Physiological and Therapeutic Effects of Reflexology in Iran: A Systematic Review

Background and objectives: Reflexology is a form of massage that is associated with applying pressure on reflexive points of the feet. It is believed that these points are connected with all parts of the body. The pressure on reflexive Points can affect the body's physiological responses. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of studies conducted in Iran in the field of reflexology on various systems of the body. Material and Methods: This is a systematic review on studies carried out in Iran in the field of reflexology in various conditions. To access the studies, the search was done by following keywords in PubMed, Google Scholar and SID databases: reflexology massage and reflexology, foot reflexology. Results: Among the total of 46 published studies which were reviewed, 11 were in English and 35 in Persian language. In these studies, variables such as fatigue, sleepiness, constipation, and length of labor, vomiting after chemotherapy, anxiety, physiological symptoms of PMS, back pain and agitation were examined. The most studies had been conducted on pain (20 cases) and the highest number of study population belonged to women (30 studies). Conclusion: The results of this study showed the positive effect of reflexology on various diseases and disorders. Although reflexology cannot be used as a replacement treatment but it can be concluded that it is an alternative treatment and relaxing and rewarding experience. It is suggested that future studies are conducted with more accurate sampling method, larger sample size and following the principles of CONSORT. ​