The effect of foot reflexology applied to women aged between 40 and 60 on vasomotor complaints and quality of life

• Relieving vasomotor complaints is one of the important responsibilities of health professionals.
• Reflexology might be used to reduce vasomotor complaints within the scope of nurses' independent roles.
• There are too few evidence-based studies that investigate the effects of reflexology during the menopausal period.
• The present study is the first in our country to investigate the effects of reflexology on vasomotor complaints.

PurposeThis study aims to identify the effects of foot reflexology applied to women on their vasomotor complaints and quality of life.MethodsA randomised controlled study was conducted with 120 women. The experimental group received foot reflexology treatment, while the control group received nonspecific foot massage.ResultsThe mean scores for hot flashes, sweats, and night sweats, were lower in the reflexology group than the control group after the practice; and the difference between the groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The mean scores for the sub-groups of the MENQOL demonstrated improvements in both groups after the application (p < 0.001). As for the sexual domain, there was a significant improvement in the reflexology group (p < 0.05), but no improvements were found in the control group (p > 0.05).ConclusionResults showed that reflexology might be effective in decreasing vasomotor problems and increasing quality of life in women in the menopausal period.