Foot Reflexotherapy Induces Analgesia in Elderly Individuals with Low Back Pain: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Pilot Study

Autor: Daniel Martins, Rodolfo Borges Parreira, Bruna Hoffmann de Oliveira, Anna Quialheiro de Abreu da Silva, Afonso Shiguemi Inoue Salgado, Daniela Dero Ludtke, Fernanda Madeira, Francisco José Cidral-Filho, Luiz Augusto Oliveira Belmonte, Graciela Mendonça da Silva Medeiros
Rok vydání: 2017
Předmět:
Zdroj: Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : eCAM
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Vol 2017 (2017)
ISSN: 1741-427X
Popis: Introduction. This study evaluated the effects of foot reflexotherapy on pain and postural balance in elderly individuals with low back pain. Design. Randomized, controlled pilot study. Participants (n=20) were randomly assigned to 2 groups: individuals submitted to conventional foot massage (control group) or foot reflexotherapy (RT, intervention group) for a period of 5 weeks. Questionnaires on pain and disability (visual analogue scale [VAS] and Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire [RMDQ]), heart rate variability, and orthostatic balance and baropodometric analysis were assessed at two intervals: before and after intervention. Results. RT group showed statistically significant differences when compared to control group in the following parameters: decrease in VAS scores for pain throughout the study, decrease in parasympathetic activity, and improvement in RMDQ scores. The two groups did not statistically differ in either orthostatic balance or baropodometric analyses. Conclusion. This study demonstrated that foot reflexotherapy induced analgesia but did not affect postural balance in elderly individuals with low back pain.
Databáze: OpenAIRE