Reflexology helps alleviate pain for breast cancer patients

With all the physical and emotional issues breast cancer patients face daily, more and more women are now turning to reflexology treatments for comfort and relief.

 

In a pilot study on reflexology and breast cancer, researchers from the Michigan State University College of Nursing found that between three complementary therapies - reflexology, guided imagery and reminiscence therapy – reflexology has produced the best positive outcomes for late-stage breast cancer patients by helping them cope with treatment. According to the study’s head researcher Gwen Wyatt, patients who opted for reflexology as a complementary therapy for their cancer treatment exhibited “a decrease in depression and anxiety, and improvements in spirituality and emotional quality of life,” such that overall, patients “have an improved quality of life.”

 

Given the substantial relief it provides patients, it is therefore unsurprising that more and more women are turning to reflexology and similar therapies as supportive measures to help make cancer treatment more manageable. It should be noted, however, that while researchers have acknowledged the benefits of reflexology in alleviating anxiety and pain, it is still a complementary treatment and should only be used together with conventional health care.

 

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