Description
Reflexology helps break patterns of tension through the manipulation of
pressure points located in the feet, hands and ears.
Key Benefits
- Tension Release
- Relaxation
- Energy
Treatment Data
Please read this additional information...
Author: Gloria Cooksey
Definition
Reflexology is a therapeutic method of relieving pain by stimulating
predefined pressure points on the feet and hands. This controlled pressure
alleviates the source of the discomfort. In the absence of any particular
malady or abnormality, reflexology may be as effective for promoting good
Health and for preventing illness as it may be for relieving symptoms of
stress, injury, and illness.
Reflexologists work from maps of predefined pressure points that are
located on the hands and feet. These pressure points are reputed to connect
directly through the nervous system and affect the bodily organs and glands.
The reflexologist manipulates the pressure points according to specific
techniques of reflexology therapy. By means of this touching therapy, any
part of the body that is the source of pain, illness, or potential debility
can be strengthened through the application of pressure at the respective
foot or hand location.
Origins
Reflexology is a healing art of ancient origin. Although its origins are
not well documented, there are reliefs on the walls of a Sixth Dynasty
Egyptian tomb (c. 2450 B.C.) that depict two seated men receiving massage on
their hands and feet. From Egypt, the practice may have entered the Western
world during the conquests of the Roman Empire. The concepts of reflexology
have also been traced to pre-dynastic China (possibly as early as 3000 B.C.)
and to ancient Indian medicine. The Inca civilization may have subscribed to
the theories of reflexology and passed on the practice of this treatment to
the Native Americans in the territories that eventually entered the United
States.
In recent times, Sir Henry Head first investigated the concepts
underlying reflexology in England in the 1890s. Therapists in Germany and
Russia were researching similar notions at approximately the same time,
although with a different focus. Less than two decades later, a physician
named William H. Fitzgerald presented a similar concept that he called zone
analgesia or zone therapy. Fitzgerald's zone analgesia was a method of
relieving pain through the application of pressure to specific locations
throughout the entire body. Fitzgerald divided the body into 10 vertical
zones, five on each side, that extended from the head to the fingertips and
toes, and from front toback. Every aspect of the human body appears in one
of these 10 zones, and each zone has a reflex area on the hands and feet.
Fitzgerald and his colleague, Dr. Edwin Bowers, demonstrated that by
applying pressure on one area of the body, they could anesthetize or reduce
pain in a corresponding part. In 1917, Fitzgerald and Bowers published
Relieving Pain at Home, an explanation of zone therapy.
Later, in the 1930s, a physical therapist, Eunice D. Ingham, explored the
direction of the therapy and made the startling discovery that pressure
points on the human foot were situated in a mirror image of the
corresponding organs of the body with which the respective pressure points
were associated. Ingham documented her findings, which formed the basis of
reflexology, in Stories the Feet Can Tell, published in 1938. Although
Ingham's work in reflexology was inaccurately described as zone therapy by
some, there are differences between the two therapies of pressure analgesia.
Among the more marked differences, reflexology defines a precise correlation
between pressure points and afflicted areas of the body. Furthermore, Ingham
divided each foot and hand into 12 respective pressure zones, in contrast to
the 10 vertical divisions that encompass the entire body in Fitzgerald's
zone therapy.
In 1968 two siblings, Dwight Byers and Eusebia Messenger, established the
National Institute of Reflexology. By the early 1970s the institute had
grown and was renamed the International Institute of Reflexology®.
Benefits
Reflexology promotes healing by stimulating the nerves in the body and
encouraging the flow of blood. In the process, reflexology not only quells
the sensation of pain, but relieves the source of the pain as well.
Anecdotally, reflexologists claim success in the treatment of a variety
of conditions and injuries. One condition is fibromyalgia . People with this
disease are encouraged to undergo reflexology therapy to alleviate any of a
number of chronic bowel syndromes associated with the condition. Frequent
brief sessions of reflexology therapy are also recommended as an alternative
to drug therapy for controlling the muscle pain associated with fibromyalgia
and for relieving difficult breathing caused by tightness in the muscles of
the patient's neck and throat.
