Cardiff Met Alumnae, including FHT Fellow Sally Kay, conduct ground breaking research into cancer care

A team of Cardiff Met Alumnae are researching an innovative new method of reflexology to help patients after breast cancer surgery. The team is made up of Judith Whatley (Mres, Research Masters 2011); Rachel Street (MSc, Health Psychology, 2012); Sally Kay (BSc Hons, Complementary Therapies, 2011); Virginia Harding, (BSc Hons, Complementary Therapies, 2012) and Elaine Allison (Reflexology Continuing Education Award 2011). Along with the Head of Healthcare, Philip Harris, the team put together a bid to Wales’s leading cancer charity Tenovus to carry out research into this new method of treatment which maps the pattern of massage points in the neck, shoulder, upper arm, and lower arm used in Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) onto specific reflex points in the feet.

The pilot study for this therapy came from Alumna Sally Kay who developed a new technique of reflexology called RLD (Reflexology Lymphatic Drainage) as part of her dissertation in the final year. This idea came to Sally after working as a volunteer in hospices for a number of years, where she  saw that a great number of ladies, who had had mastectomies, now had swelling in the arms. It is estimated that around 20% of all women who undergo breast cancer surgery experience swelling in their arm post-surgery which affects their quality of life and makes simple tasks such as ironing more difficult. 

Since the initial pilot study Cardiff Met’s complementary therapies team’s bid for funding to Tenovus was successful and they received £12,263 to continue the research.

The new RLD technique mimics the pattern of movements, but instead of massaging the area on the body, the foot reflexes which map to these areas are stimulated. The results of the pilot demonstrated  that a reduction in lymphoedema was achieved after the RLD technique was used. 

Cardiff Met’s Complementary Therapies programme is partnered with three leading professional bodies - : the Massage Training Institute (MTI); the Association of Reflexologists (AoR); the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists (IFPA.)

Senior Lecturer Judith Whatley who is Cardiff Met’s Reflexology module leader said: “’Developing a standard therapeutic technique using research and scientific measurement is made possible by the way Complementary Therapies is taught here at Cardiff Metropolitan University. It is important to remember that there are very real applications for these therapies within healthcare, and we prepare our graduates very thoroughly for work within a range of healthcare settings, including the NHS. 

“We are very excited to receive research funding from Tenovus. It gives us the opportunity to really look in depth at the effects of this ground-breaking treatment on people who may really benefit from it.

“As one of only two Universities in Wales to offer a science based programme of study into complementary therapies, we are truly at the forefront of research into the therapeutic effects of reflexology.” 

This new trial was conducted on 30 participants from three centres in Cardiff, Bridgend and Tredegar, to establish whether the results from the 2011 pilot can be replicated. 

Sally, who won the Federation of Holistic Therapists’ Excellence in Practice Award 2012 for Research and Development into Reflexology Lymph Drainage (RLD) for her research, worked within complementary therapies at drop-in cancer care clinics before starting at Cardiff Met in 2007. 

Cardiff Metropolitan hosted the CAMSTRAND conference in 2012, the UK’s foremost research conference for academics researching complementary medicine, where the results from the pilot were presented.  

These trials at Cardiff Met also use a clinically verified measurement technique for measuring the volume of fluid held in the arm. Limb volume circumferential measurement (LVCM) is a means of measuring the limb affected by lymphoedema and calculating the volume of fluid present. The trials include measurements both before and after reflexology treatment.

Sally said: “Bridging the gap between reflexology practice and proving its worth, is notoriously difficult. I hope that this initial project may form the cornerstone of future studies, which will contribute to the understanding, and integration of reflexology.” 

Judith Whatley added: ‘We at Cardiff Metropolitan University are keen to promote the use of reflexology and other therapies in standard healthcare. Reflexology is already used across the UK in palliative care settings. It is important that we understand the potential of therapies such as these in improving the quality of life of those living with lymphoedema. We look forward to publishing the results of the study later this year.’ 

Judith, who is project co-ordinator for the study, was also recognised as the AoR Inspirational Tutor of the Year, 2014 which was as a result of nominations by the students on the programme. She added ‘We are about two thirds of the way through the data collection, and initial results are extremely encouraging.’ 

The success of these developments in cancer care is a great step forward for the research team and hugely important to the individuals with lymphoedema. This research also highlights the fantastic work that goes on within Cardiff Met and within our Alumni network.

Article

Image: Dollar Photo Club