Randomised trial, 2023
Does foot reflexology combined with diet reduce PMS symptoms?
Yes, combining foot reflexology with dietary changes reduced PMS symptoms better than diet alone. Both groups improved significantly, but the reflexology group improved more.
What they did
This was a randomized controlled trial with 50 women aged 18 to 25 with PMS and BMI of 30 or less. One group received foot reflexology plus dietary modification three times per week for eight weeks. The other group received only dietary modification for eight weeks. Researchers measured pain, PMS symptoms, and a protein called beta-endorphin.
What they found
Both groups showed significant improvement in pain, beta-endorphin levels, and PMS symptoms compared to before treatment. The reflexology plus diet group improved significantly more than the diet-only group.
What it means for you
Adding foot reflexology to diet might improve PMS more than diet alone. The study is small and included only single women aged 18 to 25, so results may not apply to all women.
50
women
8
weeks
3
sessions per week
About the study
- Original title
- Impact of foot reflexology combined with dietary modification on premenstrual syndrome: A randomized controlled trial
- Authors
- Ghada ebrahim El Refaye, Ahmed M. Aboeleneen, Afnan M. Alkhateeb et al.
- Journal
- SPORT TK-Revista EuroAmericana de Ciencias del Deporte
- Year
- 2023
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- What was tested
- Foot reflexology combined with dietary modification, 3 sessions weekly for 8 weeks
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.6018/sportk.592691
Topics
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