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Reflexology is a holistic treatment
based on the principle that there are areas and
points on the feet, hands, and ears that map via
the nervous system to corresponding parts of the
body. When pressure is applied to these areas
and points it stimulates the movement of energy
along the nerve channels, and helps to restore
homeostasis (balance) in the whole body. Reflexology
is known as Zone Therapy in countries other than
the UK.
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bodies are very complex and are capable
of healing themselves, anything from a small
cut or bruise to a major injury or emotional
trauma. One of the most amazing things I
have experienced was my body’s ability to
knit together my Achilles tendon on its
own, after it had snapped. I simply had
the foot set in various positions and my
body did the rest of the work. Systems and
organs in the body are constantly working
together to heal and repair. Examples could
be the brain and rest of the nervous system,
which is in control of much of our activity,
and the circulatory system, which transports
oxygen and nutrients to body cells to be
converted into energy. Energy is essential
for our well-being and indeed to keep going.
All the systems need to be working together
well to maintain a healthy balance. Stress,
injury, or illness can cause the balance
to be disrupted when component parts are
less effective. Problems can then be compounded
by the fact that the rest of the body works
harder to compensate, potentially causing
problems in other components. |
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There are 7,000-7,200 nerve endings
in the human foot, and each of these is a reflex
point that corresponds to a body part. Reflexology
uses special finger/thumb manipulations to stimulate
reflex points, which will stimulate the flow of
energy to the corresponding body part. This gradually
helps to restore homeostasis and stimulate the
body’s ability to heal itself, physically and
emotionally. As reflex points are minute, the
movements are quite precise and care must be taken
to cover all of them to ensure that the treatment
is comprehensive and therefore a holistic treatment
for the whole body. However, there is no reason
why a specific reflex point (or points) can’t
be worked on more if an imbalance is detected.
Imbalances manifest themselves through crystals
at the affected reflex point, which vary from
being slightly crunchy like sugar to lumps of
varying sizes. Dispersing these crystals is what
unblocks energy channels, and this is done by
applying firm pressure with the thumb (or fingers
depending on where on the foot the reflex point
is). Visible signs of imbalance could be hard
skin, discolouration of skin (e.g. yellowing),
marks on the foot (red marks can indicate acute
problems), and bunions. The odour, temperature,
and moistness of a foot also play a part in assessing
it. It will often take several treatments to awaken
the reflexes and start to see some effect.
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Reflexologists
know which area of the foot corresponds
to which body part by learning maps of the
feet, plantar view, dorsal view, and medial
and lateral views. There are 5 longitudinal
zones on each foot that run from each of
the toes directly up through the body to
the top of the head. Zone 1 runs from the
big toe up through the centre of the body
to the top of the head, zone 2 from the
next toe, and so on ending with zone 5 running
from the little toe up the outside of the
body to the shoulders and neck. There are
then horizontal zones that map out which
cross-section of the body corresponds to
reflex points in that zone.
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History
Reflexology has been practised
in some form for thousands of years, indeed the
first solid proof is to be found on a pictograph
painted on an Egyptian tomb dated between 2500
– 2330 BC. The next evidence is a lot younger,
in the form of a book written by two physicians
called Dr Adamus and Dr Atitis on zone therapy
in 1582. Another picture shows the practice in
China, dated 1870.
In 1890 Sir Henry Head of London
identified the study of zones within his neurological
studies and called his findings head zones. At
the same time Dr Alfons Cornelius discovered that
when painful reflexes were massaged it caused
the corresponding body part to heal faster.
In 1915 Dr Fitzgerald developed
the concept of zone therapy, and claimed to ease
certain symptoms and bring on numbness by applying
pressure to the hands, mouth, and feet. In the
1930s Eunice Ingham developed the “Ingham Reflex
Method of Compression Massage”, which mooted that
all parts of the body could be treated by applying
pressure to relevant areas of the feet. She mapped
out the reflex points and developed the pressure
massage moves we use to stimulate reflexes today.
One of Eunice Ingham’s students,
Doreen Bayly, introduced reflexology to the UK
in the 1960s, and since then it has become very
popular. It is now used in pain clinics, cancer
centres, and during pregnancy and childbirth,
and is one of the few complementary therapies
sometimes available on the NHS.
If you're in the Peterborough,
Stamford, Oundle
or Corby areas why not give youself
a Reflexology
treatment at our Practice.
Bibliography
The following reflexology book
was referenced for this section and is available
(via the link) in association with Amazon.co.uk:
Reflexology
by Susan Cressy
See our full range of Holistic
Therapy books in the Further Exploration
section. |
