Reflexology: Claims, Evidence and Safety

What reflexology is

Reflexology is a practice in which different amounts of pressure are applied to specific points on the feet or hands. [1] Those points are believed to match up with other parts of the body, and reflexology is claimed to cause relaxation and healing in those parts, but this has not been proven. [1]

For the general picture of massage, see what massage therapy and bodywork are and foot massage and hand massage.

The foot map is a belief, not an anatomy finding

Reflexologists believe that certain points on the feet correspond to organs in the body. [2] The charts that show a "stomach zone" or "liver zone" on the sole are the practice's own explanation. Treat them as a belief held by practitioners, and not as an established fact of human anatomy. Cancer Research UK says there is no scientific evidence to prove that reflexology can cure or prevent any type of disease, including cancer. [2]

Be cautious about any practitioner who says they can diagnose an organ problem from your feet. A foot map is not a medical test, and a person with symptoms needs a clinician.

What a session involves

A reflexology session usually lasts 30 to 60 minutes. [2] Pressure on some areas may be uncomfortable or slightly painful. [2] You can ask for lighter pressure or a pause at any time, and consent can be withdrawn at any point. Pain is not a sign that it is working.

What research shows

Reflexology trials are hard to blind, and many compare it with doing nothing. Receiving calm time, touch and attention can make people feel better whatever the foot map says, so a comparison with "no treatment" cannot separate those effects from the technique. Fairer tests compare it with a sham version of reflexology.

Evidence labels: mixed, promising but limited, insufficient evidence, no good evidence of benefit, Proper evidence not found.

1. Any medical condition (18 trials, 2009 review)

   no good evidence of benefit (as of 2009)

   The best evidence did not demonstrate convincingly that reflexology is an effective treatment for any condition; quality often poor, samples small [3]

2. Cancer care, all outcomes (26 studies, 2,465 patients, 2024 review)

   promising but limited

   Moderate to low quality and varied results; better than passive (no-treatment) controls for pain, quality of life and fatigue, with more comparisons against active controls needed [4]

3. Mental health in cancer (15 trials, 1,356 adults)

   mixed

   Stress, anxiety, depression and quality of life results were mixed and conflicting; certainty low to very low [5]

4. Multiple sclerosis (11 studies)

   promising but limited

   Versus sham reflexology, pain and fatigue scores were lower, with high variation between studies for fatigue; physical function and several other quality-of-life scales did not differ [6]

5. Functional constipation (7 trials)

   insufficient evidence

   A pooled "curative ratio" improved (risk ratio 1.27), but the authors judged the evidence insufficient for recurrence and symptom scores because studies were few and small [7]

6. Anxiety before gallbladder surgery (one trial, 300 patients, sham and usual-care comparison)

   promising but limited (one trial)

   A small advantage over sham: about 0.8 points on a 0 to 10 anxiety scale [8]

7. Irritable bowel syndrome

   insufficient evidence

   Too little evidence for any conclusion [1]

8. Pain in labor

   Proper evidence not found

   A Cochrane review of manual methods found no trials examining reflexology [9]

NCCIH adds that a small amount of research suggests reflexology might help a burning or prickling sensation sometimes linked with multiple sclerosis, but evidence for most MS symptoms is insufficient. [1] A symptom score that falls a little is not the same as a disease being treated.

For other uses promoted online, such as hormone balance, fertility or "detoxing" organs, we found no source we could read that tested them. Proper evidence not found. We searched NCCIH, Cancer Research UK and PubMed for reflexology reviews, so a use missing from the table means "not found", not "tested and shown not to work".

Safety and who should check first

In an NCI-funded study of women with advanced breast cancer, reflexology was safe even for the most fragile patients. [1] Cancer Research UK says reflexology generally appears to be safe and does not cause many side effects. [2]

It also lists people who should check with a doctor or nurse first. [2] That list includes circulatory problems of the feet, inflammation or blood clots in the leg veins, gout and foot ulcers. [2] It also includes a low platelet count, which means you may bruise or bleed more easily. [2] If you have a clot history, take blood thinners, have reduced feeling in your feet, or are pregnant, ask your clinician first as well. See massage and blood clots and massage with diabetes, neuropathy and fragile skin.

Throbbing pain and swelling in one leg, with red or darkened skin, can be signs of a deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot in a vein. [10] Get medical help straight away for those signs, and in the US call 911 if they come with chest pain or trouble breathing.

The main risk is indirect: using reflexology in place of care. NCCIH advises not to use massage therapy to postpone seeing a health care provider about a medical problem. [11] Never stop or change a medicine because of what a reflexologist says.

Practitioners and regulation

In the US, NCCIH says there is no standardized national system for credentialing complementary health practitioners, and that required credentials vary widely by state and discipline. [12] We did not read a US regulator page that describes reflexology licensing, so training and oversight are not described in the sources we read.

In the UK, Cancer Research UK says most reputable reflexologists are registered with the Association of Reflexologists or the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC). [2] CNHC describes itself as a UK voluntary register of health practitioners, and reflexology is one of the professions it registers. [13] For how to check any practitioner, see choosing a qualified practitioner and how to evaluate a therapy claim. We do not list or recommend practitioners.

Related pages

Massage evidence by goal, acupressure (another pressure-point practice, with its own page) and massage safety.