A foot massage eased pain, anxiety and poor sleep in dozens of small trials, nearly all against no massage at all. When reflexology has been tested against a plain foot massage of the same length, it has mostly done no better. The hormone that has actually been measured rising is oxytocin; cortisol barely moves in the trials, and endorphins, detox and immunity have never been measured. Here is what each claim rests on, where good sources disagree, who should not have one, and our prices in Hội An.
Facts checked · next review
What are the benefits of a foot massage? In small trials it has eased pain after surgery, anxiety and poor sleep, almost always compared with patients who had no massage at all. Does reflexology work better? When the two have been tested side by side for the same length of time, reflexology has mostly done no better than an ordinary foot rub. The hormone measured rising after a foot massage is oxytocin; cortisol barely moves in the trials, and endorphins, detox and immunity have never been measured. We are Nghê Prana, a riverside hotel and spa on the Thu Bồn at Cẩm Nam in Hội An, and we sell both, so this page sets out what each claim rests on, where good sources disagree, and who should book something else.
| Claimed benefit | What the trials found | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Less pain after surgery | Lower pain an hour or more after a foot massage, against usual care | Yes, modestly |
| Calmer, less anxious | Many small trials; reflexology no better than a plain foot rub | Yes |
| Better sleep | Positive but low-certainty; no better than a bed bath in one trial | Probably |
| A hormone released | Oxytocin rose in the blood after 10 minutes; cortisol barely moves | Oxytocin, yes |
| Lower blood pressure | Two reviews disagree | Unsettled |
| Less swelling in pregnancy | One trial says yes; the Cochrane review read it as no difference | Unsettled |
| Heel pain | Soft-tissue work helps alongside stretching | As part of treatment |
| Detox, immunity, endorphins | Never measured after a foot massage | Not shown |
The strongest pooled results are for pain after operations: a 2025 review of 7 trials with 581 women found hand and foot massage eased pain after a caesarean (Zhang and colleagues), and a 2023 review of 5 trials found foot massage after gallbladder surgery lowered pain by about 1 to 2 points out of 10 from an hour on, but had no effect in the first 10 to 30 minutes (Cheng and colleagues). For sleep, a review of 10 trials in intensive care rated its own evidence "low" (Fang and colleagues, 2023). And for massage of any kind, a 2024 overview of 129 systematic reviews rated none of their conclusions high certainty (Mak and colleagues).
This is the question that matters if you are choosing between the two, and it has been tested. In an Exeter trial of 76 women with menopausal symptoms, the same qualified reflexologists gave either reflexology or a non-specific foot massage for nine sessions: "Foot reflexology was not shown to be more effective than non-specific foot massage" (Williamson and colleagues, 2002). In 73 people with multiple sclerosis, pain fell by about half in both groups, and precision reflexology "was not superior to sham", a general foot massage (Hughes and colleagues, 2009). In a fertility trial, 42 percent of women ovulated after reflexology and 46 percent after a gentle-massage sham (Holt and colleagues, 2009). In 385 women with advanced breast cancer, reflexology beat foot rubbing by untrained helpers only on breathlessness, not on anxiety, depression, pain or nausea (Wyatt and colleagues, 2012).
A few trials did favour reflexology, by small margins or against a different touch. Before gallbladder surgery, 300 patients who had reflexology were 0.8 points less anxious on a 10-point scale than those given a gentle foot massage, but different practitioners gave the two (Attias and colleagues, 2025); in a bladder trial, reflexology cut daytime toilet trips by 1.90 against 0.55 for a foot massage, but more of the reflexology group guessed they had the real thing, 88.9 against 67.4 percent, which the authors call "the difficulty of blinding" (Mak and colleagues, 2007). Our reading: the calm, the lower pain and the better sleep in reflexology trials mostly come with any good foot massage. The organ map behind reflexology is a separate question, covered on our foot massage page.
Most foot-massage trials are small, run by nurses in hospitals, and compare a 10- to 30-minute foot massage with ordinary care. They report less pain and anxiety after surgery, less fatigue in people on dialysis, and better sleep. Two details keep this honest. In a dialysis trial, foot massage with chamomile oil, almond oil or no oil lowered fatigue equally (Habibzadeh and colleagues, 2020), so the oil was not the active part. And when a trial gives the comparison group some attention too, the gap shrinks: in 39 cancer patients, an evening foot massage helped fatigue but did no better than a bed bath for sleep (Kabuk and colleagues, 2026), and in people with dementia, heart rate fell about as much with someone simply sitting quietly beside them as with a foot massage (Moyle and colleagues, 2014). Part of what a foot massage gives you is an hour of someone's full attention. "Improves circulation" is true in a narrow sense: in 25 people with diabetes and numb feet, blood flow in the skin of the foot rose after a 25-minute Thai foot massage (Chatchawan and colleagues, 2020), which is more blood in the foot while it is being worked, not a change to your circulation as a whole.
