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Moradpour Ivaki M, Bagheri Nesami M. The Effect of Foot Reflexology on Sleep Conditions of Cardiac Patients: A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials in Iran. CPR 2023; 2 (1) :29-36
URL: http://cpr.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-90-en.html

Background and Objective: Due to the importance of sleep for the quality of life of cardiac patients, there is a need to find effective methods to improve their sleep quality. One of these methods is the foot reflexology (FR). This study aims to investigate the FR effects on the sleep conditions of cardiac patients.
Materials & Methods: This is a systematic review study that was conducted in 2023. After searching in the national and international databases for studies published from 1980 to 2023, 162 studies were assessed according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, of which 147 were excluded. Finally, three randomized clinical trials that used FR were included, two were for patients with coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) and one for patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI).
Results: The time of FR for each foot was in the range of 15-20 minutes and its duration ranged 2-4 days. The results of one study indicated that FR had a significant effect on sleep quality and quantity. However, other studies reported that FR was not significantly effective in improving sleep quality and quantity.
Conclusion: FR may improve the cardiac patients’ sleep quality and quantity. It seems that 15-minute FR at night is effective for improving the sleep conditions of CABG patients. However, further research is required on MI patients.