. Arthralgia (joint pain) was caused by trauma in 5 cases, and by arthritis in 12 cases. Results:

*64.71% (eleven patients, including the 5 trauma caused cases) completely recovered.

*23.53% (Four patients)  improved

*11.76% (Two patients) were unaffected

EFFECT OF FOOT REFLEXO-MASSAGE ON RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

By Chi Jianwen, Guanzhou, China

The seven hour-long foot reflexo-therapy treatments were administered on alternate days for a course of treatment. Two patients received two courses, the third received four.

This paper presents treatment of three female patients with rheumatoid arthritis, aged 37, 50 and 62.

*It was concluded that the foot reflexo-therapy has satisfactory anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, but its effect, in general views is moderate.

OBSERVATION ON THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF 15 CASES OF GOUT TREATED WITH FOOT 

REFLEXOTHERAPY

By Wu Zhensheng, The Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiading District, Shanghai

Treatment consisted of one 50-minute foot reflexo-therapy treatment followed by six to fourteen 30-minute treatments, as required

This paper reports on the foot reflexo-therapy treatment of gout for 15 patients, aged 52 to 82 (average age 68), 12 males and 3 females..

The treatment was effective for all 15 patients, based on the criteria:

*obvious alleviation of arthralgia (joint pain);

*capability of walking immediately after treatment; disappearance of joint swelling and normalization of the blood uric acid concentration in blood exam.

*Pain was alleviated for all 15 patients after their first treatment.

A CONTROLLED CLINICAL OBSERVATION ON FOOT REFLEXOLOGY TREATMENT FOR CERVICAL SPONDYLOPATHY (abnormal immobility and solidification of the neck vertebrate)

By Gui Shouching and Luo Desheng, Hospital of the Xianning Medical College, Hubei Province

Eighty patients suffering from cervical spondylopathy were divided into a treatment group of 52 patients that received foot reflexology, and a control group of 28 patients that received cervical vertebrae traction and iodine iontophoresis. Blood samples were taken pre and post treatment and sent for determinations of superoxide dismutase, gluthathione peroxidase activities, the malonicdialdehyde content and the total antioxidation activity.

Results:

*The rate of clinical cure was higher in the foot reflexology treatment group (48.1%) than the control group (28.95%).

*Blood analysis showed no differences between the two groups before treatment, whereas after treatment, the differences in parameters that were related to the free radical metabolism, in comparison with that before treatment were significant or quite significant, (T=2.855-18.694, P<0.01-0.001). The results suggest that the etiology, pathology and effective treatment of the disease is related to the metabolism of free radicals.

*Comparing the two therapies it is concluded that foot reflexology has the advantages of not requiring skilled medical personnel, or equipment, and, being easy to perform with no adverse side effects, it may be learned and practiced by patient's family members.