Reflexology, an alternative medicinal treatment, involves applying pressure to areas of the feet and hands that correspond to other parts of the body. It stimulates the body’s natural healing process, relaxes tension, normalizes gland and organ function, and improves circulation without side effects. Its effectiveness depends on whether it is used as intended.
It is not uncommon for the effectiveness of alternative and holistic medicinal treatments to be questioned. In particular, many people who turn solely to more Western-style medicinal practices to maintain health may do so because they believe alternative therapies don’t work. In the case of reflexology, for example, there are doubts about whether the treatment is really effective. There is no simple answer to the question of whether or not reflexology really works. However, it can be said that the effectiveness of reflexology, as an alternative medicinal treatment to maintain health, depends to a large extent on whether the treatment is used as intended.
Perhaps the first step in answering the question of whether reflexology really works is to understand what reflexology is and how it should be used. Reflexology is a treatment performed on the body that is believed to have originated at least 2,500 years before the present era in ancient Egypt, India, and China (BCE). The treatment, also called zone therapy, involves applying pressure to the areas of the feet and hands that correspond to other parts of the body. The idea is that certain points on the feet and hands, when stimulated through pressure, in turn stimulate the corresponding organs, glands, and muscle groups in the body.
Reflexology is so named because it is based on the study of the nervous system and the reflexes that occur when the nerves are stimulated. For example, when pressure is applied to a nerve ending in the foot or hand, this pressure is a stimulus to the nerve. The nerve that is stimulated carries the signal of this stimulation to the brain, where it is then transmitted to another part of the body, causing some type of response. When a certain reflexology point on the hand or foot is said to correspond to a point on the body, this means that the nerve is believed to pass near or through that part of the body on its way to the brain. Therefore, by stimulating the end of that nerve in the hand or foot, the corresponding part of the body is also stimulated.
Stimulation of the reflexology points, and the corresponding nerves and organs associated with these points, is believed to create an overall self-healing effect on the body. Therefore, when one asks whether or not reflexology works, it is important to understand that the purpose of reflexology is to maintain the body’s natural and healthy balance. Reflexology is a treatment, not necessarily a cure. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for medical care. However, reflexology is believed to stimulate the body’s natural healing process, thus helping the body to heal itself, so to speak. This, then, is the way reflexology should be used.
Reflexology uses the exchange between the nerve endings in the hands and feet, and the rest of the body. Reflexology relaxes tension, normalizes gland and organ function, and improves circulation. Studies show that it also reduces pain, improves the effectiveness of medication, and triggers the release of endorphins. In addition, reflexology does not have side effects like those associated with drug therapy and surgery associated with Western-style medicine. Therefore, for those seeking to restore and maintain the overall health of the body, reflexology can be quite effective.
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