The Effects of Foot Reflexology on Peripheral Neuropathy, Symptom Distress, Anxiety and Depression in Cancer Patients Treated with Oxaliplatin

Se Young Lee; Yun Hee Ham; Oh Nam Ok; Eun Ji Kim; In Gak Kwon; Moon Sook Hwang; Myung Sook Cho

doi:10.5388/aon.2012.12.4.305

Journal List > Asian Oncol Nurs > v.12(4) > 1081749

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Lee, Ham, Ok, Kim, Kwon, Hwang, and Cho: The Effects of Foot Reflexology on Peripheral Neuropathy, Symptom Distress, Anxiety and Depression in Cancer Patients Treated with Oxaliplatin

Original Article

Asian Oncology Nursing

Asian Oncology Nursing 2012; 12(4): 305-313.

Published online: 31 December 2012

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5388/aon.2012.12.4.305

The Effects of Foot Reflexology on Peripheral Neuropathy, Symptom Distress, Anxiety and Depression in Cancer Patients Treated with Oxaliplatin

Se Young Lee¹, Yun Hee Ham¹, Oh Nam Ok¹, Eun Ji Kim¹, In Gak Kwon², Moon Sook Hwang³, Myung Sook Cho²

¹Cancer Center, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.

²Graduate School of Clinical Nursing Science, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

³Department of Nursing Science, School of Oriental Medicine in Woosuk University, Wanju, Korea.

Address reprint requests to: Lee, Se Young. Samsung Medical Center, 50 Irwon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-710, Korea. Tel: +82-2-3410-6233, Fax: +82-2-3410-6244, sy73.lee@samsung.com

Received 5 November 2012 Accepted 20 December 2012

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

This study was done to clarify the effects of foot reflexology on peripheral neuropathy, symptom distress, anxiety and depression in cancer patients treated with oxaliplatin.

Methods

A quasi-experimental design was employed. Changes in the variables were evaluated to test the effects of foot reflexology. Participants were cancer patients treated with oxaliplatin (experimental group 14 and control group 17). Peripheral neuropathy, symptom distress, anxiety and depression were measured before and after reflexology. Data were collected from October, 2010 to April, 2011. χ²-test, Fisher's exact test, t-test, Wilcoxon signed rank test and the Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyze the data.

Results

The experimental group who received foot reflexology experienced less peripheral neuropathy and symptom distress than the control group. There was no difference in anxiety and depression between the experimental and control group.

Conclusion

The foot reflexology program adopted in this study was found to be an effective method to reduce peripheral neuropathy and symptom distress. We recommend foot reflexology for patients with chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy.

Keywords: Foot Reflexology, Peripheral Neuropathies, Symptom, Anxiety, Depression

Figures and Tables

Table 1

Homogeneity Test of General and Disease Related Characteristics between Experimental and Control Group (N=31)

^*Fisher's exact test; ^†Mann-Whitney U test.

Exp.=Experimental group; Cont.=Control group; CIPN=Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy; FOLFOX=Oxaliplatin, Leucovorin, 5FU Regimen; XELOX= Oxaliplatin, Capecitabine Regimen.

Table 2

Homogeneity Test of Dependent Variables between Experimental and Control Group (N=31)

^*Mann-Whitney U test.

Exp.=Experimental group; Cont.=Control group.

Table 3

Comparison of Change in CIPN20 and VAS for pain between Experimental and Control Group (N=31)

^*Wilcoxon signed rank test; ^†Mann-Whitney U test.

Exp.=Experimental group; Cont.=Control group; Diff.=Difference.

Table 4

Comparison of Change in Symptom Distress between Experimental and Control Group (N=31)

^*Wilcoxon signed rank test; ^†Mann-Whitney U test.

Exp.=Experimental group; Cont.=Control group; Diff.=Difference.

Table 5

Comparison of Change in Anxiety and Depression between Experimental and Control Group (N=31)

^*Wilcoxon signed rank test; ^†Mann-Whitney U test.

Exp.=Experimental group; Cont.=Control group; Diff.=Difference.

Notes

This study was financially supported by the research fund of nursing department of Samsung Medical Center.

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