How Reflexology May Help Your Patients

 Reflexology is:

• A lesser-known Complementary & Alternative Medicine (CAM) modality. More than 60 top medical schools in the US including Yale, Duke, Emory, Johns Hopkins, Harvard are teaching about CAM modalities  https://www.imconsortium.org/members/members.cfm
  
• "A non-invasive protocol of manual techniques…applied to specific reflex areas predominantly on the feet and hands. These techniques stimulate the complex neural path-ways linking body systems, supporting the body’s efforts to function optimally...."http://reflexology-usa.org/information/raas-definition-of-reflexology/
  
• Based on the zone therapy work of William Fitzgerald, MD  http://www.reflexology-usa.net/history.htm
  
• Not meant as an alternative to standard medical care, but as a complement to it.
  
• An effective way to reduce stress, which according to JAMA is now being cited as the reason for up to 80% of doctor visits.  Reduced stress may decrease pain and improve patient outcomes from  medical treatmentshttp://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1392494
  
• Not massage http://academyofancientreflexology.com/reflexology-not-massage/  ...although reflexology recipients do receive all the benefits of nurturing touch that studies evidence   http: oawhealth.com/ 2014/03/18/health-benefits-of-human- touch/  (I have no affiliation with this site; the site simply has a useful aggregate of studies cited)
  
• Utilized in some cancer centers such as Dana Farber  http://blog.dana-farber.org/insight/2016/07/how-can-reflexology-help-cancer-patients/      and Memorial Sloan Kettering https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/diagnosis-treatment/symptom-management/integrative-medicine/therapies/individual-therapies

 Reduction of Pain by 40%, Dr. Carol Samuel 
http://uopnews.port.ac.uk/2013/04/09/reflexology-reduces-feelings-of-pain/

Need for pain medication reduced by 40%  https://health.usnews.com/health-care/for-better/articles/2018-11-29/how-aromatherapy-and-reflexology-are-changing-approaches-to-pain-management

Reduction of infant pain and distress  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26220257

Reduction of Post-Operative Pain in Patients Undergoing Surgical Procedures  https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/acm.2017.0167

Ear points found to be one of best ways to reduce pain in Emergency Department settings.  While conclusions were drawn from a study using acupuncture needles, many reflexologists trained in using touch alone on ear points have found them useful in reducing (and sometimes alleviating) pain. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29067138 

Increased circulation to organs, Marc Piquemal, MD
​http://reflexology-usa.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Piquemal_Article.pdf  
(link to the study at this location is currently unavailable)

Reduction of Blood Pressure, Jesus Manzanares, MD
http://reflexology-usa.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Manzanares_Research_Hypertension-nobio.pdf  (Link to the study at this location is currently unavailable)

Short video of Dr. Manzanares explaining his scientific reflexological methodology  https://vimeo.com/124738718

Improved QOL for Advanced Breast Cancer Patients, Gwen Wyatt, PhD, RN https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4419638/

Effective for Diabetic Neuropathy, an NIH study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24527055

Reduction of severity of infantile colic. 

Published June 2018 in the  Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/acm.2017.0315?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ACM+FP+June+21+2018&d=6%2F21%2F2018&mcid=29232823& 

Reduction of PMS symptoms, an article fromAmerican Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Dr. Terry Olson and William Flocco, NBCR http://americanacademyofreflexology.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Full-Study1.pdf

Reflexology found to improve sleep quality and reduce fatigue in hemodialysis patients   

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1744388116300494

More studies at  http://reflexology-usa.org/reflexology-research/ 

 The Reflexology Association of America is a nonprofit organization that promotes the scientific and professional advancement of reflexology. The organization’s mission is to elevate and standardize the quality of reflexology services available to the public.
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Professional members of the Reflexology Association of America (RAA) have trained in a minimum of 300 hours of foot, hand and/or outer ear reflexology.

A Directory of Professional RAA Members that can be searched by city, state, or name can be found online at http://reflexology-usa.org/professionals/

An additional directory, this of National Board Certified Reflexologists, is at the American Reflexology Certification Board (ARCB) website https://arcb.net/find-an-arcb-reflexologist/  . All Board-Certified Reflexologists have passed a practical exam and two written exams, and must fulfill annual CE requirements.