Positive Health Online

Abstract

SUDMEIER and colleagues, Universitatsklinik fur Innere Medizin, Innsbruck, Austria studied the effects of reflexology upon renal blood flow.

Background

Methodology

The authors conducted a placebo-controlled, double-blind randomised study. 32 healthy young adults (17 women, 15 men) were randomly assigned to reflexology or placebo group. The treatment group received reflexology at zones corresponding to the right kidney, while the placebo group was treated on other foot zones. The blood flow of 3 vessels of the right kidney was measured using colour Doppler sonography prior to, during and following reflexology. Systolic peak velocity and end diastolic peak velocity were measured and resistive index calculated.

Results

The resistive index, a parameter of vascular resistance showed a highly significant decrease during and following reflexology in the treatment group. The two groups showed significant differences in alterations of the resistive index both between measuring points prior to versus during reflexology and those during versus following reflexology. There were no differences between men and women nor between smokers and non-smokers.

Conclusion

The significant decrease of the resistive index during reflexology demonstrates a decrease of flow resistance in kidney vessels and an increase of renal blood flow. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that organ-associated reflexology is effective in changing renal blood flow during therapy.

References

Sudmeier I et al. Changes of renal blood flow during organ-associated foot reflexology measured by color Doppler sonography. Forschende Komplementaermedizin 6(3): 129-34 Jun 1999.