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Information about Reflexology

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This is an example of a reflexology chart, correlating areas of the feet with organs in the "zones" of the body.


Reflexology, or zone therapy, is the practice of massaging, squeezing, or pushing on parts of the feet, or sometimes hands and ears, with a goal of encouraging a beneficial effect on other parts of the body, or to try to improve general health.

There is limited evidence and agreement on how reflexology does or could work in practice; the one unifying theme is the claim that areas on the foot correspond to areas of the body, and that manipulating these can improve health. Some practitioners believe these zones reflect energy (Qi), and that blockages of energy in the body are reflected through "grit" or "lumps" on the foot.

Sceptics such as Stephen Barrett have stated that reflexology has no scientific basis and thus is not a useful means of treating illness or stress; others have expressed concern that the use of reflexology to treat serious conditions can delay proven conventional medicine.[1]

Claimed mechanisms of operation

Some reflexologists claim they can break up patterns of stress in other parts of the body through the nerves in the feet by applying “technique”. This is not supported by the scientific understanding of the nervous system.[2] Other reflexologists claim that the body contains an energy field, invisible life force, or Qi. While there is no scientific evidence for these vitalist forces and this contradicts the well-tested germ theory of disease that forms the basis for most modern medicine, reflexologists claim that when this “life force” is blocked or imbalanced at a point in the body, illness in the organs of that area may result.[3] Some other proposed explanations include the release of endorphins (natural pain killers in the body, stimulation of nerve circuits in the body ("cutaneo-organ reflexes"), promotion of lymphatic flow or the dissolving of uric acid crystals. None of these is supported by any evidence.[3]

History

Reflexology was introduced into the United States in 1913 by William H. Fitzgerald, M.D. (1872-1942), an ear, nose, and throat specialist, and accompanied by Dr. Edwin Bowers. He claimed that applying pressure had an anesthetic effect on another area.[4]

Reflexology was further developed by Eunice D. Ingham (1899-1974), a nurse and physiotherapist, in the 1930s and 1940s.[5][6] Ingham claimed that the feet and hands were especially sensitive, and then mapped the entire body into "reflexes" on the feet. It was at this time that "zone therapy" was renamed reflexology, and the number of conditions it was claimed to treat increased.

Modern reflexologists in the United States and the United Kingdom often learn Ingham's method first, although there are other more recently developed methods.[3]

Criticism

Potential dangers

Reflexology may be indirectly harmful if:
  • the practitioner tries to diagnose an illness based on the reflexology performed
  • the practitioner advises that the patient does not have an illness based on the reflexology performed
  • the reflexology delays medical treatment or therapy or is used as an alternative to medical treatment or therapy.[1]

Reflexology charts

A reflexology chart shows the claimed "reflex zones" found on the soles of the feet. Similar maps exist for the postition of the reflexes on the hands.

In this chart, the color codes represent the following organs or parts of the body:

      Brain       Stomach
       Sinuses       Spleen
       Voice       Liver
       Pituitary gland       Gall Bladder
       Neck and Throat       Adrenal Gland
       Eyes       Pancreas
       Ears       Kidney
       Armpit       Ureter
       Shoulder and Arm       Bladder
       Lung and Breast       Colon
       Heart       Small Intestine
       Thyroid and Bronchial       Coccyx
       Solar Plexus       Sciatic Nerve
       Diaphragm       Peyer's Patches
       Appendix 

Reflexology in the Media

An episode of (1-02 Alternative Medicine) focused on reflexology. The original airing was February 7, 2003.

See also

Notes

1. ^ Reflexology (html) (english). National Council Against Health Fraud (1996). Retrieved on 2007-01-27.
2. ^ What is Reflexology? (html) (english). Retrieved on 2006-11-26.
3. ^ Natural Standard. Harvard Medical School (July 7, 2005). Retrieved on January 27, 2007.
4. ^ Norman, Laura; Thomas Cowan (1989). The Reflexology Handbook, A Complete Guide. Piatkus, 17. ISBN 0-86188-912-6. 
5. ^ Benjamin, Patricia (1989). "Eunice D. Ingham and the development of foot reflexology in the U.S.". American Massage Therapy Journal. 
6. ^ Massagenerd.com Presents History of Massage, Therapies & Rules (pdf) (english). Retrieved on 2007-10-12.

