Reflexology

Reflexology, or zone therapy, is the practice of stimulating points on the feet and hands, in the belief it will have a beneficial effect on some other parts of the body, or will improve general health. more...

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Scientists and medical professionals consider reflexology to be a pseudoscience , offering no more benefits than ordinary massage.

The most common form is foot reflexology. Practitioners believe the foot to be divided into a number of reflex zones corresponding to all parts of the body, and that applying pressure to tight or \"gritty\" areas of a person's foot will stimulate the corresponding body part and cause it to begin healing itself.

History

Eunice Ingham developed Reflexology in the 1930s, based on earlier theory by Dr. William Fitzgerald known as \"Zone Therapy\". In 1913, Dr. Fitzgerald noted that specific parts of the body could have an anesthetic effect on another area. Developing this theory, he divided the body into ten equal vertical zones, ending in the fingers and toes. He concluded that pressure on one part of the zone could affect everything else within that zone.

Theory

In reflexology, it is believed that there is a \"vital energy\" that is circulating between organs of the human body, that penetrates into every living cell. Whenever this energy is blocked, the zone of blockage will be affected, and the reflex zones can indicate the blockage of energy in different organs. Therefore, if someone has a problem in a particular organ, a reflexologist will press on the corresponding reflex zone or zones, and the person will experience pain. This pain is claimed to originate from the deposition of crystals in the reflex zone and, with massage, these crystalline structures can be broken down and the pain relieved. Simultaneously, the pressure applied to the reflex zones by the reflexologist is claimed to pass through the nerves to dissipate energy blocks.

According to John Campbell, World famous in Reflexology, \"Reflexology is a powerful natural health science that studies the relationship of the reflex areas in the feet, hands and the ears to the rest of the body so that these areas can be worked on with the fingers and thumbs in a manner that will lead to improved health and the maintenance of good health.\"

Reported reactions

Case studies, not statistical conclusions, demonstrate that people treated by experts in reflexology report a lot of reactions, including the following:

During treatment

Feelings of relaxation, comfort, or well-being; Nausea or discomfort due to emotional reactions; Client may feel like laughing or crying; Client may sigh, yawn, or fall asleep; Temperature change either hot or cold; A tingling sensation in the feet or through the body; Pin-stick type feelings in the feet over congested areas;

Read more at Wikipedia.org