Effects of Foot Reflexology on Anxiety and Physiological Parameters in Patients undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: A Clinical Trial

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: Patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft suffer from anxiety before and after surgery. Some evidence has indicated that foot reflexology can reduce anxiety and can also stabilize physiological parameters of different patients. Contradictory, some studies have shown the lack of effectiveness of reflexology on anxiety and physiological parameters. The aim of this study was obtaining strong evidence regarding the effect of foot reflexology on anxiety and physiological parameters of patients with coronary artery disease after CABG surgery. Method: This was a single-blind, three-arm, parallel-group controlled trial with three groups of 40 patients undergoing CABG. Physiological parameters included systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, percutaneous oxygen saturation, and body temperature of participants. Physiological parameters and anxiety of patients were measured in the first day in the evening shift during mechanical ventilation and simultaneous with consciousness of patients and in the second and third days during morning and evening shifts. After the first measurement, intervention was performed. The second and third measurements were taken immediately after the intervention and 10 minutes after the intervention respectively. The Faces Anxiety Scale (FAS), short-form of STAI and physiological parameters checklist were used for collecting anxiety and physiological parameters data. Results: Results indicated, foot reflexology had a significant effect on anxiety and physiological parameters except heart rate (p<0.05). Bonferroni also showed that this massage had a significant effect on anxiety and physiological parameters except heart rate, respiratory rate and arterial oxygen saturation (P <0.05). From the point of view of anxiety, the effect size of the intervention group compared to the placebo and control and the placebo group compared to the control was -0.7716, -1,7123, and -0.9307, respectively. Also, from the point of view of systolic, diastolic, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate and arterial oxygen saturation were measured in the intervention group compared to the placebo and control groups and the placebo group compared to the control was 6.7349, 5.5711, 1.1638, 3.4439, 3.7295, 0.2856, 4.4624, 4.2648, 0.1976, 2.2063, 2.1706, 0.0357, 0.8216, 0.9675, 0.1458, 0.6241, 0.6388 and 0.0148 respectively.