External links

Professional bodies and organisations Critical websites Review of scientific evidence
The foot is a biological structure found in many animals that is used for locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made up of one or more segments or bones, generally including claws or nails.
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The hands (med./lat.: manus, pl. manūs) are the two intricate, prehensile, multi-fingered body parts normally located at the end of each arm (medically: "terminating each anterior limb/appendage") of a human or other primate.
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outer ear is the most external portion of the ear. The outer ear includes the pinnae (also called auricle), the ear canal, and the very most superficial layer of the ear drum (also called the tympanic membrane).
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In 1948, in its constitution, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity" [1].
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QI, standing for Quite Interesting, is a comedy panel game television quiz show created and produced by John Lloyd, hosted by Stephen Fry, and featuring regular panellist Alan Davies.
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Stephen J. Barrett, M.D. (born 1933), is a retired American psychiatrist, author, co-founder of the National Council Against Health Fraud (NCAHF), and the webmaster of Quackwatch. He runs a number of websites dealing with quackery and health fraud.
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Vitalism, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary,[1] is
  1. a doctrine that the functions of a living organism are due to a vital principle distinct from physicochemical forces

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QI, standing for Quite Interesting, is a comedy panel game television quiz show created and produced by John Lloyd, hosted by Stephen Fry, and featuring regular panellist Alan Davies.
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The germ theory of disease, also called the pathogenic theory of medicine, is a theory that proposes that microorganisms are the cause of many diseases. Although highly controversial when first proposed, it is now a cornerstone of modern medicine and clinical microbiology,
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Otolaryngology is the branch of medicine that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ear, nose, throat, and head & neck disorders. The full name of the specialty is otolaryngology-head and neck surgery.
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Anesthesia or anaesthesia (see spelling differences; from Greek αν- an- “without” + αἲσθησις aisthesis
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Physical therapy (or physiotherapy[1]) is the provision of services to people and populations to develop, maintain and restore maximum movement and functional ability throughout the lifespan.
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The sole (foot) is the bottom of the foot.

Sole may also refer to:
  • Sole, in shoemaking, is the bottom supporting member of the shoe
  • Sole (fish), several species and groups of flatfishes:

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In animals, the brain or encephalon (Greek for "in the skull"), is the control center of the central nervous system, responsible for behavior. The brain is located in the head, protected by the skull and close to the primary sensory apparatus of vision, hearing,
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In anatomy, the stomach is a bean-shaped hollow muscular organ of the gastrointestinal tract involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication. The word stomach is derived from the Latin stomachus, which derives from the Greek word
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Sinus may refer to:

In anatomy, where a sinus is a sac or cavity in any organ or tissue:
  • Paranasal sinus, an air cavity in the cranial bones, especially those near the nose
  • Sinus (anatomy), description of the general term

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The spleen is an organ located in the abdomen of the human body, where it functions in the destruction of old red blood cells and holding a small reservoir of blood. It is regarded as one of the centers of activity of the reticuloendothelial system (part of the immune system).
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human voice consists of sound made by a human using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming etc. The vocal folds, in combination with the lips, the tongue, the lower jaw, and the palate, are capable of producing highly intricate arrays of sound.
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liver is an organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It plays a major role in metabolism and has a number of functions in the body, including glycogen storage, decomposition of red blood cells, plasma protein synthesis, and detoxification.
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The pituitary gland, or hypophysis, is an endocrine gland about the size of a pea that sits in a small, bony cavity (sella turcica) covered by a dural fold (sellar diaphragm) at the base of the brain.
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The gallbladder (or cholecyst, sometimes gall bladder) is a pear-shaped organ that stores about 50 ml of bile (or "gall") until the body needs it for digestion.
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The neck is the part of the body on many limbed vertebrates that distinguishes the head from the torso or trunk.

Anatomy of the human neck

Bony anatomy: The cervical spine

The cervical portion of the human spine
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In anatomy, the throat is the part of the neck anterior to the vertebral column. It consists of the pharynx and larynx. An important feature of the throat is the epiglottis, a flap which separates the oesophagus from the trachea and prevents inhalation of food or drink.
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In mammals, the adrenal glands (also known as suprarenal glands) are the triangle-shaped endocrine glands that sit on top of the kidneys; their name indicates that position (ad-, "near" or "at" + -renes, "kidneys").
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Eyes are organs of vision that detect light. Different kinds of light-sensitive organs are found in a variety of organisms. The simplest eyes do nothing but detect whether the surroundings are light or dark, while more complex eyes can distinguish shapes and colors.
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The pancreas is a gland organ in the digestive and endocrine systems of vertebrates<ref name="New Standard" />. It is both exocrine (secreting pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes) and endocrine (producing several important hormones, including
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EARS may mean:
  • DARPA's Effective Affordable Reusable Speech-To-Text project.
  • The Liberal Democrats' Election Agents Record System.
  • Extended Action Request System used in Fujitsu's Employee to deal with any fault calls.

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The kidneys are organs that filter wastes (such as urea) from the blood and excrete them, along with water, as urine. The medical field that studies the kidneys and diseases of the kidney is called nephrology[1].
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For the bowling style in cricket, see .


The underarm (or armpit, axilla, or oxter) is the area on the human body directly under the joint where the arm connects to the shoulder.
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