Reflexology

Reflexology

What is Reflexology? Behind the technique of reflexology is the belief that pressure points in the foot, hand and head directly engage specific parts of the body.

 There are two types of Reflexology most commonly practiced. These are known as Chinese Medicine or Energy Meridians and a more western/modern approach which is known as Zone Therapy

Chinese belief in qi (pronounced “chee”), states that qi flows through each person. When a person feels stressed, their body blocks qi. This can cause an imbalance in the body that leads to poor health. Others say the connection is accounted for by the nerve endings and blood vessels all ending in these areas.

Key Differences Between Chinese Reflexology vs. Western Zone Theory Reflexology

Modern Western reflexology is based on Zone Theory, originated by Dr. William H. Fitzgerald. In Zone Theory, the body is divided vertically into ten different zones, with the feet being divided in a similar fashion. Each zone on the foot then corresponds to the zone in the body.

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​Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on the principle of energy meridians (channels). There are 12 primary channels where energy flows through your body. In Chinese Reflexology, the feet are considered the control points for manipulating the flow of energy along these energy channels.

 The Zone Therapy method of reflexology is very popular in England, Australia, Canada and the United States. The Traditional Chinese Method is popular in Asia, especially China and Taiwan.

 Most North American massage therapists learn a standardized method of reflexology in school . It’s generally quite easy to find a reflexologist who practices the Zone Theory style of reflexology. To truly do reflexology I advise taking a continuing education class so you are not just giving a glorified foot rub.

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 In old Chinese culture, there was a tradition of keeping healing knowledge closely guarded. In this practice you must study under a master until they deem you worthy of the knowledge. Each masters technique was slightly different. This could take the student years to master. Once completed they were highly respected doctors of medicine in their communities.

According to the Reflexology Association of America how long do you think it takes to be certified in reflexology?

Multiple Choice

According to the Reflexology Association of America many hours of training do you think it takes to be certified in reflexology? (our Massage Therapy program is 700 hours)

• 50 hours

• 300 hours

• 900 hours

To be recognized as a Professional by RAA, you must have at least 300 hours of reflexology training. Some of those hours may be taken online; 180 hours must be met in a live classroom setting with a qualified instructor. Anyone with less than those requirements may join RAA as an Associate Practitioner.

A massage stick is a small wooden tool or accessory for giving reflexology foot and hand massages. 

The actual massage stick is small and usually hand-carved from Thai rosewood, a strong type of wood. The average size is between five and seven inches long. They are circular and slightly longer at one end and shorter at the other. Often, the stick has two small engraved lines around the circumference for decoration and extra grip. The sticks are also fairly light  .It's very easy for the thumbs to ache during Reflexology. It's also possible to develop problems in the hands and joints after a while.

Instead of using their thumbs and fingers, the massage therapist simply presses the small end of the stick into areas of the foot or hand that need massaging. 

 Between the two, there are many similarities when it comes to the location of reflexology points. However, when comparing reflexology foot charts, there are slight differences.

Heart (located below ball of foot vs. on ball of foot)

Thyroid (located on ball of foot vs. big toe)

Solar Plexus (more centrally located vs. off to one side)

Stomach (located on inside edge of both feet vs. predominantly large area below ball of left foot)

Pancreas (located on inside edge of both feet vs ball of left foot)

Spleen (different shape)

Liver (located on outer quadrant of right foot vs. large area under ball of right foot)

Kidney (located higher and larger for Chinese)

Adrenal (located directly above Kidney vs. on a diagonal above Kidney)

Bladder (smaller than Western style)

Sciatic Nerve (located on edge of calf vs. heel of foot)

Uterus/Prostate and Ovary/Testes (much larger area than Western point)

Fun Foot Facts

The foot and ankle is a complex mechanical structure made up of 26 bones, 33 joints and over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments.

The average person takes 8,000-10,000 steps each day. That adds up to approximately 115,000 miles in a typical lifetime—the equivalent to circling the globe more than four times!

Your feet have about 250,000 sweat glands which produce up to half a pint of perspiration each day.

There are approximately 8,000 nerves in the feet—that’s more per square centimeter than any place else on your body.

More fun facts

In an average day of walking, your feet experience forces totaling hundreds of tons—the equivalent of a fully-loaded cement truck.

Babies’ feet grow rapidly. By age one, most have reached nearly have of their adult size.

Rarely are two feet on a person the same size.

Feet are largest at the end of the day.

Multiple Choice

Who experiences more foot problems?

 This is largely attributed to shoe choice. High heels and shoes with narrow toes cause multiple foot issues. Women also walk more and have tendencies to have jobs that require them to be on their feet .

