As long as the therapy – even if it’s just the idea of therapy – is helping you, that’s all that matters.Įven if it’s primarily psychological, placebo effects can actually help improve some physical problemsĪ lot of people book reflexology sessions to help reduce stress, improve relaxation, reduce specific pain in the body, and enhance their overall wellbeing.Įach session is tailored to your specific needs by having a thorough discussion with your therapist before your session, so they can address that pain in your shoulder by working the area outside your little toe, or help with your tummy troubles by focusing on the arch. If you believe rubbing a point on the foot will help with your headache, you may become less stressed and, therefore, your body could sort itself out accordingly. Even if it’s primarily psychological, placebo effects can actually help improve some physical problems. The timeless idea of being told something will work and help you, and your own belief making it so, has been around for years. If your organs are working at their best, you’re less likely to have those aches and pains from joints taking extra strain, and your overall health will improve - whether it’s due to opening up your lungs and getting some extra oxygen in your blood, or not slouching in order to help your digestion. It may be tiny movements you make, but better alignment of your skeleton means your organs will sit properly for optimal functioning. With all those nerves in your feet, some people argue that pressure on your soles and toes sends signals to the brain to adjust your posture. This allows organs to operate more efficiently and promotes that overall relaxed, healthy feeling. They believed that through applying pressure to the feet, hands, or even the tongue, the brain receives a calming message and the central nervous system reacts by reducing tension in the body. Neurologist Sir Henry Head and Nobel Prize winner Sir Charles Sherrington’s research from the 1890s argued that there is a relationship between the skin and internal organs. While it’s difficult to find scientific evidence to prove the healing effects of therapy, there are multiple theories as to why reflexology is effective and beneficial. So how does reflexology actually work? It’s all to do with your nerve endings, and since you have more than 7,000 in each foot it’s no wonder stepping on a plug hurts so much! Reflexologists divide the body up into 10 zones, and believe that nerves from these zones all travel down to the feet. Regardless of where it started, reflexology has stood the test of time. The idea here is that the stimulus of rubbing the foot in certain places causes a reaction elsewhere in the body. An example would be that of a knee-jerk reaction, where the lower leg will kick out involuntarily when the knee is hit sharply. The term stems from the idea of a ‘reflex’ action: something done unconsciously in response to a stimulus. According to health historians, the therapy has been practised in China since 4,000BC, and some ancient Egyptian tombs have images of the therapy detailed on their walls. Reflexology has been practised for thousands of years, but pinning down the exact origin is a bit of a mystery. By applying pressure to those areas, a therapist can target where you’re having issues, and look to alleviate them. Reflexology isn’t just about giving the foot a quick rub to soothe those tired toes, but a treatment that sees various points on the foot connected to places on the body through the nervous system. Seeing the foot as a road map to the body may seem strange, but think how a pain in your hip can adjust your gait, how a bad back may affect your walking, and how your poor feet take the full brunt of your daily struggles. From stress reduction to relaxation, this holistic therapy can do wonders for the mind, body and sole
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