BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Musculoskeletal disorder is characterized by changes in neuromuscular, tendinous and joint functions that impact the functionality of the affected areas, especially with pain. The intervention with reflexotherapy is a non-invasive alternative and allows instant control of acute occupational low back pain. The objective of this study was to describe the results of foot reflexology in the relief of acute low back pain related to the nursing staff job. METHODS: Double-blind controlled clinical trial. Thirty-six effective participants were randomly assigned to experimental and control group. Reflexotherapy was applied for low back pain in the sample groups in two sessions with a 72-hour interval. Data collection was performed with the visual analog scale to assess pain before and after the interventions, and a questionnaire for low back pain at the beginning and end of the study. The data were analyzed with the following tests: Shapiro Wilk, for sample normality; Chi-square or Fisher's Exact, for the association between categorical variables and t-test. RESULTS: There was statistical significance with the foot reflexology in the relief of acute low back pain, with p = 0.000 for the visual analog scale and the data of the questionnaire for low back pain p = 0.0002. CONCLUSION: Reflexotherapy showed to be effective in reducing the intensity of acute pain among nursing professionals in this study. The Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials is RBR-5ndq22.

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