[Effect of foot reflexology on physical and psychological symptoms of premenstrual syndrome]

Premenstrual syndrome [PMS] is a set of physical, mental and behavioral symptoms with different severity that cause disorders in individual and social relationships. This syndrome occurs during luteal phase of menstrual cycle with complicated reasons. It is one of the most common disorders of childbearing ages. Because of unclear and complicated causes of this syndrome, different treatment methods have been presented. Reflexology is a non-drug method of prevention and treatment of premenstrual syndrome. It is an old, mild and non-invasive method, but there is not enough researches about its effect on symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. This research was carried out in order to determine the effect of foot reflexology on symptoms of premenstrual syndrome in students of dormitories of Jahrom University in 2011-12. This study was a single-blind controlled clinical trial of 90 students with premenstrual syndrome who were resident in dormitory of Jahrom University. The students were randomly divided into two groups of foot reflexology and control. Intensity of premenstrual syndrome was recorded by subjects in two cycles: pre - intervention cycle and intervention cycle. The tools of data gathering consisted of data gathering forms of temporary diagnosis of PMS, and Beck depression test. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in order to analyze data. There was no statistically significant difference between research variables such as age and menarche age, and the severity of the symptoms before intervention. The average reduction of general severity of PMS symptoms was 23.39% in foot reflexology group while it was -9.68% in the control group [p<0.0001]. There was signification difference between the average of physical and mental symptoms in reflexology group compared to the control group [p<0.0001]. It seems that, foot reflexology is effective in improvement of physical and metal symptoms of PMS. Therefore, it is possible to achieve a main midwifery aim which is to decrease the intensity of PMS symptoms by teaching this simple technique which doesn't need specialists in order to be done.