The effects of foot reflexology massage on anxiety in patients following coronary artery bypass graft surgery: A randomized controlled trial

Masoumeh Bagheri-Nesami, Seyed Shorofi, Nahid Zargar, Maryam Sohrabi, Afshin Gholipour-Baradari, Alireza Khalilian

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    70 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Objective: To examine the effects of foot reflexology massage on anxiety in patients following CABG surgery. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 80 patients who met the inclusion criteria were conveniently sampled and randomly allocated to the experimental and control groups after they were matched on age and gender. On the days following surgery, the experimental group received foot reflexology massage on their left foot 20mina day for 4 days, while the control group was given a gentle foot rub with oil for one minute. Anxiety was measured using the short-form of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Visual Analogue Scale-Anxiety. Results: Both measurement instruments confirmed a significant decrease in anxiety following the foot reflexology massage. Conclusion: The significant decrease in anxiety in the experimental group following the foot reflexology massage supports the use of this complementary therapy technique for the relief of anxiety.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)42-47
    Number of pages6
    JournalComplementary Therapies in Clinical Practice
    Volume20
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Feb 2014

    Keywords

    • Anxiety
    • Coronary artery bypass graft
    • Foot reflexology massage

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