Assess the effectiveness of reflexology on symptoms among patient with osteoarthritis in selected hospitals, erode, Tamilnadu

Background: Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. Osteoarthritis mostly affects cartilage, the hard but slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones where they meet to form a joint Reflexology is an alternative treatment for osteoarthritis..Objectives: To assess the level of symptoms among patient with osteoarthritis in control group and experimental before and afterreflexology. Design: Quasi-experimental design, where Pretest Posttest Nonequivalent Group designs, Setting: Government head quartershospital, Erode, Tamilnadu and Erode Trust Hospital, Erode, Tamilnadu. Participants: 30 patients with osteoarthritis, out of which 15 were experimental group and 15 were controlgroup. Selection criteria: Patients with osteoarthritis with the age group of 35-55 years and both gender were included. Patients with moderate Pain and those who were willing to participate. Methods: Out of 30 patients, 15 patients were selected as experimental group and 15 patients were selected as control group by convenient sampling technique. Experimental group were done with reflexology. Level of symptoms were measured by Osteoarthritis symptomsScalebefore and after the procedure. Results: Reflexology is an intervention in reducing the osteoarthritis symptoms, control group mean score was (36.48 ± 1.62), which is 61%, whereas in experimental group the mean score was (21.48 ± 1.62), which is 36%, showing a difference of 25% on the level of the osteoarthritis symptoms. It seems that reflexology was effective in reducing the dysmenorrheal pain and symptoms among adolescentgirls. Reflexology is an intervention in reducing the osteoarthritis symptoms, control group mean score was (36.48 ± 1.62), which is 61%, whereas in experimental group the mean score was (21.48 ± 1.62), which is 36%, showing a difference of 25% on the level of the osteoarthritis symptoms. It seems that reflexology was effective in reducing the dysmenorrheal pain and symptoms among adolescentgirls. The calculated paired ‘t’ value (t= 6.22, t= 13.65) was higher than the table value (t 14 = 2.15,p<0.05). There was a significant reduction in post test the osteoarthritis symptoms score of patients in control group than the post test the osteoarthritis symptoms score of experimental group. The computed ‘t’value (t= 9.56) was greater than the table value (t 28 = 2. 05p<0.05) There is no significant association between post test the osteoarthritis symptoms score with demographic variables of adolescent girls in control group and experimentalgroup. Conclusion: Reflexology is an effective intervention to reduce the symptoms of patients with osteoarthritis. Clinical applications: Reflexology can be employed all kind of painful medical and surgical procedures as alternative therapy, instead of using pharmacological interventions.