Foot Reflexology and Pain and Ankle Brachial Index and Walking Impairement

May 28, 2025 updated by: Elif BUDAK ERTÜRK, Baskent University

The Effect of Foot Reflexology on Pain, Walking Impairement and Ankle Brachial Index Level in Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease

This randomized controlled study aimed to determine the effect of foot reflexology on pain, walking impairement and ankle brachial index level in patients with peripheral artery disease

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Patients with PAH may experience pain in the legs, cramps, pain or aching symptoms (claudication) in the hip, thigh or leg calf, along with compulsive movements such as walking. Reflexology is reported to have effects such as protecting the tissue integrity of the feet, increasing skin turgor, reducing neuropathic pain and increasing peripheral blood flow. For this reason, this study aimed to determine the effect of foot reflexology on pain, walking impairement and ankle brachial index level in patients with peripheral artery disease.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
30

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Turkey
    • Etimesgut
      • Ankara, Etimesgut, Turkey
        • Baskent University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adult patients over 18 years of age with PAH;
  • no fractures or open wounds in both lower extremities;
  • absence of unilateral or bilateral amputation of the lower extremities

Exclusion Criteria:

  • having an acute infection with fever;
  • requiring an acute surgical condition
  • undergoing femoral-popliteal bypass surgery
  • Having a verbal communication problem such as Alzheimer's or dementia

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: intervention group
The intervention group is received two reflexology sessions.
Procedure: Reflexology
Reflexology is a method that creates nervous, hormonal and energetic effects in the body using pressure, rubbing and stretching applied with special hand and finger techniques to reflex points corresponding to all parts, organs and systems of the body in the ears, hands and feet
No Intervention: control group
The control group is given routine care and no intervention will be performed.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Numeric Pain Rating Scale
Time Frame: Two reflexology sessions will be applied within one week and 4 measurements will be made. •Baseline (before first reflexology session), •After first reflexology session, •Before second reflexology session, •After second reflexology session
Numeric Pain Rating Scale includes values ranging from 0 (no pain) - 10 (the worst pain)
Two reflexology sessions will be applied within one week and 4 measurements will be made. •Baseline (before first reflexology session), •After first reflexology session, •Before second reflexology session, •After second reflexology session
Ankle Brachial Index
Time Frame: Two reflexology sessions will be applied within one week and 4 measurements will be made. •Baseline (before first reflexology session), •After first reflexology session, •Before second reflexology session, •After second reflexology session
Ankle-brachial index is the ratio of the systolic blood pressure (SBP) measured at the ankle to that measured at the brachial artery.
Two reflexology sessions will be applied within one week and 4 measurements will be made. •Baseline (before first reflexology session), •After first reflexology session, •Before second reflexology session, •After second reflexology session
Walking Impairment Questionnaire
Time Frame: Baseline, after 2 days second reflexology sessions
The "Walking Impairment Questionnaire" is a self-report tool that evaluates walking distance and capacity. While the first 7 questions of the tool constitute the part where claudication and differential diagnosis are evaluated individually, the following 14 items are evaluated from 0 (can't do, very difficult) to 4 (no difficulty) on the Likert scale. The scale's walking distance, walking speed and stair climbing subscales are evaluated by evaluating the weights of each question, and total and subscale scores are calculated and evaluated between 0 and 100 points. A low score indicates poor walking performance.
Baseline, after 2 days second reflexology sessions

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Toe oxygen saturation level
Time Frame: Two reflexology sessions will be applied within one week and 4 measurements will be made. •Baseline (before first reflexology session), •After first reflexology session, •Before second reflexology session, •After second reflexology session
Toe oxygen saturation level is measured pulse oximetry. This method used to examine oxygen saturation in various parts of body.
Two reflexology sessions will be applied within one week and 4 measurements will be made. •Baseline (before first reflexology session), •After first reflexology session, •Before second reflexology session, •After second reflexology session
Rate of Participants Edema level
Time Frame: Two reflexology sessions will be applied within one week and 4 measurements will be made. •Baseline (before first reflexology session), •After first reflexology session, •Before second reflexology session, •After second reflexology session
Rate of Participants Edema level is measured from the ankle and calf with a tape measure.
Two reflexology sessions will be applied within one week and 4 measurements will be made. •Baseline (before first reflexology session), •After first reflexology session, •Before second reflexology session, •After second reflexology session

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Baskent University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Elif BUDAK ERTÜRK, PhD, RN, Baskent University Faculty of Health Science Department of Nursing

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 15, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 29, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 30, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 3, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 14, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 21, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 31, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 28, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • KA23-152

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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