Touch Therapies: Foot Reflexology

Reflexology is based on the principle that the hands and feet are mirrors of the body and that they have reflex points correspond to each of the body's glands, structures, and organs in that zone. The actual massage technique varies depending on the purpose of the treatment.

Reflexology also called zone therapy, can trace its origins to ancient Egypt. Modern foot reflexology is attributed to William H. Fitzgerald, who developed the theory in the early 1990s. His main contribution was his theory that there are 10 equal longitudinal zones that run the length of the body from the top of the head to the tips of the toes and 5 closely associated zones on each arm. Each great toe is the start of a line that runs up the medial aspect of the body through the center of the face ending at the top of the head. Each zone( five on each side of the body) has a reflex area on the hand and on the foot. According to the precepts of reflexology, more than 72,000 nerves in the body terminate in the feet. When the flow of energy is blocked or becomes congested, massaging the reflex points can release the tension. Blockages in any part of the zone can affect the entire zone.

In the 1930s, Eunice Engham asserted that the feet are more responsive to reflexology treatments than the fingers. The main goal of foot reflexology is to provide relaxation by maintaining or restoring a state of health and relieving congestion or tension in the zone.

At this time, no research has validated the theory of the healing properties of foot reflexology. However, it is believed that foot reflexology, like other massages of the feet, can stimulate relaxation, which affects the autonomic response , which in turn affects the endocrine and the immune systems and neuropeptides. Although reflexology is a relatively safe procedure, experienced reflexologists need to be consulted when the client has circulatory disorders of the extremities are experienced.


Since Reflexology helps reduce stress - what is involved with stress reduction?

Stress and its effects on the human body is also undergoing research. But one way that stress effects the body is by cutting off the blood supply to your cells. In the human body there are capillaries (small blood vessels) that are no more than three cells away from any other cell. In other words, a cell would only have to get nutrients and get rid of waste through the lymph for the distance of three cells until it reaches a capillary. Once in the capillary it moves through the circulation system to either bring nutrition or get rid of waste. These capillaries are very small – about the size of a human hair or smaller. When your body becomes stressed, it tenses up the muscles and essentially cuts off the blood flow to the capillaries. Once the blood flow is cut off, nutrients and waste cannot get to the cells. Over time it can result in death of the cell. Reflexology by relaxing the body allows these capillaries to again get blood flow. When this happens there may be a build up of waste that has been waiting to get out of the area around the cell. These toxins are released back into the blood stream and into the body to be eliminated. Sometimes this can result in achyness, nausea, increased bodily excretions. Due to this fact it is not recommended that clients have more than two hours of reflexology per week. The other thing that helps prevent any of these situations is to make sure that you stay hydrated both before and after the session as the water helps flush out and dilute the toxins.


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