Reflexology applied properly can alleviate allergy symptoms, as well as
stress, back pain, and chronic fatigue. The techniques of reflexology can be
performed conveniently on the hand in situations where a session on the feet
is not practical, although the effectiveness of limited hand therapy is less
pronounced than with the foot pressure therapy.
Description - Detailed
In a typical reflexology treatment, the therapist and patient have a
preliminary discussion prior to therapy, to enable the therapist to focus
more accurately on the patient's specific complaints and to determine the
appropriate pressure points for treatment.
A reflexology session involves pressure treatment that is most commonly
administered in foot therapy sessions of approximately 40-45 minutes in
duration. The foot therapy may be followed by a brief 15-minute hand therapy
session. No artificial devices or special equipment are associated with this
therapy. The human hand is the primary tool used in reflexology. The
therapist applies controlled pressure with the thumb and forefinger,
generally working toward the heel of the foot or the outer palm of the hand.
Most reflexologists apply pressure with their thumbs bent; however, some
also use simple implements, such as the eraser end of a pencil. Reflexology
therapy is not massage, and it is not a substitute for medical treatment.
Reflexology is a complex system that identifies and addresses the mass of
7,000 nerve endings that are contained in the foot. Additional reflexology
addresses the nerves that are located in the hand. This is a completely
natural therapy that affords relief without the use of drugs. The
Reflexology Association of America (RAA) formally discourages the use of
oils or other preparations in performing this hands-on therapy.
Preparations
In order to realize maximum benefit from a reflexology session, the
therapist as well as the patient should be situated so as to afford optimal
comfort for both. Patients in general receive treatment in a reclining
position, with the therapist positioned as necessary--to work on the bare
feet, or alternately on the bare hands.
A reflexology patient removes both shoes and socks in order to receive
treatment. No other preparation is involved. No prescription drugs, creams,
oils, or lotions are used on the skin.
Precautions
Reflexology is extremely safe. It may even be self-administered in a
limited form whenever desired. The qualified reflexologist offers a clear
and open disclaimer that reflexology does not constitute medical treatment
in any form, nor is reflexology given as a substitute for medical advice or
treatment. The ultimate purpose of the therapy is to promote wellness;
fundamentally it is a form of preventive therapy.
People with serious and long-term medical problems are urged to seek the
advice of a physician. Diabetes patients in particular are urged to approach
this therapy cautiously. Likewise pregnant women are cautioned emphatically
to avoid reflexology during the early phases of pregnancy altogether, as
accidentally induced labor and subsequent premature delivery can result from
reflexology treatment.
A consultation with a reflexologist is recommended in order to determine
the safety and appropriateness of reflexology therapy for a specific Health
problem or condition.
Side effects
Because reflexology is intended to normalize the body functions, the
therapy does not cause a condition to worsen. Most patients find that pain
diminishes over the course of the therapy. It has been noted, however, that
some patients experience greater discomfort in the second session than in
the first session, because a significant easing of pain and tension is
generally associated with the initial therapy session. As a result, when
pressure is reapplied to the tender points of the foot during the second
session, the sensitivity has been heightened. This increase in sensitivity
may cause minor additional discomfort for the patient.
Research & general acceptance
Although only one controlled trial of reflexology therapy, done in 1993,
has been documented in medical journals, this therapy is practiced worldwide
at different levels of medical care. In Russia, for example, only licensed
physicians may legally perform reflexology treatment. In contrast, the
practice is a commonplace homestyle remedy in the Netherlands. The Internet
"Home of Reflexology" lists at least 66 professional organizations
worldwide, including New Zealand and Malaysia. Associations include the
following:
- Academy of Reflexology Austria
- Association of Finnish Reflexologists
- Chinese Society of Reflexologists
- Hellenic Association of Reflexologists
- Indian Society for Promotion of Reflexology
- International Council of Reflexologists (HQ: San Diego, USA)
- Israeli Reflexology Association
- New Zealand Reflexology Association
- Polish Instytut of Reflexology (Polish Language)
- Reflexology Association of America
- Reflexology Association of Australia
- Rwo-Shr Health Institute International (Malaysia)
- The South African Reflexology Society
Regulatory status
Ongoing legislative debate ensued during the 1990s regarding the legal
status of the reflexology trade. The reflexology community, along with
legislators and other bodywork practitioners, engaged in reassessment of the
reflexology business and its relationship to massage therapy and massage
parlors. Organizations and individuals brought judicial appeals of certain
court cases that threatened the legitimate licensing of reflexologists as
practitioners of alternative medicine. Such professional reflexology
interests as the RAA documented in detail the disparities between
reflexology and massage, citing the purpose of reflexology, which is to
stimulate internal body functions (glands and organs) as opposed to the
topical muscular and joint relief associated with massage. In a status
update in 1998 the Association reported that 19 states had laws requiring
the licensing of massage/reflexology therapists. Licensing laws established
educational requirements and required candidates to pass written, oral,
and/or practical examinations.
