Scottish Institute of Reflexology

PMS

Randomized controlled study of premenstrual symptoms treated with ear, hand, and foot reflexology.
Oleson T, Flocco W
Obstet Gynecol 1993 Issue6:Dec Vol.82:906-11

ABSTRACT:
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether reflexology therapy--the application of manual pressure to reflex points on the ears, hands, and feet that somatotopically correspond to specific areas of the body--can significantly reduce premenstrual symptoms compared to placebo treatment.
METHODS: Thirty-five women who complained of previous distress with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) were randomly assigned to be treated by ear, hand, and foot reflexology or to receive placebo reflexology. All subjects completed a daily diary, which monitored 38 premenstrual symptoms on a four-point scale. Somatic and psychological indicators of premenstrual distress were recorded each day for 2 months before treatment, for 2 months during reflexology, and for 2 months afterward. The reflexology sessions for both groups were provided by a trained reflexology therapist once a week for 8 weeks, and lasted 30 minutes each.
RESULTS: Analysis of variance for repeated measures demonstrated a significantly greater decrease in premenstrual symptoms for the women given true reflexology treatment than for the women in the placebo group.
CONCLUSION: These clinical findings support the use of ear, hand, and foot reflexology for the treatment of PMS.

Complementary/alternative therapies for premenstrual syndrome: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
Stevinson C, Ernst E
Am J Obstet Gynecol 2001 Issue1:Jul Vol.185:227-35
Abstract
Complementary/alternative therapies are popular with women who have premenstrual syndrome. This systematic review was designed to determine whether use of such therapies is supported by evidence of effectiveness from rigorous clinical trials. Trials were located through searching 7 databases and checking the reference lists of articles. Randomized controlled trials investigating a complementary/alternative therapy in women with premenstrual syndrome published in the peer-reviewed literature were included in the review. Twenty-seven trials were included investigating herbal medicine (7 trials), homeopathy (1), dietary supplements (13), relaxation (1), massage (1), reflexology (1) chiropractic (1), and biofeedback (2). Despite some positive findings, the evidence was not compelling for any of these therapies, with most trials suffering from various methodological limitations. On the basis of current evidence, no complementary/alternative therapy can be recommended as a treatment for premenstrual syndrome.