Oxytocin, the one that has actually been measured. In 40 men given 10 minutes of light foot massage, oxytocin in the blood rose after massage by a machine and "more potently after massage by hand" (Li and colleagues, 2019). There was no group without a massage and no women, so treat it as a first measurement. Cortisol, the stress hormone many pages say a massage lowers, has been studied far more: a review of the massage trials found the differences between groups "almost all small ... and nonsignificant" (Moyer and colleagues, 2011). Endorphins, which WebMD and many spa pages name, have not been measured after a foot massage in any study we found.
Blood pressure. A 2016 review of 9 trials of massage of any kind found systolic pressure fell by 7.39 mm Hg (Liao and colleagues); a 2024 review of 6 studies found "a minimal reduction", with results so scattered that its range crossed zero (Vijayakumar and colleagues). The difference comes from which trials each included. The foot-specific study many pages cite is a pilot with 19 care workers (Moyle and colleagues, 2013). We would not book a foot massage to lower your blood pressure.
Swelling in pregnancy. A Turkish trial of 80 women found 20 minutes of daily foot massage gave "a significantly smaller lower leg circumference" (Coban and Sirin, 2010); the Cochrane review of treatments for leg swelling in pregnancy read the same trial as no difference, 0.11 cm with a range from 1.02 smaller to 0.80 larger (Smyth and colleagues, 2015). A second trial, of 90 women in Iran, also reported smaller legs (Navaee and Rakhshkhorshid, 2020). We could not see which measurement Cochrane used. The caution that matters more: a woman in Thailand, 25 weeks pregnant, became suddenly breathless shortly after a leg and foot massage: a clot nobody knew about had reached her lungs, and the baby died (Sutham and colleagues, 2020). One calf more swollen or painful than the other is a reason to see a doctor, not a masseur; our pages on pregnancy massage and swollen feet after a flight explain when.
Heel pain. The American physical therapists' 2023 guideline gives its strongest grade to manual therapy, including soft-tissue work, for plantar fasciitis (Koc and colleagues), but as part of treatment with stretching; the NHS page does not mention massage, and in a 2025 trial a single Thai massage relieved less heel pain than ultrasound (Somphai and colleagues). No trial has tested reflexology for heel pain. A foot massage may ease a sore heel for a while; it does not replace the stretches.
Detox: no study has measured any toxin leaving the body after a foot massage. Immunity: the only studies are three small Korean trials of reflexology people gave themselves. The appendix-surgery study that WebMD and, translating it, Vinmec describe as a foot massage was reflexology plus pressure on a point in the ear (Khorsand and colleagues, 2015). The Danish headache study quoted on many pages had no comparison group; 81 percent of 220 patients said they were helped or cured and 19 percent stopped their medicine, and its authors wrote that this "may be due to other factors" (Launsø and colleagues, 1999). The page Google ranks first for "does reflexology work", from Victoria's Better Health Channel, was last reviewed on 31 January 2015, was approved with a natural-therapies college, and never answers the question. The NCCIH does: reflexology "is claimed to cause relaxation and healing", "but this has not been proven". Cancer Research UK says there is "no scientific evidence" it can cure or prevent any disease, and reflexology is not among the therapies on the NHS list of complementary treatments it may offer.
Planning a trip around this? See dates at our quiet riverside hotel on the Thu Bồn. Check availability →
The trials used 10 to 30 minutes, often daily for five days to four weeks, and none reported harm from doing it often; no trial compared daily with weekly. Our reading: a daily foot rub at home is reasonable if it feels good, and an hour with a therapist after a day of walking is the spa version of the same thing. Afterwards you may feel lightheaded, your feet a little tender, or need the bathroom, which Cancer Research UK lists as normal; stand up slowly and see our page on what to do after a massage.
| Treatment | What it is | 60 min | 90 min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foot massage | Pressure work on the feet and calves | 450,000₫ | 600,000₫ |
| Special reflexology for foot | Point work on the soles | 520,000₫ | 700,000₫ |
| Special foot treatment | 20 min massage and herbal foot soak, nail and cuticle trim, heel scrape, moisturising | — | 650,000₫ |
Prices per person, read from our live spa menu on 24 October 2026; at the 26,000₫ rate we use across the site, an hour's foot massage is about US$17 and an hour's reflexology about US$20. On the evidence above, choose the foot massage if you simply want your feet looked after, and the reflexology if you want the traditional practice; we make no claim that it does anything for your organs. The foot massage page has the two side by side and what happens in the room.
Almost every foot-massage trial compares it with doing nothing, so it cannot separate the massage from the attention, the rest or the expectation. The trials are small, mostly in hospital patients, and rarely blinded. No one has measured endorphins, toxins or immunity after a foot massage, and no trial has compared a daily foot massage with a weekly one. We have not measured anything on our own guests. We are a hotel spa, not a doctor: with a swollen calf, numb feet or a heel that does not settle, see one.