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Multiple Choice

Which grows more SLOWLY toenails or fingernails?

Toenails grow more slowly than fingernails—approximately 1 mm per month. It takes 5-6 months to grow an entirely new toenail.

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History of reflexology

The common belief is that China discovered Reflexology. However thousands of years before China ,Egypt used the practice.

 Found in physician's tombs where picture of patients receiving Reflexology on their feet and hands. The translation under these pictures reads "Do not cause pain"

Once again beating China in the discovery is India, a country whose history has largely been shaped by religion, the feet were thought 5000 years ago to symbolize the unity of the entire universe. The Sanskrit symbols depicted on the feet of Buddha were seen as expressions of a higher reality. 

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By l00 A.D. Buddhism had spread to China, and by the hands of the monks so did reflexology. Reflexology was practiced in China 4000 years ago as part of acupuncture. It is described in the Chinese medical text, the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, where it is called the Examining Foot Method. Japanese monks studying in China are given credit for introducing reflexology to Japan upon their return home.

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Poll

The Yellow Emperor is by turns an emperor, an inventor, a founding father, and a deity. While some modern scholars argue that he was a legend who was recorded into history as if he were an actual man, ancient Chinese scholars wrote of him as a real historical figure who later became a legend. Do you feel he was a real person who documented the first Chinese medical book or a Santa Claus figure?

Both Hippocrates of Greece who was born around 460 B.C. and Galen born in Turkey and lived between 129 AD - 100 AD spoke of massaging the foot to effect wellness. Marco Polo later translated a Chinese massage practitioner handbook into Italian sometime within the 14th century AD. Thereby introducing massage and massage of the feet to the European population and culture.  

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Inca and Myan Civilizations even depicted cave drawling of Reflexology. Many Native American Tribes have passed down oral histories of Foot Zoning to "restore balance to the body. "

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 One of the earliest books to be written on Reflexology was published in 1582 by two European physicians, Dr. Adamus and Dr. A'tatis. A second book by a Dr. Bell was published shortly after.

Modern Developments

Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev (January 20, 1857 – December 24, 1927) was a Russian neurologist and the father of objective psychology. He is known for his competition with Ivan Pavlov regarding the study of conditioned reflexes giving it the name "Reflexology".

Poll

Pavlov and Bekhterev were in constant competition with each other and despised each other. Both independently developed a theory of Reflexology. although the two theories are essentially the same. A guy named John Watson "discovered" research completed by Pavlov. This research was used in Watson’s famous theory of Behaviorism, which made Pavlov a household name. Although Watson said he used Pavlov’s research to support his theory's, closer inspection shows that in fact, Watson’s was using Bekhterev's and he never got the fame . Who do you think created it first?

• Ivan Pavlov

• Vladimir Bekhterev

• Doesn't matter because John Watson was an instigating snake in the grass playing both sides.

Sir Henry Head (4 August 1861 – October 1940) was an English neurologist .

He proved the neurological relationship that exists between the skin and the internal organs. Head wrote: “The bladder can be exited to action by stimulation of the sole of the foot”.  

Dr. William Fitzgerald (1872–1942) referred to as the 'Father of Reflexology' practiced reflexology techniques in the United States in the early 20th Century. He practiced medicine in Europe before becoming head physician at the Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital in Connecticut. It was through his own research that he became acquainted with the theory of zone therapy. He theorized the body could be divided into 10 longitudinal zones from the head to the toes.

Multiple Choice

Fitzgerald claimed that applying pressure had an anesthetic effect on other areas of the body. Did Fitzgerald actually use reflexology as a replacement for anesthesia during his surgeries?

 Eunice Ingham (1879-1974) ‘The Mother of Reflexology’ made the biggest contribution to modern reflexology. She extended the work done by Dr. Fitzgerald and painstakingly mapped out the feet with corresponding organs, muscles and glands of the body. It is because of Eunice and her hard work and dedication that reflexology finally established itself.

 Eunice spread the popularity of reflexology worldwide teaching the reflexology techniques and talking about its benefits. Until his death in 2020, her nephew Dwight Byers continued with her work. He started the International Institute of Reflexology in St Petersburg Florida. Which boasts 83 years of education today.

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In 1969, Mildred Carter who had studied with Ingham wrote Helping Yourself with Reflexology. It was the first book published by a major publisher in the United States with sales of over 500,000 copies. This not only created greater public awareness of reflexology, but also opened the door for all the self-help books available today. She fought Church and Medical skepticism. Mildred was over 100 year old when she passed away in 2005. Just like her predecessors Mildred lived a long life. That should testify to the validity of Reflexology.