Also at issue was a trend among municipalities to license massage parlors
(and reflexologists) under the business codes affecting the adult
entertainment business. B. and K. Kunz reported that judicial decisions in
two states--Tennessee and New Mexico--had excluded the practice of
reflexology practice from the laws pertaining to massage parlors. Those
courts held that reflexology is a business separate and distinct from
massage parlors, and deserving of its own respective licensing standards. In
Sacramento, California, reflexologists petitioned successfully to become
licensed as practitioners of somatic therapy rather than as providers of
adult entertainment. Likewise, in the Canadian province of Ontario, a
nonprofit organization to register reflexology practitioners was established
in order to define a distinct classification for therapists separate from
erotic body rubbers, which was the original classification given to
reflexologists. Other states where court proceedings or legislative attempts
to legitimize reflexology have stalled include Pennsylvania, Florida, New
Jersey, and New York
Training & certification
Training programs
Reflexology is taught by means of a series of seminars, classes, and
training films. Certification is earned after a six month program that
includes 200 hours of training. The certification training breaks down as
follows: 28 hours of preliminary seminar training; 14 hours of advanced
seminar training; 58 hours of self-directed study; and 100 hours of
practical experience, including administering reflexology to a minimum of 15
people.
Specific aspects of the training include instruction in the assessment of
the pressure points on the feet and hands through a study of human anatomy.
Students also learn to give reflexology sessions to patients along with
specific techniques for working with the hands.
Certification & advanced certification
As part if its function, the independently organized American Reflexology
Certification Board (ARCB) certifies the competency of reflexology
practitioners on an individual basis. The ARCB does not evaluate schools and
teachers. Prerequisites for individual certification include completion of
educational requirements and passing a standard qualifying examination.
Successful candidates receive the title of Board Certified Reflexologist.
Minimum qualifications to take the certification examination include
attendance at an advanced seminar within two years prior to taking the
examination. In addition, the applicant must have attended preliminary
seminars for two full days--in addition to the required day of advanced
seminar training-- and the applicant is required to have a minimum of six
months of practical experience in administering the therapy. Applicants are
examined by means of both written tests and practical demonstrations.
Continuing education certification is available. Advanced training
focuses on mastering the ability to perform hand reflexology. The therapist
also receives instruction in new and advanced techniques of basic
reflexology. Some reflexology training classes may be applied toward degree
programs in other disciplines, depending on the specific course of study and
the certification of the respective training institutions involved.
The RAA provides published standards of practice for reflexologists.
Key Terms
- Pressure points - Specific locations on the feet and hands that
correspond to nerve endings that connect to the organs and glands of the
human body via the spinal cord.
- Zone therapy - Also called zone analgesia, a method of relieving pain
by applying pressure to specific points on the body. It was developed in
the early twentieth century by Dr. William Fitzgerald.
Further Reading
For Your Information
Books
- Byers, Dwight. Better Health with Foot Reflexology: The Original
Ingham Method. 1983.
- Dougans, Inge. The Complete Illustrated Guide to Reflexology. New
York: Barnes & Noble, 1996.
- Stein, Diane. All Women Are Healers: A Comprehensive Guide to Natural
Healing, Ch. V, "Foot and Hand Reflexology." Freedom, CA: The Crossing
Press, 1990. This source includes Dr. Fitzgerald's zone maps as well as
modern reflexology maps.
Organizations
Source: Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Gale
Group, 2001. |
