Seizure frequency was reduced for reflexology group participants in a study of its impact on epi- lepsy patients. The study was conducted by Dr. (Mrs.) Krishna Dalal of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences Department of Biophysics at All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, India.
84 patients suffering from” intractable” epilepsy were randomly assigned to one of two groups reflexology or control.(“Intractable epilepsy was defined as the patients who had been suffered for a duration of more than 2 years, having seizure frequency at least 2 seizures per month and not responding to at least two anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) on adequate doses with good compliance”)
“Subjects of both arms received AEDs (anti-epileptic drugs) and study arm (reflexology group) patients received reflexology in addition. Amongst the types of epilepsy, the observed ones were complex partial seizures (CPS) with or without generalization, generalized tonic and clonic seizures (GTCS) and others which include partial seizure, general motor seizure and Lennox gastaut syndrome.
Over a 27-month period trained caregivers applied reflexology first three times a day for 4 months and then twice a day for 23 months. All study participants reported to the “laboratory once a week “to monitor the compliances of the samples as well as their responses.”
“The % of seizure frequency reduction in two groups was compared using Wilcoxon non-parametric test. Within the group, the parameters were compared by two sided Wilcoxon Sign test. The quality of life was assessed by using QOLIE-31 and data was statistically analyzed using paired sample T-test.”
Results: Seizure frequency was reduced for the reflexology group by 87.5%. Among the “group of GTCS seizure type, the excellent response was among 76.9% patients. The excellent responses were found to be 54.5% and 50% among the CPS and others type patients respectively.”
Quality of life pre-study and post study changed for the reflexology group from 43.6±8 to 65.4 ± For the control group scores were 41.05±7 and 49.07±6. It was observed “... that 86% of the study (reflexology) group patients suffered from lower limb pain with a p-value of 0.0004. Post- therapy data reveals that 84% patients responded with 81% reduction in pain severity (p-value 0.0007).”
Following the study and follow-up period, “... reflexology was advised to be applied to the patients up to the next 3 years 6 months once per day with the hypothesis of avoiding regeneration of the epileptic foci.”
Barbara and Kevin Kunz
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