Multiple Choice

When Mildred opened her first reflexology practice how did the town welcome her?

• They had a grand opening which generated so much business a second location was added to town.

• They accused her of practicing witchcraft and set fire to her business sign.

• They thought she was running a brothel because of the high amount of male clientele and shut her business down.

Before you hear about the benefits lets clear up some myths.

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1. People with heart conditions should not receive Reflexology.- People with heart conditions are some of the best patients to receive benefits from Reflexology. It will improve circulation but not more than exercise would. 

2. Pregnant women will miscarry if given Reflexology.- False. If that were true, simply walking across a graveled path or putting any pressure on the reproductive point like wearing tight shoes would cause a miscarriage.

3. It is not spiritual ,religious, or occult based. There will be no astrology, or pendulum swinging. Treatment aims to be holistic, and the 'healing power' often relates to healing within oneself.

4. Reflexology can not cure or diagnose, but instead helps manage symptoms.

Who can receive reflexology?

Anyone! Young to old. Even pets are included .

Multiple Choice

According to the international association of animal massage and bodywork the laws to give massage to animals says: PENNSYLVANIA : ALLOWED WITH DIRECT VET SUPERVISION

Specific wording in the state practice act:

“Chiropractic, dental, dental hygiene and physical therapy procedures performed upon animals by licensed individuals in conjunction with the practice of veterinary medicine and under the direct supervision of a veterinarian”

How much do you think a half hour session generally costs for an animal massage?

• $15 to $30

• $35 to $50

• $55 to $75

Some people may branch off into this area with no training in animal anatomy or safety precautions. A Nationally Board Certified Practitioner of Animal Acupressure or Massage has taken at least 200 hours of education, with extensive training in anatomy, physiology, pathology, kinesiology, behavior, ethics, biosafety, and at least 50 hours of hands-on training in acupressure or massage.

Who should NOT get reflexology

Reflexology on the foot is discouraged in patients with recent foot fractures, unhealed wounds, or active gout in the foot. An acceptable alternative would be to use reflexology on the hands and ears. Taking blood thinners may cause bruising on top of hands and feet. Use a lighter approach in these areas. Never work on someone with a contagious condition.

Multiple Choice

Athlete's foot (tinea pedis) is a fungal infection that usually begins between the toes. It commonly occurs in people whose feet have become very sweaty while confined within tightfitting shoes. Signs and symptoms of athlete's foot include a scaly rash that usually causes itching, stinging and burning. Can you touch it?

• no way

• yes way

Multiple Choice

Gout -Pain and inflammation occur when too much uric acid crystallizes and deposits in the joints.

Symptoms of gout include severe pain, redness, and swelling in joints, often the big toe. Can You Touch It?

• You Better Not

• Certainly I can

Multiple Choice

Bulla or blister- A blood blister looks like a friction blister. These blisters can range in size and appear as a pocket of raised skin. Friction blisters are generally filled with clear fluid. In the case of blood blisters, pressure broke blood vessels and mixed blood with the clear fluid. This combination fills the pocket. Can you touch around it?

• Sure

• Oh,No

Multiple Choice

Plantar warts are caused by HPV ( human papillomavirus). The virus enters your body through tiny cuts, breaks or other weak spots on the bottom of your feet. The warts are hard, grainy, or fleshy growths and sometime have a "black dot." Can you touch it?

• Absolutely Not

• Touch Away

 We all have had stress. Too much can lead to a slew of health problems. The human body reacts to stress by first pumping adrenaline and then cortisol into the bloodstream to focus the mind and body for immediate action. The adrenaline rush from the istress response can occasionally pose health risks, but the more significant hazard is the release of cortisol. Generally considered a bad stress hormone, cortisol does serve many important functions — one of which is turning off inflammation. But when chronic stress exposes the body to a relentless stream of cortisol, as happens when stress is constant, cells become desensitized to the hormone, causing inflammation to go wild, Long-term chronic inflammation damages blood vessels and brain cells, leads to insulin resistance (a precursor to diabetes) and promotes painful joint diseases

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If this wasn't enough ,stress causes weight gain ,sleep dysfunction, heart disease, depression, back, neck and shoulder pain, ulcers and other stomach problems.

 Reflexology is a wonderful stress release. If that was the only thing it did, all of the above would be reason enough to give it a try. But that isn't where it stops being beneficial.

 Diabetes restricts blood flow to the feet, which can cause problems including numbness, tingling, calluses, and foot ulcers. Many diabetics are unable to find relief from these symptoms. Reflexology can help by improving circulation and reducing the risk of neuropathy. 

Reduces severity of migraines

Improves metabolism.

Speeds Healing in wounds.

Eases side effects of medications.