I have to admit it… Relexology used to seem a little “woo -woo” and “out there” to me. How could pressing on your feet have a positive impact on other areas of your body? Then one day, many moons ago, I was lucky enough to get a treatment from an experienced Reflexologist. That was the day I discovered how wrong I was about MANY assumptions I had made in my young life.
When she began to work on my liver and gall bladder points (life-long problem areas for me), I immediately felt very pronounced releases in those organs.
But here’s the kicker….
She hadn’t told me she was working on my liver and gall bladder points and I knew NOTHING about reflexology at the time! So the “placebo effect” or “confirmation bias” theories to explain what I was feeling went straight out the window. I had no idea she was working on those points until after the fact!
The results were undeniable.
That early experience helped start me on my quest to optimize my own health and vitality WITHOUT blindly reaching for whatever was in the medicine cabinet every time I was a little under the weather.
Today I incorporate reflexology into my own regular self-care routine and use it in my practice daily to keep my clients at their best!
What is Reflexology?
Reflexology has ancient origins, having been practiced by the Chinese and Egyptians as far back as 4000BC. It’s believed the Romans learned reflexology from the Egyptians, and from there the practice slowly spread throughout the ancient world.
Today, Chinese schoolchildren are taught reflexology as part of their curriculum and are encouraged to practice on each other.
Although most commonly associated with your feet, reflexology is also practiced on your hands and ears. It is the practice of applying pressure to very specific “reflex” points that correspond to other areas of your body.
Now some of you may think that sounds a little “out there”. But consider this:
Your feet contain roughly 15,000 nerve ending and each and every one of those 15,000 nerve endings represent a different, individual pathway to a different area of your body. All originating from your feet! Maybe those ancient Egyptians and Asians were on to something after all!
Check out the video demonstration of Reflexology below:
What are the benefits of Reflexology?
Reflexology activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reduces anxiety, stops the flight or fight response and allows the body to relax.
It’s particularly helpful for:
- Stress & anxiety reduction
- Relaxation
- Pain relief
- Central nervous system regulation
- Insomnia
- PMS
- Detoxification
AND…
Science is slowly catching up to what we practitioners have known for years:
- A study at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine on the effects of reflexology on chronic sinus infections concluded:
“There was a significant and equivalent improvement after two weeks of intervention in each treatment group” and “70% of the participants benefited overall from the reflexology treatments”. - A study on the effect of reflexology on PMS symptoms concluded:
“Reflexology was associated with MORE reduction of intensity and duration of menstrual pain in comparison with ibuprofen therapy”. - 81% of the patients from a research study in Denmark on headaches reported symptom improvement with 19% reporting being able to stop taking their headache medication.
Are there any side effects to Reflexology treatment?
The treatment is very gentle and non-invasive. Most of the side effects are POSITIVE, like feeling relaxed, less stressed and more focused.
However, we are working directly on your central nervous system. Sometimes people will have an emotional release during a treatment and either laugh or cry uncontrollably for a few minutes while your system is rebalancing itself.
It’s also not uncommon to be quite tired after a treatment. I recommend planning to get to bed early on the night after your session.
Who shouldn’t get Reflexology treatments?
Everybody should get reflexology 🙂
I honestly can’t think of any reason why not, unless you’re in perfect, radiant health. It’s very non-invasive.
Does Reflexology Hurt?
Reflexology treatments generally don’t hurt at all. In fact, it usually feels like your getting a foot massage and most clients enjoy their treatment. However, if the muscles in your feet are overly knotted up, it may feel more like a deep tissue massage, and could (rarely) be slightly uncomfortable.
Who should get Reflexology treatments?
If you’ve got feet, you should definitely consider it 🙂
But seriously. If you’ve got:
- Anxiety
- PMS
- Insomnia
- Chronic Fatigue
- Poor Circulation
- High Stress
- Trouble Relaxing
- Or Low Energy
Then you should consider a treatment and see what you think about the results… I’m convinced you’ll be impressed!
If you live anywhere in East Hants or Halifax Regional Municipality including Enfield, Elmsdale, Fall River, Halifax, Bedford and Dartmouth, my clinic is only a hop, skip & jump away so…
Call Jennifer to book your Reflexology treatment today:
902-209-5137
Or Use our online scheduler to book your appointment right now by clicking the button below:
What do people think about their Reflexology treatments?
Here’s what some people had to say about their experience with Reflexology:
