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Study aim
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Determining the effect of reflexology on anxiety symptoms, pain intensity, and sleep quality in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy
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Design
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The present study is a parallel randomized clinical trial. Sixty breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy will be included in the study based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria and will be randomly assigned to intervention and control groups using quadruple blocks.
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Settings and conduct
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The study will take place at Loghman-e Hakim Hospital and Imam Hossein Hospital. In the intervention group, reflexology will be administered once a week for three weeks, with each session lasting half an hour. The control group will receive the usual care at the medical center. Data will be collected before the intervention and two weeks afterward.
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Participants/Inclusion and exclusion criteria
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Inclusion criteria: Definitive breast cancer diagnosis by a specialist physician, age above 18 years, and speaking Persian.
Exclusion criteria: Received reflexology in the past, receiving radiation therapy as the first complementary treatment or concurrently, having any bleeding, seizures, or fever, having varicose veins and any foot disease, including open wounds or fractures, having any psychiatric disorder or dementia, male gender.
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Intervention groups
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In the intervention group, reflexology will be performed once a week for three weeks, with each session lasting half an hour and taking place after each chemotherapy session. The patient will be prepared, and their feet will be lubricated with sweet almond oil. The researcher will then conduct a relaxing massage on both feet 3-4 times for 10 minutes each, followed by a 20-minute session focusing on the treatment points on the soles of both feet.
The control group will only receive the usual care provided by the treatment center.
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Main outcome variables
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Anxiety symptoms, pain intensity and sleep quality