The Effect of Reflexology and Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises (Kegel) on Urinary Incontinence in MS Patients

July 29, 2025 updated by: Afitap Ozdelikara, Ondokuz Mayıs University
The research was carried out as experiment, control group, pretest-posttest model and single-blind. The population of the study consisted of MS patients who applied to OMU (Ondokuz Mayıs University) Neurology Service and Neurology Outpatient Clinic between March 2020 and February 2022. Fifteen patients who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Patients were divided into reflexology, pelvic floor muscle exercise and control groups. The control group was not intervened, only data collection tools were applied.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The research was carried out as experiment, control group, pretest-posttest model and single-blind. The population of the study consisted of MS patients who applied to OMU (Ondokuz Mayıs University) Neurology Service and Neurology Outpatient Clinic between March 2020 and February 2022. Fifteen patients who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Patients were divided into reflexology, pelvic floor muscle exercise and control groups. The control group was not intervened, only data collection tools were applied.

reflexology intervention The reflexology application was carried out in a separate and quiet room, on a stretcher/bed where the patient could lie down, by adjusting the temperature so that they would not feel cold/sweaty. First, the feet were cleaned with a warm, damp cotton towel. Odorless, room temperature baby oil was used to provide lubricity during the reflexology application. The reflexology protocol was started with the right foot. First of all, rotation, vibration, etc. are applied to the ankle and ankle areas. relaxation techniques were applied for 2 minutes. Afterwards, reflexology massage was applied to the spinal cord, brain, pituitary areas, kidney, ureter and bladder areas with appropriate techniques. The session was concluded with solar plexus compression and relaxation maneuvers. The same protocol was applied in the left foot. Immediately after each reflexology session, the patient was allowed to drink 1 glass (200 ml) of water to accelerate the excretion of toxic products. Reflexology session was completed in 40 minutes for both feet. Foot reflexology was applied to the reflexology group twice a week (40 minutes for both feet) for a total of 4 weeks.

Pelvic floor muscle exercise (Kegel) application In the Kegel exercise group, the patients were taught the Kegel exercise at the first interview, and it was provided to be done under the guidance of the researcher. Afterward, they were asked to apply at least three times a day for four weeks, and a reminder SMS was sent to the patients daily.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

15

Phase

  • 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 Locations

  • Turkey
      • Samsun, Turkey, 55200
        • Afitap ÖZDELİKARA

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosed with MS at least 6 months ago,
  • Having an EDSS of <5,

Exclusion Criteria:

  • To have wound on foots, varicose veins, etc. history of fractures causing loss of function, nail fungus,
  • pregnancy,
  • presence of acute infection
  • To using any diuretic or incontinence medication,
  • To have a curettage or pregnancy history in the last 6 months

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
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Median score distributions of the reflexology groups, ICIQ-SF, IQOL and ISI
Other: Reflexology and kegel exercises

Reflexology is specific to a foot massage, and ıt can use different symptoms for patients.

Kegel exercise is specific an activities and ıt can used for urinary incontinence
Active Comparator: Median score distributions of the kegel groups, ICIQ-SF, IQOL and ISI
Other: Reflexology and kegel exercises

Reflexology is specific to a foot massage, and ıt can use different symptoms for patients.

Kegel exercise is specific an activities and ıt can used for urinary incontinence
Active Comparator: Median score distributions of the control groups, ICIQ-SF, IQOL and ISI
Other: Reflexology and kegel exercises

Reflexology is specific to a foot massage, and ıt can use different symptoms for patients.

Kegel exercise is specific an activities and ıt can used for urinary incontinence

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Index of severity incontinence (ISI)
Time Frame: 4 weeks
The total score is between 0-12. A score of "0" indicates that there is no incontinence. The scale score is then categorized into 4 different levels of incontinence severity: 1-2: mild, 3-6: moderate, 8-9: severe, 10-12: very serious.
4 weeks
nternational Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form(ICIQ-SF)
Time Frame: 4 weeks
The scores that can be obtained from the scale range from 0 to 21; A low score indicates that urinary incontinence has little effect on quality of life, while a high score indicates that it affects the quality of life very much.
4 weeks
Incontinence quality of life (IQOL)
Time Frame: 4 weeks
The total score ranges from 0 to 100. High scores indicate better quality of life than low scores.
4 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Ondokuz Mayıs University

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)

May 1, 2020

Primary Completion (Actual)

September 30, 2022

Study Completion (Actual)

September 30, 2022

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 9, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 13, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

September 15, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 1, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 29, 2025

Last Verified

July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • Reflexology55

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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