A STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF REFLEXOLOGY ON PEOPLE WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

By Marian Joyce and Rosemary Richardson

Twenty six participants were assigned to two groups, 14 to treatment group and 12 to a control group. Both groups were assessed at the same intervals on a simple form listing 19 symptoms of MS before the treatment group received treatment, after 6 weeks of treatment, after 12 weeks of treatment and six weeks after the treatment group ceased treatment.

After 6 weeks of treatment :

* a significant number of participants in the treatment group showed an improvement over the range of symptoms.

After 12 weeks of treatment:

* 81.53% of these improvements were maintained, some people improved further and some who had not improved began to improve.

In the assessment conducted 6 weeks after treatments were ceased:

* some people had maintained their improvements, most noticeably in the symptoms of bladder control, sleep, circulation and constipation;

* many participants lost the improvements that they had gained or their symptoms showed signs of worsening.

All participants in the treatment group showed some improvements of their symptoms and enjoyed the reflexology treatments.

Other Medical Benefits:

* Medical conditions such as asthma, sinuses, sciatica, migraine and menstrual problems were benefited by reflexology.

It was hoped that continued reflexology treatments would maintain and build upon the improvements reported in the study, and that, sessions needed to be maintained in that the six week break showed some of the benefits gained started to diminish. The assessment for the control group showed that some participants had symptoms improve, more of them worsened and the majority showed no changes in their symptoms.  

THE POSSIBLE VALUE OF REFLEXOLOGY IN DIAGNOSED MYALGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS (painful inflammation of brain and spinal cord)

By Thomas S. McCreadie, GSSR, Member of the Scottish Institute of Reflexology

 Treated with 10 reflexology treatments

Six patients aged 38 to 65 years, diagnosed as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (painful inflammation of the brain and spinal cord) sufferers by general practitioners, who had a mean duration of suffering of 8 years.

* It was found that 5 treatments were necessary to effect change.

* All patients experienced a reduction in pain and tiredness after some of the sessions.

* After 6 months, 83% (5 patients) felt that their continuing improvement began with their reflexology treatment.

HAND AND FOOT REFLEX AREA MASSAGE IN THE TREATMENT OF SENILE CATARACT
By Zhou Di-Xin, Wuxi Commercial Hospital, Jiangsu, China

Foot reflex area massage was applied daily, with twenty sessions consisting one course of treatment.

Ten patients (4 males and 6 females) aged 58 - 73 years, with senile cataracts diagnosed by an ophthalmologist, whose clinical courses ranged from 2 to 25 years, were used for this study. Most patients received two to three courses of treatment. Visual acuity was assessed pre and post treatment.

* Improvement was recorded for all 10 patients, and it was concluded that foot reflex area massage has a therapeutic effect in senile cataract.

FOOT REFLEXO-MASSAGE IN THREE PATIENTS WITH INTRACTABLE FACIAL PALSY
By Bei Zuofu, Tan Chunfang and Bei Meng, People's Hospital, chingan County, Heilongjiang

Daily 30 minute treatments were applied for six days

These three patients had been unresponsive to previous therapies, including systemic and local medicines, acupuncture and physical therapies. Daily therapy for 6 days was followed the patient applying self treatment for two weeks.

* Result - completely cured – normal

TREATMENT OF 33 CASES OF CEREBRAL THROMBOTIC SEQUELAE (STROKE) WITH FOOT REFLEXOTHERAPY

By Zhang Duowen, and Wu Zhaoxia, Hospital under the fifth Bureau, Department of Water and Electricity, China

Foot reflexo-therapy was applied for 30 minutes daily, with 10 days as one course of treatment.

33 patients (23 males and 10 females) aged 44 to 78 years (average age 54.8 years). Their strokes were stable, and their clinical courses were between 2 months and 5 years. There were limb dysfunction in 26 patients and motor aphasia in 7 patients. The period of treatment ranged from 2 to 7 months. It is reported that after treatment:

* 11 patients (33.33%) were cured: symptom free, with normal limb function and independent daily life;

* 20 patients (60.61%) improved: symptom free with improved limb function; and

* 2 patients (6.06%) were unchanged: no improvement in symptoms and limb function.

* It was concluded that foot reflexo-therapy can restore the damaged brain function, and revive the limb and speech performance of patients with stroke.

* It was also proposed that foot reflexo-therapy is useful in the prevention of cerebral thrombosis, as well as in the treatment.

PRELIMINARY EXPLORATION OF TREATMENT FOR INSOMNIA

By Gao Wa, Wang Zhen and Liu Haige, The Women and Infantile Health Centre of Inner Mongolia

Group A: were treated twice a day with 20 minute reflexotherapy

Group B: was treated once a day with 20 minute foot reflexotherapy

Seventy patients suffering from insomnia, were randomly divided into group A and Group B. Forty one patients (58.57%) had had insomnia for more than 3 years, twenty nine patients (41.43%) for less than 3 years. Twenty-five patients (58.57%) were completely dependent on sleeping pills to sleep, 33 patients (47.14%) took sleeping pills as need, and 12 patients (17.14%) refused to take medication.

The criteria for effectiveness was that the patient could go to sleep naturally and next day would feel relaxed, comfortable and clear minded.

Results after 5 days of treatment:

Group A: Reflexotherapy effective for 88.57 %

Group B: Reflexotherapy effective for 22.86% of

Results after 10 days of treatment:

Group A: Reflexotherapy effective for 100%

Group B: Reflexotherapy effective for 91.43%

It was concluded that adopting intense stimulation (twice a day) can help the patient's body to readjust itself within a shorter time and yield a better result.

FOOT REFLEXOLOGY IN THE TREATMENT FOR 5 CASES WITH DRUG TOXIC DEAFNESS

By Zhao Zhijian, Zhou Gengye and Zhou Xin, Service Centre of Foot Health Care, Ganghou, Jiangxi Province

Treated with 40 minute daily foot reflexology treatments.

Five patients, 4 females and 1 male, (2 aged 55 - 65 years, 1 aged 35 -45 years, and 1 aged 20 - 35 years) were treated with 40 minute daily foot reflexology treatments. All patients had contracted the disease for many years and had been treated by many other therapies without effect. Therapy was stopped when a patient could hear the speaking voice from a certain distance and give an answer - this was after 14 - 28 days of treatment.

* All five patients experienced improvement with no recurrence in follow up.

* It was concluded that foot reflexology has good therapeutic effects in treating deafness.