What is reflexology?

Wall painting from the pyramid of Ankhmahor the 'Physicians Tomb' 2330 B.C

Reflexology is a gentle, non-invasive holistic therapy, that is recognised by the NHS, many GP’s and hospices. It is said to have originated in China 5000 years ago. However the oldest documentation we have depicting reflexology was unearthed in Egypt and is dated around 2330 B.C.

Pioneering research began into the body's nervous system and its reflexes in the 19th century; and in 1893 Sir Henry Head published his discoveries; 'the bladder' he wrote 'can be excited to action by stimulating the sole of the foot...'. By the 20th century Dr William Fitzgerald, discovered that the body could be divided into 10 longitudinal zones, and that by working on one zone he could elicit a response from everything else in that zone.

Reflexology is based on this discovery - certain points on the feet and hands correspond to organs, systems and structures within the body. This relationship is called a reflex – the stimulation of one point brings about a response in another area. It was Eunice Ingham in the 1930's who mapped the various reflex points onto the feet, and it is the Ingham method that modern Reflexology is based on.

Reflexology should not be confused or compared to having a basic foot massage; it is a specific pressure technique which works on precise reflex points on the feet, creating stimulus in the nerve endings. The successful application of reflexology requires the practitioner to have a thorough knowledge of the human body – its physiology, anatomy and pathology.