Nghê Prana Riverside Hotel & Spa, Hẻm 384 Nguyễn Tri Phương, Cẩm Nam, Hội An, on the Thu Bồn, 3.2 km from the Old Town. The spa is open from 9:00 to 21:00 every day and takes visitors as well as hotel guests. Book on the online form or by phone or WhatsApp on +84 896 687 961; an hour's notice is enough, and walk-ins are welcome when the room is free. Tell us at the consultation about pregnancy, diabetes, a swollen leg or a sore foot. Coming as two? Foot massages side by side fit in the private room on the couple spa page.
Sources: Zhang Y et al., Pain Management Nursing 26(2), 2025; Cheng Y et al., Surgical Laparoscopy, Endoscopy and Percutaneous Techniques 33(3), 2023; Fang CS et al., Journal of Clinical Nursing 32(15-16), 2023; Mak S et al., JAMA Network Open 7(7), 2024; Williamson J et al., BJOG 109(9), 2002; Hughes CM et al., Multiple Sclerosis 15(11), 2009; Holt J et al., Fertility and Sterility 91(6), 2009; Wyatt G et al., Oncology Nursing Forum 39(6), 2012; Attias S et al., Frontiers in Medicine 12, 2025; Mak HL et al., International Urogynecology Journal 18(6), 2007; Habibzadeh H et al., 2020; Kabuk A et al., Supportive Care in Cancer 34(3), 2026; Moyle W et al., Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 20(4), 2014, and BMC Nursing 12, 2013; Li Q et al., Psychoneuroendocrinology 101, 2019; Moyer CA et al., Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies 15(1), 2011; Liao IC et al., Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing 31(1), 2016; Vijayakumar V et al., Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies 37, 2024; Coban A and Sirin A, International Journal of Nursing Practice 16(5), 2010; Smyth RM et al., Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2015; Navaee M and Rakhshkhorshid M, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2020; Chatchawan U et al., Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 26(6), 2020; Sutham K et al., BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 20, 2020; Koc TA et al., JOSPT 53(12), 2023; Somphai S et al., BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 25, 2025; Khorsand A et al., Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 21(12), 2015; Launsø L et al., Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 5(3), 1999; NHS, 14 February 2025 and 1 May 2026; NCCIH, January 2020; Cancer Research UK, 17 June 2022; Better Health Channel, 31 January 2015; WebMD, 15 September 2023; Vinmec, 22 July 2024. All read 24 October 2026; prices from the Nghê Prana spa menu the same day.
23 rooms on the quiet south bank of the Thu Bồn River, ten minutes by bicycle from the Ancient Town and a world from its noise.
Book your stayIn small trials, less pain after surgery (about 1 to 2 points out of 10 from an hour on, Cheng 2023), less anxiety and fatigue, and better sleep, nearly always compared with no massage. A 2024 overview of 129 massage reviews rated none of their conclusions high certainty.
Mostly not, when the two are matched for time and touch. In 76 menopausal women, reflexology "was not shown to be more effective than non-specific foot massage" (Williamson 2002); in 73 people with MS, pain fell about 50% in both groups (Hughes 2009); ovulation was 42% against 46% (Holt 2009).
Oxytocin: in 40 men, blood oxytocin rose after 10 minutes of foot massage, more by hand than by machine (Li 2019). Cortisol changes in massage trials are "almost all small ... and nonsignificant" (Moyer 2011), and endorphins have not been measured after a foot massage.
Unsettled. One review of massage of any kind found systolic pressure 7.39 mm Hg lower (Liao 2016); another found a minimal reduction with results crossing zero (Vijayakumar 2024). The foot-specific study often cited is a pilot with 19 people.
Anyone with a calf that is swollen, red or painful on one side or a known clot, open wounds, foot ulcers, athlete's foot, gout in a flare, or a fever. Tell the therapist about diabetes with numb feet or pregnancy; we do not give point-pressure reflexology in pregnancy.
Foot massage 450,000₫ for 60 minutes or 600,000₫ for 90; special reflexology 520,000₫ or 700,000₫; special foot treatment with herbal soak, trim and heel scrape 650,000₫ for 90 minutes (menu read 24 October 2026).
Continue at Nghê Prana
Ready to Sleep Better?
Every room at Nghê Prana is designed around the science of sleep. Blackout curtains, nightly aromatherapy turndown, and riverside quiet — experience what real rest feels like.
View Our RoomsYour Stay Awaits
Riverside hotel rooms on the Thu Bồn, ten minutes by bicycle from the Ancient Town. Whether it's one night between Hue and Da Nang or a full week of doing nothing — we kept your room quiet.
Free cancellation · Direct from the family who built the hotel
Save 15% booking directly via our website
WhatsApp
Zalo