Foot reflexology therapy (foot reflexology massage) belongs to the natural healing methods. It is a very old method, which was already practiced by the Native American peoples in America. Around 1912, the American physician Dr. William Fritzgerald took over this knowledge and developed it further by dividing the human body into 10 longitudinal zones and assigning each a corresponding area on the foot. Foot reflexology is therefore based on the assumption that each organ system or body part is connected to the foot via nerves (cutivisceral connections) or energy currents. The targeted massage of these so-called reflex zones provides the treating therapist with information about disturbances of the organism and enables a direct alleviating influence.In the further course, the reflex zones were supplemented by the American masseuse Eunice Ingham with three transverse lines and constantly developed further by Hanne Marquardt from Germany since 1958.
Indications (areas of application)
- Static muscular dysfunction or degenerative spinal and joint changes (e.g., osteoporosis (bone loss), arthritis (joint inflammation), or disc prolapse (herniated disc).
- Digestive problems (e.g. due to gastritis (gastritis) or food intolerances).
- Lymphatic drainage disorders (eg, edema – water accumulation in the connective tissue).
- Pain (eg, headache)
- Dysmenorrhea (period pain, e.g., premenstrual syndrome – PMS).
- Severe degenerative diseases (eg, ankylosing spondylitis (chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease with pain and stiffening of joints); Parkinson’s disease (shaking paralysis); multiple sclerosis (MS; chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system); paresis (paralysis); cancer).
Contraindications
- Inflammation of the veins and lymphatic system.
- Diseases that require surgical treatment
- Highly febrile or infectious diseases
- Gangrene (tissue death due to reduced blood flow or other damage).
- Rheumatic diseases (especially the ankles).
- High-risk pregnancies
The procedure
The massage technique differs depending on the desired effect. While the thumb treats the sole of the foot, the index finger rests on the dorsum of the foot. There are two main methods:
- Toning grips: these are circular, rapid movements with pressure, increasing or decreasing in intensity. The aim is to increase the activity of the associated organ areas.
- Sedating grips: The affected regions are treated by gently circling counterclockwise or by holding evenly. The goal is the calming of vegetatively strongly excited organ systems.
The current classification of the foot reflex zones are very complex. An overview classification looks as follows:
- Zones of the head in the area of the toes
- Zones of the chest and upper abdomen in the area of the metatarsus.
- Zones of the abdomen and pelvis at the tarsal bones.
- Spine at the medial (inside) parts of the longitudinal arches.
Reflex zones in which there is a disorder are called loaded reflex zones. These are recognizable by:
- Local pain
- Vegetative irritation (e.g., increased perspiration on the body or hands, change in facial color or body temperature, acceleration of respiratory and pulse rates, and salivation)
- Palpation findings (changes in tone of the muscles).
- Static deformities in the transverse and longitudinal arch of the foot.
- Skin signs (cornification, calluses, discoloration or nail malformations).
- Swelling conditions (lymphatic or venous congestion).
The effect of foot reflexology, like most other natural therapies, is based on the stimulation of self-healing of the body. Healing risks are short-term reactions after the first treatment of the patient to the therapy. They are unpleasant but desired effects such as flare-ups of old complaints. The treatment should be done 3 to 5 times a week and last circa. 30 minutes.
Benefits
Foot reflexology is a useful complement to conventional conventional medicine. It is effective in many diseases and is relaxing and pain relieving.
