Comparison of Foot Bathing and Foot Massage in Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

In a clinical setting, patients have been observed to complain of discomfort and to discontinue treatment because of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), but few data exist regarding the quality of life in these patients in Korea.

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to analyze the effects of foot bathing and massage in patients with CIPN.

Subjects included 48 patients with CIPN, who were hospitalized in C University Hospital. The subjects were alternately assigned to 1 of 2 groups according to their registration order. The interventions consisted of 8 treatments of foot bathing or massage over a period of 2 weeks, at 30 minutes per session, every other day.

The foot skin temperature increased significantly in the foot bathing group, whereas it decreased significantly in the massage group. Quality of life was significantly increased in the foot bathing group, whereas it was significantly decreased in the massage group.

Although foot bathing and foot massage are both supportive care techniques for CIPN patients, foot bathing was more effective than foot massage on skin temperature, grade of neurotoxicity, and quality of life. Additional well-designed studies are recommended, so that the effectiveness of foot bathing and foot massage is confirmed.

Foot bathing is more useful as supportive care with respect to nonpharmacologic interventions for alleviating CIPN and promoting the quality of life in cancer patients.