The Effects of Reflexology on Breathing Rate and Blood Pressure of the Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Reflexology is one of the diagnostic، non-invasive methods of complementary medicine which leads to release the energy blocked paths all over the body and consequently improving the body circulation. Reflexology has analgesic and anti-anxiety effects; but there are some contradictory evidences regarding the effects of reflexology on physiologic parameters. The present study has been conducted with the aim to investigate the effects of reflexology on the breathing rate and blood pressure in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The present randomized clinical research has been conducted on 40 patients suffering from COPD، in two reflexology and control groups in Tabriz Imam Reza Medical Research and Training center. The instrument of data collection was an information registration form. Massage therapy has been performed in six 30-minute sessions per week. Physiologic parameters have been measured before and after the intervention and were then analyzed by Kolmogorov–Smirnov test and T-test after establishing normality. There was a significant decrease in the systolic and diastolic blood pressure of COPD patients after intervention in comparison with the control group subjects (p<0/05)، but there was no meaningful differences in the patients’ breathing rate. Findings of the study reveal that foot reflexology can be utilized as a sound and safe nursery intervention in blood pressure control in patients suffering from COPD.