The Effect of Reflexology on Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Open Heart Surgery: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Necibe Dağcan Şahin, Selçuk Görücü
PMID 41575357WHAT IT FOUND
Postoperative reflexology was associated with lower self-reported anxiety across 8 randomized trials in 485 open-heart surgery patients, but trials varied widely and some were medium quality, so it cannot be treated as proven relief.
Key findings
01In 8 randomized trials covering 485 open-heart surgery patients, pooled analysis found reflexology significantly reduced postoperative anxiety.
02The pooled analysis had high heterogeneity (I² = 94.17), and the authors warned results should be interpreted with caution.
03The anxiety-lowering effect was significant in trials using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory but not in trials using other anxiety scales.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only English-language randomized trials were included, so relevant non-English trials may be missing. The included trials used different anxiety scales, so pooled results are hard to translate into a patient-level score. Reflexology duration, site, and frequency varied widely, so the review cannot identify the best method. Heterogeneity was high, and the authors warned that results should be interpreted with caution. Blinding was incomplete: reflexology providers were not blinded, and participant or assessor blinding was unclear or absent in several trials. Randomization was unclear in one trial and allocation concealment was unclear in three trials. Anxiety was self-reported, so recall could influence scores. No secondary outcomes were assessed.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude reflexology is proven to reduce postoperative anxiety. The pooled result came from eight trials with high heterogeneity, incomplete blinding, and different anxiety scales, and the authors said the evidence was low quality.