Skip to content

Reflexology and Quality of Life

Reflexology and Quality of Life in Diabetic Patients

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03280524
Enrollment
60
Registered
2017-09-12
Start date
2016-01-31
Completion date
2017-05-31
Last updated
2018-02-28

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Diabetic Foot

Keywords

Reflexology,diabetes, quality of life

Brief summary

This is a randomized, controlled and blind clinical trial with 60 type 2 diabetes patients divided into 2 groups of 30 patients each, Control Group (CG) and Treatment Group (TG). The TG will receive self-care guidelines with feet and 12 sessions of foot reflexology, while the CG will only receive the guideline.

Detailed description

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of reflexology on the quality of life and functional capacity of patients at risk for diabetic neuropathy. This is a randomized, controlled and blind clinical trial with type 2 diabetes patients. The eligibility criteria are 10 years or more of diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, between the ages of 50 to 75 years, both sexes, and registered in the Primary Health Care Unit of São João or in the Diabetes Education Center in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. As exclusion criteria, it will be considered the presence of ulcers in the feet, amputations of the lower limbs, deficits in cognitive abilities, and previous treatment using reflexology. For the calculation of the sample size, a pilot test will be conducted with 8 diabetic patients. It will be used the statistical software Biostat® 5.3. The sample found was of 60 patients who were divided into 2 groups of 30 patients each, Control Group (CG) and Treatment Group (TG). The TG will receive self-care guidelines with feet and 12 sessions of foot reflexology, while the CG will only receive the guideline. For the evaluations, it will be applied the instrument for quality of life (SF-36) and for functional capacity, the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire. This research will follow the standards set by resolution 466/12 of the National Health Council, for research with human beings and will be conducted in accordance with the ethical recommendations of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Interventions

OTHERreflexology
OTHERself-care guidelines with feet

Sponsors

Universidade do Vale do Sapucai
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)

Masking description

To ensure the blinding, the study included an interventionist enabled for application of foot reflexology.

Intervention model description

The patients will be taken to a room reserved for the procedure. First, the patients answer the research instruments and then they will be asked to lie supine on a stretcher. The feet of the patients will be cleaned with water (37ºC) and mild soap and then will be dry with paper towels. The next phase consists in the application of foot massage, that will follow the Lourenço's Protocol (2012), which consists of 14 steps of relaxation massage. Each step will have duration of 1 minute, 3 procedures by week, by 4 consecutive weeks. The research instruments, SF-36 and Stanford Health Assessment Questionnarie will be applied before the first and after the last procedure.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
50 Years to 75 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* 10 years or more of diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, between the ages of 50 to 75 years, both sexes, and registered in the Primary Health Care Unit of São João or in the Diabetes Education Center in Minas Gerais state, Brazil.

Exclusion criteria

* presence of ulcers in the feet, amputations of the lower limbs, deficits in cognitive abilities, and previous treatment using reflexology

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Quality of Life Questionnaire SF-36An average of 1 yearmeasure of quality of life

Other

MeasureTime frameDescription
Stanford Health Assessment QuestionnaireAn average of 1 yearmeasure of functional capacity

Countries

Brazil

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026