Comparison of the effect of soaking feet in warm water and foot reflexology on sleep quality of patients undergoing radiotherapy: A randomized clinical trial

Decreased sleep quality is one of the most common complications of radiotherapy in cancer patients. Although soaking feet in warm water and foot reflexology are two easy, inexpensive, and accessible ways to improve sleep quality, which one is more effective, has not been evaluated in existing studies. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of soaking feet in warm water and foot reflexology on sleep quality in patients undergoing radiotherapy.

This two-group randomized clinical trial was conducted on 62 cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy at Reza (AS) Medical Center in Mashhad in 2020. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups of soaking feet in warm water and reflexology. In the group of soaking feet in warm water, patients soaked their feet in 41 °C water for 20 minutes every night from the seventh day after starting radiotherapy for two weeks. In the foot reflexology group, the intervention was performed from the seventh day after starting radiotherapy for two weeks every night for 10 minutes for each foot in three areas including solar plexus, pituitary gland and pineal gland. Sleep quality score was assessed using the Petersburg Sleep Quality Questionnaire on the seventh day of radiotherapy (pre-test) and then 7, 14 and 28 days later. Data were analyzed by the SPSS software version 20 using descriptive/inferential statistics.

The results showed the total score of sleep quality in the two groups decreased significantly over time (P<0.001), and this reduction was from 13.81±1.33 on the pre-test day to 4.86±1.73 on the day 28 for the reflexology group, and from 13.55±1.23 to 7.92±1.97 for the group of soaking feet in warm water. It should be noted that a decrease in the score of Petersburg questionnaire means an improvement in sleep quality.

Foot reflexology and soaking feet in warm water improve sleep quality in patients undergoing radiotherapy but foot reflexology is more effective in improving sleep quality. Therefore, using this method is recommended.
Clinical trial registry: IRCT20190625044009N1