The effects of foot reflexology on blood pressure and heart rate: A randomized clinical trial in stage-2 hypertensive patients

Hypertension (HT) is a prominent cardiovascular risk factor. Although there are various pharmacological treatment choices for this condition, many patients fail to adhere to them, making non-pharmacological options attractive alternatives. Foot reflexology has been proven to decrease blood pressure (BP), but data are limited in patients with stage-2 HT. We conducted a randomized clinical trial to examine the effectiveness of foot reflexology in reducing BP and heart rate (HR). Stage-2 HT patients were enrolled and randomized into the intervention and the control groups (n = 47, each), the former of which underwent foot reflexology during a follow-up visit. Office BP and HR were measured before and at 15 and 30 min after the procedure in the intervention group and after resting in the control group. In the intervention group, systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), and HR at 15 min were significantly lower than at baseline: −3.29 mm Hg (95%CI; −5.64 to −0.93), −1.71 mm Hg (95%CI; −3.11 to −0.32), and −1.71 beats per min (bpm; 95%CI; −2.88 to −0.54), respectively. Similar trends were also observed at 30 min. However, when compared with the control group, only the reduction in HR was significant (−4.96 bpm; 95%CI, −9.63 to −0.28). We conclude that foot reflexology was effective in reducing HR in stage-2 HT patients and partially effective in reducing BP.