What is Reflexology? Longridge

Reflexology is a complementary medicine which can be traced back at least 5000 years to China, Japan and Egypt. The act of foot massage spread to Europe in the Dark Ages and was known as 'pressure point therapy'. In the USA at the end of the 19th Century, Dr. William Fitzgerald rediscovered this therapy and assigned it the name 'Reflexology'. Reflexology as a therapy finally arrived in Britain in the late 1960s.

Reflexology is concerned with bringing about relaxation, balance and healing through the stimulation of specific points on the feet, hands or head. A therapist will only use their own hands to apply the therapy and this is one of the characteristics of reflexology which is believed to have made it popular - along with its simplicity, visible effectiveness and the general belief that there is no risk associated with this type of therapy. Additionally, reflexology is recognised to live up to the 'complementary' element to its title. Many doctors believe reflexology works well in conjunction with orthodox medicine in areas such as side effect symptom reduction and general enhancement of traditional treatments.

Reflexology is based on the premise that every part of the body is connected by energy pathways which culminate in reflex areas on the feet, the hands and the head. By working with these 'reflexes' through a precise and systematic massage technique, the therapist is said to stimulate the body into achieving its own state of natural wholeness and good health. The feet are seen to be very receptive and working on them in this way is especially beneficial for restoring homeostasis, detoxifying and balancing the body.

Reflexologists believe every body has the ability to heal itself. Any illness, stress or injury will cause the body to be in a state of imbalance with the vital energy pathways perhaps blocked. Reflexology can be used to restore and maintain the body's natural equilibrium and encourage healing.
How can reflexology make a difference in pregnancy?

Reflexology has been cited as a possible treatment to alleviate high blood pressure, social stress, oedema, cystitis, insomnia, irritable uterus, nose bleeds, migraine, musculo-skeletal, heartburn, hypertension, long, the length of and the pain experienced in labour. Reflexology works to relieve many of these complaints and is recognised as having degrees of success in all of them.

It has also been recognised as having a particularly high success rate in the area of labour outcome ('outcome' in this sense is not referring to a baby, rather the time it takes to produce your little bundle of joy) - many women have experienced labours of only 2-3 hours after undergoing reflexology therapy during their pregnancy. In addition, reflexology is becoming more popular for the purpose of pain relief during labour - even if it only lasts for two hours you might as well be comfortable.

In order to benefit from the effects of reflexology during labour, you can opt for regular treatments a...