| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
|
| Year : 2022 | Volume
: 23
| Issue : 2 | Page : 190-195 |
|
|
Effectiveness of foot reflexology on blood pressure among patients with hypertension in a Selected Hospital, Mangaluru
Joseph Ann1, D'Almeida Victoria2, Rashmi Shwetha3, Fernandes Preethi3
1 M.Sc. Nursing Student, Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Father Muller College of Nursing, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
2 Professor & HOD, Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Father Muller College of Nursing, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Father Muller College of Nursing, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
Correspondence Address:
Prof. D'Almeida Victoria
Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Father Muller College of Nursing, Mangaluru, Karnataka
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
DOI: 10.4103/ijcn.ijcn_1_22
|
|
|
Hypertension has emerged as a major health problem in developing countries. Reflexology can lower a high blood pressure through effects on relaxation, through blood vessel dilation and through a diuretic effect. The aim of the study was to find the effectiveness of foot reflexology on blood pressure among patients with hypertension. An experimental study design was adopted. Thirty-six in-patients with hypertension were selected from a selected hospital at Mangaluru by purposive sampling technique and were assigned to the intervention and control group by random allocation using closed envelope method (n = 18 + 18). Foot reflexology was administered to the subjects in the intervention group, whereas the control group received the routine care. The blood pressure was checked before and after the intervention or standard care using a digital sphygmomanometer in both the groups. Data collection was continued for three consecutive days. The one-way repeated measures analysis of variance showed that there was a significant difference between mean pre-test and the mean post-test level of systolic (F (5,13) = 77.30, P = 0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (F (5,13) = 40.98, P = 0.001) of the intervention group at various time intervals. The unpaired t-test showed that there was a significant difference in the mean post-test level of systolic (t (34) = 6.55, P = 0.001) and diastolic (t (34) = 8.46, P = 0.001) blood pressure between the intervention and control groups. Foot reflexology as a complementary therapy is effective in reducing hypertension, which also is cost-effective and safe.
|
|
|
|
| [FULL TEXT] [PDF]* |
|
 |
|
