During the transition from menopausethe estrogen deficiency can lead to several physical and mental health problems, including insomnia, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, headaches and anxiety. If most of these disorders end up fading over the years, some – like the sleeping troubles and the vaginal dryness – tend to persist or even worsen over time.
For researchers working for the North American Menopause Society, having a foot massage would help reduce the bothersome symptoms of menopause.
Menopause: a daily foot massage for 7 days
To assess the effects of foot massage on theanxietythe fatigue and the sleep of menopausal women, 35 participants received one foot reflexology session per day for a week. A second group had to continue their usual occupations without changing anything in their routine. The 70 women then answered a questionnaire. They had to assess their symptoms and state of health.
Analysis of her data showed that women who had their feet massaged daily had a better quality sleep. They slept till an extra hour compared to those who did not benefit from the kneading of their feet. Furthermore, their fatigue and anxiety levels had dropped over the past week.
“Sleep disturbances, fatigue and symptoms of anxiety are common during menopause. This small study in Turkish women shows how a simple and inexpensive intervention such as foot massage can improve these troublesome symptoms in postmenopausal women,” said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of the North American Menopause Society.
She added: “Although further studies are needed to confirm these findings in other populations of postmenopausal women, there are few cons to recommend foot massage as a non-hormonal option to help relieve symptoms”.
Anxiety and insomnia during menopause: identifying the solutions
“Although thehormone therapy is recognized as an effective treatment option for many symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, not all women are able or willing to take hormones. Thereby, there is a need to identify other approachesincluding complementary and alternative treatments, to relieve the various physical and mental health symptoms that often accompany the transition to menopause,” add the researchers whose work was published in the scientific journal Menopause, September 20, 2022.
The menopause often turns out to be a complicated period for the fairer sex. 8 out of 10 women have at least one other sign than stopping menstruation. Between 20 et 25% of them complain of problems affecting their quality of life at one time or another during their menopause. Only 8 to 10% of postmenopausal women follow hormone treatment, according to Santé Publique France.
