Effect of Foot Reflexology on Pain, Fatigue, and Sleep quality for Patients with Acute Myocardial Infraction

Background: A myocardial infraction (MI) is characterized by myocardial necrosis caused by an inadequate oxygen supply. Patients with acute myocardial infarction frequently experience chest discomfort, fatigue, and sleep problems. In chronic conditions like MI, reflexology improves sleep quality and decrease discomfort and fatigue. Study aim: Evaluate effect of foot reflexology on pain, fatigue, and sleep quality for patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction. Design: A quasi-experimental design (pretest-posttest) was applied. Setting: The study was carried out at Zagazig University Hospitals' outpatients’ cardiac clinics. Subjects: A purposive sample of (60) patients with Acute Myocardial Infraction. Tools: Tool I: Patients assessment Questionnaire to assess socio demographic data, medical history, and patients’ complaints with myocardial infraction (Pre/Posttest). Tool II: Assessment of Pain by using a pain numeric rating scale. Tool III: Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Tool IV: Sleep Quality Assessment by using Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Results: The study's findings showed that the mean age of the studied patients was mean ±SD 53.3 ±6.7. Furthermore, the patients' complaints before and after the reflexology program differed statistically significantly. A statistically significant difference in the mean score for pain, fatigue, and sleep quality were observed between the pre and post foot reflexology periods among the studied patients. Conclusion: Foot reflexology program for myocardial infarction patients significantly reduced patient complaints, and improved sleep quality, while decreasing fatigue and pain. Recommendation: In order to generalize, future research and a replication of this study with a larger sample size.