Reflexology 101: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects and More

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What is Reflexology?

Reflexology is an alternative medicine therapy that is natural and safe. Its foundation is using gentle pressure with the fingers on specific areas of the body, like hands, soles of the feet, ears, and spine. Why? These points map into small spots that are related to internal organs and systems in the body. In other words, parts of the body that we can’t reach to heal like the heart, lungs, brain, stomach, and intestines.

By massaging those areas related directly to our organs, the body gets the external “push” or helps it needs to unblock the energies along the nerve channels. The massage stimulates the respective organs and systems, and therefore restores the balance in the body and start the self-healing process.

It sounds like a practice from the future, and it feels like it’s something from the Star Trek series? However, It’s a common practice nowadays, and there are many places where you can get a professional Reflexology massage.

Let’s get more into details about Reflexology and what are the underlying principles and history.

We are a Holographic Being

Reflexology fundamentals are on holographic principles. These concepts are similar to other holistic practices from the Far East, for example, acupuncture. Theories like the Whole Big Universe is reflected in each grain of sand, or as above, so below. In other words, every little part resides an image of the whole.

We are more than our physical bodies, and we also have an energy field around us. The energy of life, called Qi in the Oriental medicines, flows through tiny subtle channels inside and around our body.

Our body has an innate intelligence, a natural ability to heal and regenerate itself. Our diseases, injuries, stress reflect a state of imbalance in our being, seen as a whole, holistically, body, mind, energy, and spirit.

Whether we know it or not, our being does not only matter; it is also energy. Chinese and Asian ancient traditional medicines were seeing the person as a whole that goes beyond the physical limits and includes an energy aspect as well. The energy of life itself, Qi, as they call it, flows through our body through millions on tiny subtle channels. When our thoughts, attitudes, emotions, and intentions are positive and oriented towards goodness, our whole body is in perfect harmony and health.

However, when we are stressed, tensed, worried, anxious, angry, sad, depressed, or lethargic, the energy of life is blocked in certain areas, consequently, a disease will appear.

How Does Reflexology Work?

Reflexology is a holistic, personalized type of massage. It targets specific areas on your body like the feet or hands. These parts are connected, in a subtle, yet real way with organs located deep inside your body, consequently that you can’t reach.

Did you know that your heart, lungs, brain, stomach, liver, gall bladder, urinary bladder, pancreas, spline, intestines, your reproductive system, and so on are “reflected,” mapped on specific areas on your body, like your hands or sole of your feet?

They are arranged on the “foot map” precisely like in the body. Start from the curve of the foot, for example – there it is represented the spine.

The pituitary gland connects to the big toes. The heart links to the big mountain underneath the big toe. The kidneys and the bladder are on the deeper, inner side of the soles. Then the reproductive organs on your heels.

One of the theories behind Reflexology is related to energy. We already know that our body has an electromagnetic field, and organs communicate with each other through light, electromagnetic waves. These electromagnetic impulses can be blocked and so the energy doesn’t circulate anymore between organs. And so, the whole body suffers.

Another theory states that lactic acid crystals accumulated in the feet block the energy. Through gentle pressure on specific points, these crystals dissolve, and the energy flows once again in the body.

Modern science from the field of physics and especially quantum physics, has discovered that matter and energy are connected. Studies that used MRI scans show that brain waves change when the soles of the feet have reflexology massage done to them.

Types of Reflexology Massage

Massage Techniques

During a reflexogenic massage, hands, fingers, thumbs are used to press and massage the reflex points on the patient’s hands, feet, ears, etc. Some massage techniques include the following:

  • Pressure
  • Alternating between various intensities in force
  • Rotation
  • Walking the fingers along the body part
  • Gliding smoothly

What Conditions Does Reflexology Treat?

Let’s see in detail what health problems Reflexology can help.

  • Stress and anxiety
  • Depression
  • Nervous system problems
  • Headaches and migraines
  • Sinusitis
  • Digestive issues
  • Low metabolism
  • Low energy levels
  • Immuno-deficiencies
  • Sleep-related problems (insomnia)
  • Menstrual disorders (PMS)
  • Menopause
  • Hormonal imbalances
  • Fertility and low libido
  • High blood pressure
  • Cardiovascular issues (artery diseases)
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Arthritis pain
  • Back pain
  • Musculoskeletal pain
  • Sciatica
  • Cancer-related pain
  • Post-surgery care
  • Palliative care
  • Phantom limb pain
  • Body’s ability to heal and regenerate
  • Revitalizing
  • Toxins accumulation

What are the Health Benefits of Reflexology?

