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The human body can be made to relax in more than a dozen different ways. Some methods are more ancient than others, for instance, foot reflexology in Exeter which has been in practice throughout various cultures of the world. Many believe it helps heal several symptoms and health conditions .
In modern times, reflexology is a well-recognized technique used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is offered as a complimentary therapy that can help relieve symptoms of digestive issues, sleep issues, pain and such. This blog provides an introduction to reflexology and the potential benefits one can hope to enjoy by opting for it.
What is meant by Foot Reflexology ?
Reflexology is a type of non-invasive massage that is typically provided on a complimentary basis. It involves the application of pressure at different intensities primarily to the feet, hands and sometimes behind the ears.
Reflexologists operate on the perspective that there are specific points at the base of the feet that coincide with various vital organs and systems in the body. This approach triggers healing, balancing and good health by stimulating the organs in a specific way at these points.
How does Reflexology work ?
It is an ancient Chinese belief that there is a vital life energy referred to as "qi" (spoken: chee) that flows through the body and can get disrupted when the individual feels stressed. This disruption can lead to an imbalance in chee which can trigger illness in the body.
The reflexology massage is aimed at remedying such disruptions and helps restore the balance of qi in the body. In TCM, it is believed that different parts of the body correspond to various points in the foot, hands and ears which are located using a map of the anatomy. Applying varying degrees of pressure to these points helps send energy to the corresponding parts.
Potential Benefits of Foot Reflexology ?
Those who work in massage therapy work with different muscle groups to provide relief to their client. Besides reflexology, there are a variety of modalities that implement parallel methodologies to heal the body.
Yet another method used in Traditional Chinese Medicine is Acupressure which is similar to Acupuncture but without the use of needles. They refer to about 800 reflex points in the body known as Meridians or Acupoints. They are present throughout the length of the body.
Just like Acupressure, Reflexology offers various health benefits by just applying the right amount of pressure on specific points, such as alleviating pain, anxiety, depression and various other issues.
Current-day research indicates that Reflexology stands to offer the following potential benefits :-
(1) Relieves Physical Pain :
Extensive research is being conducted to better understand the effectiveness of reflexology in relieving pain and various other symptoms. When implemented on a group of individuals with musculoskeletal pain, just 25 minutes of reflexology had a 94% success in pain reduction.
On applying 20 minutes of reflexology to patients undergoing post-operative care showed how effective it was in reducing the pain of both stagnant and flexed muscular groups. Reflexology has also been seen to significantly reduce pain-related premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in women. Further studies have also shown a reduction in lower back pain and the effects of migraine in many cases.
(2) Improving Mental Health :
The purpose of Reflexology, like various other massage techniques, is to induce relaxation. Research implies that this can have a direct effect on improving the mental health of the individual.
There were a series of randomized trials conducted involving about 2300 patients. All of them had shown considerable improvement in terms of anxiety, depression and quality of sleep after attending a reflexology session. More research is being conducted to conclude the potential of reflexology in improving mental health conditions that lead to chronic diseases.
(3) Boosting Sleep Cycle :
Reflexology is recommended by healthcare experts as a supportive therapy that can improve sleep. When a study was conducted between a controlled group and individuals who received reflexology, revealed that those who underwent therapy had fewer people who were having trouble sleeping.
Another survey found that women who opted for 15 minutes of reflexology every day for three weeks had improved their quality of sleep.
(4) Counters Cancer Symptoms :
Both cancer and its treatment can have a major detrimental impact on the physical and mental health of an individual. There has been research that suggests that complimentary therapies like Reflexology can have a therapeutic impact assisting the patient to better cope with the symptoms.
When a study was conducted on patients with breast cancer who were undergoing chemotherapy, they were separated into two groups. One group received two sessions of complimentary reflexology each week, for four weeks.
That other was given standard care. The study revealed that the previous group who underwent reflexology felt far fewer effects of chemotherapy, for instance, fatigue compared to those who had standard care.
(5) Facilitates Digestive Functions :
At present, there is no hardcore evidence to suggest whether reflexology is indeed able to treat irritable bowel syndrome or IBS. However, certain studies have shown that reflexology can help with certain digestive symptoms, constipation in particular.
For instance, patients who are ailed with chronic constipation opted for a six-week course of foot reflexology. The vast majority of them reported an improvement in bowel movements.
Conclusion :=
Reflexology and its alternative variations have been in practice in various cultures throughout centuries. Other types of massages like acupressure and hot stone massage in Exeter all provide slightly different benefits when it comes to improving health and offering relief. Reflexology in particular is yet to reveal more solid repercussions as research is still ongoing .
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