International Council of Reflexologists ICR Conference 26/27 Sept 2025 in Athens Greece.
I am thrilled to announce that I will be attending conference in person and presenting…
“PROVIDING EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT REFLEXOLOGY PROVISION IN MAINSTREAM HEALTHCARE”. My presentation will illustrate the strategic route and data evidence that enabled an externally funded reflexology project move from trial phase to sustainable daily service status within a UK NHS hospital Cancer Service that remains operational to date.
- Describing how identification of a need/gap in mainstream healthcare provision produced a project trial proposal.
- Outlining the necessary documentation that ensured service compliance with mainstream healthcare standards/guidelines and informed funding applications.
- Detailing how overcoming the complexities of delivery of a hands-on therapy to cancer patients, and collecting patient feedback at 3 clinical settings, shaped the 20-min PCR model of Clinical Reflexology.
- Illustrating data findings in a series of graphs depicting a pattern of annual service growth based on demand, with patient information and reflexology treatment outcomes.
- Concluding with a personal perspective of the barriers preventing the integration of reflexology into mainstream health provision in the UK and how professional therapists might overcome them.
Followed by an introductory demonstration of the 20 minute Langstone-Wring Method of Professional Clinical Reflexology PCR ™ developed whilst working at Dorchester County Hospital DCHFT. Data used to inform Clinical Reflexology Audits 2613 (2015) and 4923 (2020) also informed the following published articles:
A Langstone-Wring. D Machin. Measuring patient response to clinical foot reflexology (CFR) within a UK NHS cancer service. International Therapist Spring 2018. fht.org.uk/IT-124-RR-CFR
A Langstone-Wring. J Whatley. Patients’ experiences of clinical foot reflexology in a hospital cancer service. Royal College of Nursing RCNi Cancer Nursing practice doi:10.7748/cnp.2023. e1841.
Re-published RCNi Cancer Nursing Practice Jan 2024 Vol 23 No 1. Evidence and practice Pg22-28
To ensure the Clinical Reflexology service for cancer patients at DCHFT maintains the highest quality and standard reflexologists will have attended the accredited evidence- based PCR certified CPD Training. Qualified reflexologists who wish to expand their knowledge and skills to feel confident to support cancer patients from Diagnosis, through Treatment and Beyond in clinical settings, hospices and private practice can find training course details on this website.
Reflexology is recognised as providing a relaxing and therapeutic experience and there is a growing body of evidence supporting the safety and effectiveness of its use in symptom management (1) Studies have compared reflexology outcomes positively to those of other modalities such as physiotherapy (2) For reflexology to be viewed with the same professional regard as other therapies such as osteopathy a conversation between relevant organisations needs to be had concerning qualification standardisation. At present reflexology is taught to level 3 there is limited access to level 5 training and a degree in reflexology does not exist. Is degree/masters and research evidence the way forward? if so, this more scientific approach may “open doors” for clinical/medical referral, employment opportunities (publicly and privately funded) and recognition/registration with publicly funded governing bodies (UK Allied Health Professions AHP’s and UK regulator Health and Care Professions Council HCPC )Level 3 will continue to provide training for the Beauty and Spa industry. I wonder what the future development of reflexology will be?
1. F. Quinn, C.M. Hughes, G.D. Baxter. Reflexology in the management of low back pain: A pilot randomised controlled trial. Complementary Therapies in Medicine (2008) 16, 3—8
2. A.R. Kazemi B. Ghasemi M.R. Moradi November 2015 Comparison of two methods of physiotherapy-reflexology of foot and physiotherapy on symptoms of senile patients with knee osteoarthritis.