It’s proven that Reflexology massage helps balance the stress hormones production as well as many other benefits. Here are the above all top 12 advantages of Reflexology.

1. Relaxation

Like any massage, Reflexology relaxes the body, muscles, and nervous system. There are over 7,000 nerve endings in the soles of our feet alone. Imagine that you’re sending relaxing vibes to all the nerves in your body by only massaging the feet. Reflexology stimulates the neuronal activity and induces a state of relaxation and calmness in the body and mind.

2. Stimulates the Nervous System

With age, the nerves become less sensitive, especially in your extremities. By stimulating directly the nerve endings found in the soles of your feet, hands, and even ears, the neural pathways are encouraged, and their functionality is improved. Just like our muscles, our nerve endings need to be kept active, and one of the methods is by Reflexology massage.

3. More Brainpower

Of course, since your nerve endings get stimulated directly, your whole nervous system is stimulated and gets more power. The cognitive functions are improved, your memory gets better, and your physical reactions are much more agile than before the Reflexology massage.

4. Increased Blood Circulation

Not only does your energy get moving in your body correctly after a Reflexology massage, but your blood, too. Especially older people and those with a sedentary lifestyle will see an improvement in their blood circulation. More oxygen reaches your vital organs (brain, heart, etc.) with the blood and so their function is optimized, and your cells regenerate and grow faster.

5. Detox

Through Reflexology massage, specific spots on your feet corresponding to all organs get stimulated, and so, their function is improved. This restored strength means that they have now an increased ability to flush out toxins, regenerate, and heal better and faster.

6. Metabolism and Energy Levels Increase

Whether you feel sluggish, burnt out, lacking energy and drive, because of busy life, exhausting workplace, or health issues, Reflexology might be quite a helper. It will stimulate the digestive system, allowing your metabolism to increase, and in turn, your energy levels get a boost.

7. Relieves Pain

Headache, neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, knee pain – you name them. Reflexology massage targets specific energy points on your feet, hands, and ear that relieve tension, calm down nerves, relax muscles that trigger the pain in the first place.

Studies found out that Reflexology foot and hand massage reduced the intensity and distress of pain. Proving Reflexology to be a valid, inexpensive, safe, and easy to apply to relieve post-operatory surgery pain.

8. Great Help for Menstruation and Pregnancy

Some forms of massage are not fit for a woman during menstruation or pregnancy. Reflexology is recommended to reduce menstruation cramps, treat PMS, improve the mood, speed up the post-partum recovery, and mitigate postnatal effects and depression.

Foot Reflexology massage stimulates and balances the hormonal system. It also calms down the nervous system, decreases depression and mood swings, reduces hot flashes and night sweats in women with menopause, studies show.

9. Anxiety and Stress

According to a survey, after a Reflexology treatment of only 30 minutes, people report reduced anxiety. This reduction is in direct correlation to people found in the same situation, who didn’t receive a Reflexology massage.
The human touch of pressing specific spots on your feet related to the nervous system, brain, adrenal glands, thyroid, and heart, has calming and relaxing effects on people. Reflexology has been proven to balance and reduce stress hormones production (cortisol) that trigger stress and anxiety.

10. Reduces Blood Pressure

Alternative methods such as Reflexology are great additional help for your cardiovascular problems. Studies show that 60 minutes of Reflexology foot massage lowers blood pressure in people suffering from coronary artery diseases.

Foot Reflexology applied two times weekly for six weeks, for instance, showed a decrease in systolic blood pressure. As well as moderately decreased cholesterol levels, and profoundly reduced triglyceride levels. It also had an improvement in life satisfaction.

11. Reduces Phantom Limb Pain

A peculiar and scientifically recognized (but not explained) thing happens when people suffer from limb amputation. They feel tingling, tickling, itchiness, numbness, and other physical sensations in the missing limb, as it was alive and in its place. The feeling is not only mind-boggling but also uncomfortable. You can’t scratch, massage, or apply cooling creams on a missing limb!

Reflexology comes to the rescue. Of course, don’t think that you get an invisible massage to the invisible limb. But Reflexology massage applied to the other existing arm or leg decreased the intensity and duration of the sensations mentioned above, studies show.

12. Palliative Care for Cancer

Cancer is a terrible disease that affects not only people’s bodies but their minds and emotions, too. When going through harsh conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy, people see a tremendous degradation of their body and their psycho-emotional roller-coaster.

Alternative methods, such as Reflexology help them by reducing pain, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue, and by inducing a state of general calm and wellbeing during their chemotherapy treatment.

