13/02/2026
Focus on Research: As part of my ongoing research spotlight series, today I’m highlighting a thoughtful study exploring reflexology within the hospice setting and its perceived value as part of holistic palliative care for patients. It is from 2002 but still valid today.
In a specialist palliative care unit in the north of England, 34 patients with advanced cancer were invited to share their experiences after receiving a short course of 4–6 reflexology sessions. The evaluation was designed to be gentle and ethically sensitive, using a simple questionnaire so as not to burden an already vulnerable group.
What emerged was deeply moving.
Patients consistently described profound relaxation, relief from anxiety and tension, and a sense of comfort that extended beyond the session itself. Many spoke about sleeping better, feeling less overwhelmed, coping more effectively with chemotherapy, and experiencing a welcome reduction in pain or nausea. Some described the sensation as “walking on air” or “floating” — language that conveys not just physical ease, but a temporary lifting of emotional weight.
Perhaps most striking was the way patients framed the experience holistically. They did not separate the reflexology technique from the environment in which it was delivered. The kindness of staff, the opportunity to talk openly, the feeling of being truly listened to, and having time that was solely theirs all formed part of the perceived benefit. The therapeutic relationship mattered. The atmosphere mattered. Being treated as a person, not a diagnosis, mattered.
While this small qualitative study was not designed to prove efficacy in the experimental sense, it clearly demonstrates patient-perceived value across physical, emotional and existential dimensions. In palliative care, where comfort and meaning are central outcomes, that perspective carries real weight.
For reflexologists working, or hoping to work, in end-of-life settings, this serves as a powerful reminder: it is not only what we do with our hands, but how we hold the space around the person in front of us.
As demand for ethically informed, evidence-aware palliative reflexology continues to grow, developing the knowledge and confidence to practise safely and compassionately in this context has never been more important.
For more information about this study Gambles, M., Crooke, M., & Wilkinson, S. (2002). Evaluation of a hospice based reflexology service: A qualitative audit of patient perceptions. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 6(1), 37–44. https://doi.org/10.1054/ejon.2001.0157
