An interventional study of Foot Reflexology in Cancer Pain and Advanced Cancer, sponsored by Rawan AlAssaf. Completed at 1 site in Jordan. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-04.
Sponsored by Rawan AlAssaf · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
This study examined changes in pain during a home-based foot reflexology program for adults with advanced cancer in Jordan. Foot reflexology involves applying pressure to selected areas of the feet.
The main questions were:
Participants received up to 15 at-home sessions over eight weeks, usually twice a week. Each session included 30 minutes of foot reflexology delivered by a trained, certified practitioner. Participants rated their pain from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst possible pain) immediately before each session and within five minutes after.
All participants continued their usual cancer treatment and pain care. Everyone received foot reflexology; there was no separate comparison group. Researchers compared each participant's pain scores before and after sessions and across the program.
This prospective, single-group, nonrandomized interventional study included repeated pain assessments. Adults with advanced cancer and moderate-to-severe cancer-related pain were recruited through the outpatient pain and oncology clinics of a military oncology center in Amman, Jordan. Researchers delivered the intervention in participants' homes. The study had no concurrent control group, random allocation, or masking.
The study examined two patterns of pain change: immediate within-session changes and longitudinal changes during the intervention period. We assessed immediate changes by comparing pain scores recorded before and after each session. We assessed longitudinal changes by examining pre-session pain scores across the program.
The intervention followed a standardized Sorensensistem foot reflexology protocol. A certified reflexology practitioner delivered up to 15 sessions over eight weeks, generally twice weekly. Each home visit lasted approximately 40 minutes, including preparation and pre-session assessment, 30 minutes of manual foot reflexology, and post-session assessment and rest. Participants were instructed to report discomfort, which would prompt termination of the session.
Pain intensity was measured using the 11-point Numerical Pain Rating Scale, ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst possible pain). Assessments were completed immediately before each session and within five minutes after. We also collected baseline demographic and clinical information.
Participants continued their prescribed oncology treatment and supportive care. We documented changes in prescribed analgesics and cancer treatments during the intervention period. We provided foot reflexology as an adjunct to usual care, not as a replacement for prescribed treatment.
Pain assessments were limited to the eight-week intervention period. We conducted no follow-up assessments after the program ended. Because the study did not include a control group, we cannot determine whether foot reflexology itself caused the observed changes in pain.
310 studies on the registry are indexed under Cancer Pain; 73 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 20 is below the median of 62 across 235 interventional studies indexed under Cancer Pain.
Browse Cancer Pain studies →This is the only study on the registry with Rawan AlAssaf as lead sponsor.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.
Metastases
Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants received up to 15 home-based foot reflexology sessions over eight weeks, generally twice weekly. Each session included 30 minutes of standardized foot reflexology delivered by a certified practitioner. Participants continued their usual oncology treatment and supportive care. Pain intensity was assessed immediately before and within five minutes after each session.
Other: Foot Reflexology
A certified practitioner delivered a standardized manual foot reflexology intervention following the Sorensensistem protocol in participants' homes. Treatment involved applying pressure to selected areas of the feet in a predefined sequence. Each treatment session lasted 30 minutes, and participants received up to 15 sessions over eight weeks, generally twice weekly. The intervention was provided alongside usual medical and oncology care.
Within-Session Change in Pain Intensity Measured by the Numerical Pain Rating Scale
Pain intensity was measured using the 11-point Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst possible pain). We recorded scores immediately before and within five minutes after each foot reflexology session. We calculated within-session change as the pre-session score minus the post-session score, with positive values indicating reduced pain. Changes were assessed across 15 sessions.
Time frame: Immediately before and within five minutes after each of 15 sessions over eight weeks.
Change in Pre-Session Pain Intensity Across the Foot Reflexology Program
We assessed pain intensity immediately before each session using the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst possible pain). We assessed pre-session scores across the 15-session program to describe changes over time. Lower scores indicate less pain.
Time frame: Immediately before each of the 15 sessions over eight weeks.
Plan to share: No — There is currently no plan to share individual participant data with other researchers. Study findings will be reported in aggregate form in scientific publications.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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