The history of Reflexology

Reflexology can be first dated back to Ancient Egypt, as archaeologists found pictures depicting Egyptians giving each other a form of Reflexology on a tomb which came to be known as the ‘Physicians Tomb’ in Saqqara, Egypt.


What is Foot Reflexology?

In the picture the hands and feet are clearly being used while the images above the figures relate to energy, peace and goodwill. The Translation of the Hieroglyphics reads as a patient saying ‘please don’t hurt me’ while the physician responds with ‘I shall act so that you praise me.’

It is thought that this method was spread throughout the Roman Empire as well as being passed through the native Americans by the Incas. The Cherokee people are known to apply pressure to the foot to restore the balance of energy, often using wood probes to work the reflex points.

Modern Reflexology, known as Zone therapy, was developed by Dr Willian Fitzgerald in the early 20th Century. Dr Fitzgerald found that when applying pressure to certain points in the nose, mouth and the tongue it produced an aesthetic in certain areas of the body. He also found that placing pressure on certain parts of the hand and foot also produced pain relief. Through this he mapped out areas of the body and their connections. As well as this he noted the conditions affected by the pressure points and named it Zone therapy.

Zone therapy divides the body into ten longitudinal zones, which run from the top of the head to the tips of the toes. His findings showed that the parts of the body connected within these zones are linked by a flow of energy and that the parts of the body in each zone have an affect on each other.

Eunice Ingham, who became known as the ‘Mother of Reflexology’, developed this therapy even further by mapping out the entire body on the foot and developing Reflex points. She discovered that pressure to these points did not just have an anaesthetic effect but also stimulated healing.

What is reflexology

Reflexology is a holistic therapy based on applying various degrees of manipulative pressure to the foot which results in benefits on both a physical and emotional level.

Each part of the foot corresponds to a different part of the body and the reflexologist applies pressure is applied to different areas of the foot. The basic principal behind reflexology is that by applying pressure to a certain point of the foot, a positive change in the corresponding part of the body is often felt. This is thought to be either through a response to the pressure applied from the nervous system, or as thought in traditional Chinese medicine, due to a response in the bodies energy pathways (also known as channels or meridians).

A more commonly accepted view is that reflexology works by helping the relaxing part of the nervous system take over. This helps the body to release physical and emotional tension, whilst also improving your circulation, reducing pain and rebalancing hormones. This will often to lead to feelings of improved wellbeing and renewed energy.

The human body is designed to heal itself. This occurs everyday, whether it’s healing a cut, fighting a cold or repairing a broken bone. The systems and organs in the body continuously work together to both heal and repair. The body is complex and needs all the systems to work together to maintain the balance needed. If one system is disrupted the rest of the body cannot function to its full potential. This can be due to stress, injury or illness which creates a blockage of the energy that flows through the body. The body then has to work harder to restore the balance of energy and this may eventually cause further problems.

What is Foot Reflexology?

The pressure for stimulating the movement of energy throughout the body is applied using specific finger and thumb massage techniques and is quite different to a general body or foot massage. Reflexology is not ticklish due to the type of pressure applied, even people with very sensitive feet generally do not find the treatment ticklish.

Reflexology is holistic as it aims to treat the person as a whole – body, mind and spirit – to stimulate the bodies own potential to heal physically and emotionally.

Reflexology can be used to treat anyone, young or old, so why not give it a try and see the benefits for yourself?

Pregnancy and Reflexology Labour

Geraldine Higgins a reflexologist from Ballina, Co. Mayo writes recently in the Mayo Advertiser about her passion. "Reflexology is a wonderful therapy to use during pregnancy and labour. It will not interfere with the viability of the pregnancy but some clients may prefer to wait until after the 12th week to avail of the benefits.

Reflexology helps to relieve indigestion, lower back pain, haemorrhoids, constipation, heartburn, improves sleep, gives mum to be better energy, clears headaches, reduces and normalises high blood pressure, normalises low blood pressure, eliminates oedema, and reduces swelling in feet and ankles". Read Geraldines original article here

Learn easy techniques in Geraldine Higgins’ fun, hands-on, workshops. Reflexology is covered by VHI, Quinn healthcare, and Hibernian Avivas. To find out more contact Geraldine Higgins, Castle, Cloghans, Ballina, on 096 22504, 086 893 9103 or email eandghiggins@eircom.net