Dozens of studies, with hundreds of participants, researched the effects of various forms of massage, including Reflexology. The results showed that foot Reflexology has a beneficial impact and was more effective than other types of cancer pain-relieving massage.

Even metastatic cancer patients (having 16 different types of cancer, including breast, lung, colorectal, head, and neck) showed pain relief and reduced anxiety following 15-30 minutes foot Reflexology massage.

A Few Other Reflexology Perks:

  • Boost the immune system
  • Get rid more natural of colds and respiratory infections
  • Relieve sinus problems
  • Boost metabolism
  • Improve digestion
  • Relieve back pain
  • Relieve arthritic pain
  • Reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches and migraines
  • Support hormonal balance
  • Reduce anxiety and stress (especially in people who have cancer)
  • Reduce nerve tingling and numbness related to cancer drug treatments

What are the Side Effects of Reflexology?

Reflexology is a non-invasive, all-natural, alternative therapy that treats various health conditions. It is so safe that even people with severe health conditions can use it as a treatment. It is a very relaxing and comfortable type of therapy to receive.

This form of therapy is so beneficial that that are no real so-called side effects. What you may feel like something slightly unpleasant is just the effects of detoxification that Reflexology has on your body. While you continue the scheduled Reflexology sessions regularly, you will notice that these minor so-called “side effects” will go away gradually.

Side Effects Can Include:

  • Foot or hand sensitivity (tingling, pins and needles, numbness)
  • Mild discomfort or pain on some reflex points
  • Muscle soreness
  • Fever
  • Sweating
  • Dizziness
  • Lightheadedness
  • Chills
  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea
  • Runny nose (mucus elimination from sinus congestion or infection)
  • Cough up (mucus elimination from the lungs)
  • Fatigue
  • Need for sleep
  • Emotional reactions (laughing, crying, vulnerability)
  • Insatiable thirst
  • Skin rashes

How to Ease the Side Effects of Reflexology?

Most people will only feel the benefits and pleasant effects of Reflexology. Only a few will experience these transitory, unpleasant, but beneficial side-effects. Remember that these are all temporary and will go away.

However, to reduce the effect of these reactions, try the following tips:

  • Drink plenty of water during the day (it will help you flush away toxins faster from your body)
  • Eat fresh food (fruits and vegetables)
  • Avoid dense, fried, highly processed food during that period (to avoid nausea)
  • Don’t drink anything with caffeine
  • Stay away from refined sugar and flour, dairy products
  • Exercise for 15-30 minutes and go in nature preferably daily during the period when you do the Reflexology therapy to speed up eliminating toxins, allow your body to regenerate and restore
  • Walk bare feet if you can (not in ticks infested areas)
  • Soak your feet in Epsom salt or other sea salts to help the detoxification process
  • Do breathing exercises
  • Meditate
  • Don’t use computers, laptop, mobile phone too much, if possible, and not at all right before bedtime
  • Use aromatherapy to support the process

These side effects will only last 24-48 hours. They are healthy, part of the healing process. There’s nothing to worry about, especially since it’s a temporary situation. These detoxifying reactions disappear as your body goes through the detox process and will never come back later on.

Warnings to Note

Always check with your doctor or health care provider before you go to a Reflexology therapy session. Certain health conditions can’t pair with Reflexology or should be performed with care and under medical observation.

Make sure you get the best treatment from a certified professional — a Reflexologist registered with a credible certification organization or association.

  • American Commission for the Accreditation of Reflexology Education and Training (ACARET)
  • American Reflexology Certification Board
  • Reflexology Association of America
  • National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork

When to Avoid Reflexology

Even if Reflexology has many health benefits and treats many health conditions, there are some cases when you should refrain from treatment.

Avoid Treatment When You Have:

  • Wounds (open or not)
  • Open sores (to the areas that should get a Reflexology massage, such as hands and feet)
  • Burns
  • Infections of the hands and feet (such as fungal infection – athlete’s foot)
  • Chronic skin problems
  • Foot ulcers
  • Swelling and inflammation
  • Kidney stones
  • Gall stones
  • Gout
  • Blood clots
  • Vascular problems especially on your legs and feet
  • Recent surgery (cancer, tumor, wart removal)

Proceed Treatment with Caution:

  • In later stages of pregnancy. It might stimulate contractions and induce premature birth. On the other hand, it can also help induce labor, with doctor’s approval.
  • If you are suffering from Cancer, Diabetes, Epilepsy
  • Have low platelet count (people who bruise or bleed easily)
  • If you have a peacemaker
  • If you have Thyroid problems