A natural health system of bodywork which aims to treat illness with foot massage that focuses on the reflex points of the feet. It is said to have originated in China some 5,000 years ago, and grew out of therapies like Acupressure and Acupuncture, where application of pressure was used to correct imbalances in energy flow. Reflexology is also depicted in wall murals dating back to about 2330 BC in Saqqara, in Egypt. However reflexology as we know it today is a relatively recent invention, and owes much to the work of an American ear, nose and throat consultant, Dr. William Fitzgerald. Around 1913, he developed a system known as ‘zone therapy’, wherein he divided the body into ten zones, or channels, through which, he said, flowed the person’s vital energy. His work was further refined by a Mrs Ingham who, in the early 1930’s, published two books on reflexology, Stories the Feet Can Tell and Stories the Feet Have Told, which concentrated on the ‘zones’ of the feet. According to reflexology, these reflex areas, or zones, correspond to every part of the body, including the organs and glands. The left food ‘mirrors’ the left hand side of the patient’s body, while the right foot represents the right side. For instance, different parts of the heel relate to the bladder and sciatic nerve; the left big toe relates to the pituary gland, while the right one relates to the top of the head and the brain. A reflexologist might treat a patient with chronic sinus trouble by applying massage, via finger or thumb pressure, to the toes of their left foot.
Reflexologists believe that especially tender spots in certain reflex areas indicate that the related organ is affected. By massaging these particular nerve endings, practitioners aim to convey an impulse to the other organs, and so treat diseased in parts of the body related to those areas via a `reflex’ response.
No drugs or instruments are used according to principles of reflexology, the energy impulse prompts the body to heal itself. There are few, if any side effects. Some patients have reported, for instance, that when treated for chronic constipation that reflexology caused an increase in their bowel movements; others may note another, similar, healing reaction, but it is unlikely to have any serious side effects. A typical reflexology session will last for forty five minutes to an hour, and a practitioner will normally recommend a series of appointments, perhaps six or eight over a period of several weeks.
Just how reflexology works is not known. The idea is that disease occurs when energy channels in the body are blocked or damaged, and that a blockage in one area will have ramifications for other areas, rather like a domino effect. Foot massage is aimed at specifically breaking down such blockages, and thus allowing the free flow of energy through the body. Practitioners not only aim to stimulate the nerve endings in the toot, but also to release lactic acid, uric acid and calcium crystals accumulated m the foot. It is a very safe method and one which is particularly beneficial for patients
suffering from hypertension, anxiety or pain. Intriguing new research from the University of California by Dr Terrence Oleson has shown that reflexology proved of great beneft m treating patients with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). It is also recognised as a safe and simple way to induce relaxation and a genuine sense of wellbetng in the aged and infirm. An English study, conducted in Manchester to 1950, found that elderly patients who received a foot massage for an hour a day showed a marked decrease in anxiety, and were better able to relax; they also experienced improved circulation.