Alternative medicine is increasing in popularity as more people turn towards natural forms of treatment. Now people are getting responsibility for their own health, and as well as becoming more conscious of healthy eating, exercising, more and more people are trying out therapeutic or preventive health care practices. Some people try these complementary therapies even before they visit their doctor. In my opinion this is the right decision because there are many kinds of possible side-effects of the powerful medicines doctors are describing that can be avoided easily.
Homeopathy, naturopathy, chiropractic, herbal medicine and reflexology are amongst those practices that do not follow generally accepted methods and may not have a scientific explanation for their effectiveness. I have even seen a documentary film on homeopathy that rejects all its qualities with series of tests. Nevertheless I know that it helps, I have tried it many times... and I finally believe that for some things there isn't always an obvious proof and I should always try something before repudiating it.
Most of the therapies are not denouncing conventional medical treatments and their practioners will not discourage patients from seeing their doctor, and there will always be times when it is essential to do so.
Basically Reflexology is a method of massage that relieves nervous tension through the application of finger pressure, especially to feet. The feet reflect the whole body, with different areas of the feet corresponding to all parts of the body. When a part of the body is ill or not working to full efficiency, a refloxologist will find a tender area in the corresponding part and will apply pressure to it. By working this area over a period of time the tenderness should reduce and the body will function properly again. Usually reflexology practioners give a full treatment, which covers the whole feet (body), as there might appear more than one symptom for the condition. Although this method seems too simple its effects can be quite far-reaching.
It is generally agreed that the origins of reflexology lie in ancient China. Various kinds of acupuncture have been practiced in China for thousands of years. A Chinese medical book attributed to Hwang Ti, who died in 2598BC contained information on "the examining foot method". From there the method spread trough Egypt, Greece, Arabia and Europe. There is not any sound scientific evidence relating to how exactly so distant parts of the body correspond and how reflexology works.
The American ear, nose and throat consultant called Dr William Fitzgerald was the first to describe the modern-day reflexology in 1917. He stated that reflexology has developed from another method known as "zone therapy". He was also the first to use the reflexology as a means of anesthesia during a treatment or even surgery. According to one of his theories the body is divided into ten longitudinal zones. An imaginary line drawn through the center of the body will give five zones on the left and five on the right side of the body. Each zone extends from the toes up the legs and up through the body to the brain and then down the arms to fingers. The zones are five and when pressure is applied to a part of any of them tenderness should reduce in the same longitudinal zone but in a distant part of the body.
Zone 1 begins with the big toe up the inside of the leg through the body to the brain and down to the thumb.
Zone 2 begins with the second toe, up the leg through the body to the brain and down the arm to the second finger.
Zone 3 begins with the third toe continues up the leg to the brain and then again down the arm to the third finger.
Zone 4 begins with the fourth toe, continues up the leg to the brain and down the arm to the fourth finger.
Zone 5 begins with the little toe, up the outside of the leg and body to the outer side of the brain and down the outside of the arm to the little finger.
Basically for every part of the body there is a corresponding part on the feet. The right foot corresponds to the right side of the body and the left foot corresponds to the left. Middle parts are corresponding to both feet.
There are transverse zones in the feet. The first one covers the base of the phalanges and relates to the shoulder girdle. The second divides the area between the metatarsals and the tarsal and relates to the level of the waist. And the last one cuts across the talus and covers the rest.
The reflex areas are positioned on the sole of the foot, the inner, the outer side and on the top of the foot.
There are many people who turn to a reflexologist because of stress. The hosltilic (full)treatment that covers all zones should not take more than an hour because the reflex areas could easily be overworked, but when applied right it releases tenderness and tension kept in different parts of the body.
For those who do not have the time or energy to search for a good reflexologist, who would work private, self-treatment, could be a nice alternative. The technique is simple: the practioner massages the reflex areas using mainly the thumb, but finger pressure is better for some zones. The nails should be kept short as they may cause discomfort and even pain. The thumb should be kept bent when pressure is applied (for a moment or two) and it should remain bent when released. The greatest risk of self-treatment is that it could not always be as precise as a professional treatment. But with a bit of practice miracles could be done. Keep in mind that a proffesional reflexologist can cure or be helpfull to curing diseases like: acne, allergies, asthma, bronchitis, ecsema, glaucoma, high blood pressure, infections, indigestion, PMS, tennis elbow and many, many more!
Tags: health care, alternative medicine, health, medicine, reflexology
