Reflexology
is a gentle complementary therapy in which the practitioner
applies controlled pressure with thumbs or fingers to specific
areas of the feet (or sometimes the hands). It is based on
the theory that every organ, structure and part of the body
is mirrored in the feet and that any problem or tension in
the body is reflected in the related part of the foot. The
nerve endings primarily in the feet are stimulated by specific
massage techniques to effect changes in another part of the
body and thereby to create a healthy system and help overcome
disease.
Although
there is scriptural evidence to suggest that reflexology was
being practised as far back asancient Egypt, the science of
reflexology used today was founded by Dr William Fitzgerald,
an American ear nose and throat surgeon. He noticed that pressure
on specific areas of the body produced an anaesthetising effect
on a related area. Developing his theory, he divided the body
into ten equal zones which ended in the feet and hands.
Nerve
endings are embedded in the feet and hands that then travel
to the spinal cord and to various parts of the body. Stimulating
these nerve endings thereby helps promote relaxation, improve
circulation, stimulate vital organs in the body and encourage
the body's natural healing processes. Unlike conventional
medicine, reflexology works on the underlying problems within
the body and works through the body's nervous system.
