Foot reflexology, all you need to know

Foot reflexology promotes relaxation, health and helps relieve various organ diseases. The sole is the mirror of the whole body, it reflects the conformation of the human body and the organs have specific projections in this area.

Pressure is just one of many Asian therapies with roots in traditional Chinese medicine. It applies the same principles as acupuncture and is sometimes referred to as acupuncture without needles.

When a meridian is blocked or unbalanced it causes an imbalance or disease in the body. Acupuncture consists of applying pressure to the affected meridian points.

Imbalances or disease can be improved or cured with foot reflexology. The pressure is not applied anyway but in a certain way that beneficially affects the massaged point.

We can follow two different approaches to applying pressure in foot reflexology:

** Constant pressure**: in this approach, a connected point is pressed continuously, slowly increasing the pressure applied. This can be continued for 4-5 minutes. ** Intermittent pressure**: we apply pressure to a point for about 20 seconds with regular breaks of 10 seconds. This is done for 4-5 minutes iteratively for about 10 minutes.

Pressing the sole can be done with fingers, wooden sticks or round-headed glass or special devices.

It aims to restore balance and health to the affected organs by massaging the points in the soles.

Soles are a representation of the shape of the human body, with the left sole governing the left side of the body and the right sole the right side.

Broad-backed people also have wide soles and tall people have long, thin soles. The curvature of the heels closely follows the curvature of the spine.

Some skin conditions of the feet can be significant in determining a condition. For example, a patching or thickening of the skin in certain areas on the heels shows which organs are affected.

Heel pressure can be performed for:

• Prevention: By massaging all the points on the hands and feet regularly it helps maintain good health and, prevents the body from getting sick.
• Diagnosis early: If an organ shows signs of imbalance, its connection point becomes soft. By applying pressure to it, disease can be diagnosed early before it becomes a major threat.
• Disease cure: By methodical and regular application of acupressure health can be restored.

Sole pressure - benefits:

• Improves the energy level of the being.
• Decrease pain
• Relief of other symptoms of cancer or its treatments
• Reduction of stress

Sole pressure and problems that can be solved with it:

• Nausea
• Devitalization after anesthesia
• Devitalization after chemotherapy
• Motion sickness
• Problems related to pregnancy
• Stress reduction
• Arthritis
• Depression and anxiety

Contraindications in foot reflexology

In general, heel pressure is safe and you should not experience pain.

It is advisable to discuss with the therapist before the massage about the diseases you suffer from.

If you have any of the following conditions, general foot reflexology should be avoided:

• You are undergoing treatment in the area of a cancerous tumour or if the cancer has spread to the bones.
• You have rheumatoid arthritis
• spinal injury or a bone disease that could be aggravated by physical manipulation
• You have varicose veins
• You are pregnant (as certain points can cause contractions)

Read more about Foot Reflexology