By Brian Carnell

Thursday, January 10, 2002

Reflexology is an alternative therapy which maintains that there are zones on the feet and hands which correspond to pretty much every organ and system in the body. If you've got a health problem, applying pressure to certain areas of the feet or hands can cause physiological changes in the body.

For example, some reflexologists believe that massaging the feet in a specific area can alleviate irritable bowel syndrome, which is characterize by abdominal discomfort and a change in bowel habits. Physicians are rarely able to find any cause for IBS among patients who report it, much less a treatment. So many sufferers turn to reflexologists.

Researchers at the School for Healthcare Studies at the University of Leeds in Great Britain decided to put reflexology to the test. They recruited 34 patients with IBS and sent half to a reflexologist for six 30 minute sessions, and half to six 30 minute physician visits.

Subjects were asked to keep a diary of their symptoms two weeks before the first session, two weeks after the first session, and for two weeks three months after the sessions were finished. The results? Not surprisingly, it made no difference whether patients had seen the physician or the reflexologist.

Dr. Philip Tovey, who led the research team, told the BBC,

While due caution should be exercised in generalizing from a single study, the nature of the data is such that clear conclusions can be drawn. However, more research is needed, not only to these initial findings but also to extend the range of participants to, for instance, those newly diagnosed with IBS.

The research was published in the British Journal of General Practice.

Source:

Reflexology 'no help' for bowel disorder. The BBC, December 31, 2001.

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