Effect of Foot Reflexology on Cognitive Function in Healthy Individuals: A Randomized Controlled trial

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Background: Reflexology is a timeless healing art rooted in ancient Chinese, Egyptian, and Native American cultures. Cognition refers to the brain’s capacity to gather, interpret, retain, and recall information. Previous studies have highlighted the positive effects of reflexology on brain functions; however, little is known about its effects on cognitive function. Thus, this study evaluated foot reflexology’s effect on cognitive function in healthy individuals.
Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 50 healthy individuals aged 17–30 years were randomly allocated into two groups: a study group (n = 25) and a control group (n = 25). The study group underwent a 20-minutes foot reflexology session each day for 10 days, whereas the control group did not receive any treatment.
Cognitive function was evaluated before and after the intervention using visual reaction time (VRT), auditory reaction time (ART), and critical flicker fusion frequency (CFFF). Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 16.0.
Results: The between-group analysis revealed a significant decrease in VRT (p = 0.003), while no significant changes were observed in ART and CFFF in the study group compared to the control group. In the within-group analysis, the study group demonstrated a significant reduction in ART (p = 0.003) and VRT (p = 0.001) along with a significant increase in CFFF (p = 0.001). No significant changes were observed in the control group.
Conclusion: In this study, 20 minutes of foot reflexology improves cognitive function in healthy individuals. Further randomized controlled trials with a larger sample size and extended follow-up are recommended to substantiate the findings.