Reflexology is a misunderstood spa treatment. Most people think it's a foot massage, and unfortunately, some spa therapists treat it like that. It's also widely thought to be an ancient Chinese treatment. While it certainly owes a debt to the past, reflexology as a treatment modality was actually developed in America in the 20th century.
Reflexology is a spa treatment where the therapist works on reflex points on your feet, hands, and ears that are thought to relate to specific organs and glands in the body.
Stimulating those points with finger pressure promotes health in those organs and glands via the body's energetic pathways.
When done by a skilled practitioner, reflexology is a deeply relaxing treatment with benefits that can be felt throughout the body. The therapist will use various techniques that include holds, finger pressure, kneading, rotation, and rubbing.
The Effect of Reflexology Should Be Felt Throughout the Body
The best therapists also include hands and feet as part of the reflexology treatment, and you should feel an effect on the entire body. If the therapist is less skilled or inadequately trained, you'll just feel like you've had a very long foot massage.
Reflexology was first developed in the United States in the early 20th century and was called "zonal therapy" in its earliest incarnations. It is based on the theory that the body is divided into ten zones running longitudinally from head to toe -- five on each side of the body. Practitioners believe that pressure on reflex points on the foot or hand will affect body organs in the same zone.
In recent years, reflexology practitioners have begun to incorporate the acupressure techniques of Traditional Chinese Medicine (T.C.M.) into their work. Although reflexology is based on the theory of "zones" instead of T.C.M.'s theory of "meridians" or energy pathways, both treatments are based on the principle that working on specific points can bring about a therapeutic effect in other parts of the body.