--- title: Does foot reflexology reduce premenstrual syndrome and period pain symptoms? description: Yes, in this small study of college students, foot reflexology appeared to reduce both PMS and period pain symptoms significantly. However, the study was smal url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-effect-of-foot-reflexology-on-premenstrual-syndrome-and-dysmenorrhea-in-2002/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does foot reflexology reduce premenstrual syndrome and period pain symptoms? Non-randomised trial, 2002 # Does foot reflexology reduce premenstrual syndrome and period pain symptoms? Yes, in this small study of college students, foot reflexology appeared to reduce both PMS and period pain symptoms significantly. However, the study was small and lacked a proper placebo control. Early or limited evidence 40 female college students in South Korea ## What they did This was a quasi-experimental study with 40 female college students in South Korea (20 in the reflexology group, 20 as controls). The experimental group received foot reflexology 6 times over 2 months (1 hour per session). The control group received no treatment. Symptoms were measured using a pain scale. ## What they found The mean symptom score in the experimental group was 8.35 before reflexology, 4.16 after the first menstruation, and 3.25 after the second menstruation. The most common symptoms relieved after foot reflexology were fatigue (50%), insomnia (40%), abdominal pain (35%), lower abdominal pain (30%), and constipation (30%). ## What it means for you Foot reflexology may help reduce PMS and period pain symptoms in some women. However, this is a small study without a proper placebo control, so we cannot be sure the improvement was due to reflexology itself rather than expectation or other factors. 8.35 Mean symptom score before reflexology 4.16 Mean symptom score after first menstruation 3.25 Mean symptom score after second menstruation ## About the study Original title The Effect of Foot Reflexology on Premenstrual Syndrome and Dysmenorrhea in Female College Students Authors Yeong Hie Kim, Soo Hyun Cho Journal Korean journal of women health nursing/Yeoseong geon'gang ganho hag'hoeji/Yeoseong geon-gang ganho hakoeji Year 2002 Study design Non-randomised trial What was tested Foot reflexology, 6 sessions over 60 days (1 hour per session) Read the paper [doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2002.8.2.212](https://doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2002.8.2.212) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Systematic review, 2025 Does teaching adolescent girls about their menstrual cycle and health help reduce period pain and PMS? Survey study, 2026 Does COVID-19 infection or depression affect menstrual periods? Non-randomised trial, 2026 Does video-guided digital menstrual exercise reduce PMS and period pain in adolescent girls? Survey study, 2026 Do female medical students living in hostels have worse PMS than those who commute? Review, 2024 Does yoga help reduce period pain and premenstrual symptoms? Survey study, 2023 What factors make premenstrual syndrome worse in nursing students? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