Comparison of the Effects of Foot Reflexology and Foot Bath Therapy on Stress in Older Adults with Prehypertension and Hypertension

Purpose: Previous studies have reported that foot reflexology and foot bath therapy are effective in lowering blood pressure and relieving stress; however, studies that directly compare the effects of foot reflexology and foot bath therapy are limited. This study aimed to compare the effects of foot reflexology and foot bath therapy on blood pressure and stress in patients with hypertension. Methods: Older adults diagnosed with prehypertension or hypertension were randomly assigned to either a foot reflexology group or a foot bath therapy group. The interventions were administered twice weekly for 5 weeks. Before and after the intervention, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured, and stress was assessed using pulse wave–based physical stress, electroencephalography (EEG)–based mental stress, and questionnaire-based physical and mental stress levels. Autonomic nervous system activity was evaluated via pulse wave analysis. Results: After 5 weeks of intervention, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, questionnaire-and pulse wave–based physical stress, and questionnaire-based mental stress were significantly decreased in both groups. The variability in heart rate, parasympathetic nervous system activity, autonomic nervous system activity, and cognitive function significantly improved, whereas the sympathetic nervous system activity also increased. The interaction effects between the two interventions were not statistically significant for all variables, indicating similar patterns of change between the groups. In contrast, EEG-based mental stress showed no significant change in either group. Conclusion: Both foot reflexology and foot bath therapy effectively improved blood pressure and stress in older adults with prehypertension and hypertension. Therefore, these therapies may serve as complementary nonpharmacological interventions for older adults with hypertension in clinical and community settings.