About Reflexology
What is Reflexology?
- Reflexology is non-invasive, hands-on wellness modality recognized by the National Institute of Health [NIH] as a Complementary & Alternative Medicine [CAM]. That's the same category as acupuncture, naturopathy, and chiropractic.
According to the ARCB, the body that Certifies reflexologists nationally, "Reflexology, an integrative health practice, maps a reflection of the body predominantly on the feet, hands and outer ears. It uses unique manual techniques to deliver pressure to neural pathways assisting the body to function optimally."
Reflexology is not massage.
The results are an increase in circulation of oxygen and nutrients to the cells, a reduction of stress, and a movement towards balance and normalized function. Therein lies the helping effects of reflexology. While reflexology is not a treatment per se for medical conditions, it has been documented and noted to help the symptoms, and sometimes the causes, of many ailments such as:
Arthritis
Digestive Disorders
Fibromyalgia
Foot pain or immobility
Headaches and migraines
Hormone imbalance, including PMS and menopause
Immune systems disorders
Infertility
Low back pain and sciatica
Multiple Sclerosis
Neck and shoulder pain and tension
Prostate problems
Reflexology is done with clients fully clothed. Only shoes and socks are removed. Some strip mall facilities claiming to do reflexology use untrained persons, and many of these salons engage in human trafficking. See my articles about Human Trafficking on my "About Linda" page.
Reflexology Research
The National Institute of Health has funded research for the use of reflexology for cancer patients, as well as for diabetic neuropathy. Hundreds of research studies have been conducted worldwide to underscore the power of reflexology in having a positive impact on everything from asthma to workplace absenteeism. I've highlighted some of the key research on my For Medical Professionals page here: https://reflexologyforbetterhealth.com/for-medical-professionals
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Reflexology Highlights
Reflexology Highlights
Reflexology reduces feelings of pain - excerpts from the Univ. of Portsmouth website
Reflexology may be as effective as painkillers, according to a small study carried out by the University of Portsmouth.
Researchers have found that people felt about 40 per cent less pain, and were able to stand pain for about 45 per cent longer, when they used reflexology as a method of pain relief.
Dr Ebenezer said: “Complementary and alternative therapies come in for a lot of criticism, and many have never been properly tested scientifically. One of the common criticisms by the scientific community is that these therapies are often not tested under properly controlled conditions.
“When a new drug is tested its effects are compared with a sugar pill. If the drug produces a similar response to the sugar pill, then it is likely that the drug’s effect on the medical condition is due to a placebo effect”.
“In order to avoid such criticism in this study, we compared the effects of reflexology to a sham TENS control that the participants believed produced pain relief. This is the equivalent of a sugar pill in drug trials.”
This is the first time this widely used therapy has been scientifically tested as a treatment for acute pain, meaning it may be used to complement conventional drug therapy in the treatment of conditions associated with pain such as osteoarthritis, backache and cancers.
Link to this pain-reduction study as well as several others are on my "For Medical Professionals" page at https://reflexologyforbetterhealth.com/for-medical-professionals