Reflexology: Based on the idea that specific points on the feet and hands correspond with organs and tissues throughout the entire body. The practitioner uses fingers and thumbs to apply pressure to reflex zones to help the self-healing process. Some of the benefits are the relief of pain in the neck, shoulder and lower back, to relief of allergic reactions, headaches, upset stomach and colon discomfort.

(See also: Reflexology, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

REFLEXOLOGY: based on the idea that specific points on the feet and hands correspond with organs and tissues throughout the body. With fingers and thumbs, the practitioner applies pressure to these points to treat a wide range of stress-related illnesses and ailments.

Reflexology is therapeutic and is generally complementary to massage.  Reflexology is the application of specific pressure to reflex points in the feet and hands.  The primary benefits of reflexology result from the generalized relaxation of the entire body, as well as from the balancing effect on specific organs, glands, zones, or body regions.  This is believed to help in the detoxification of the body as well as assisting in its return to a calm state.

Theory of reflexology

When the organs are not functioning normally, the neural signals along the network change patterns.  Such changes can be detected and monitored through the reflex points.  Chemistry at these points sometimes change as well, in the form of hard painful spots (called uric acid crystals).  These crystals may form at points that correspond to the organ, or area of the body.

Occasionally, when rubbing or pressing firmly on these spots, the feeling of a "pop" or bursting apart, can be detected.  They feel grainy or gritty like sand or sugar.  After the spot dissipates, the area becomes less tender and the organ corresponding to this reflex points also functions better.

(See also: Reflexology, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Reflexology

The principle is that all the organs in the body are reflected on the foot or hand.

 By pressing the relevant point, healing can be transferred to the particular area in need.

 Original practitioners thought that crystal of lactic acid which caused sensitivity must be crushed to enable healing to take place. The pain was often considerable and this process has been superseded with more gentle methods.

(See also: Reflexology, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

REFLEXOLOGY: A healing art generally used to promote relaxation and to improve health, reflexology is a technique of applying pressure to specific points on the feet, hands, or ears.

The method is most commonly used on the feet, largely because they have so many nerve endings and so are quite sensitive. Reflexologists believe that the foot functions as a microcosm of the entire body, and that reference points or reflex areas in the foot correspond to all the major organs, glands, and parts of the body.

(See also: Reflexology, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Foot Reflexology: A cousin of acupuncture. It involves pressing reflex areas on the feet. These areas correspond to organs and systems of the body. Foot Reflexology cleanses the mind and body and revitalizes energy. A common theory of reflexology holds that massaging certain areas of the feet restores health by breaking up and dispersing "crystals". (Sometimes also called Zone Therapy.)

(See also: Foot Reflexology, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Hand reflexology: Form of reflexology whose focus is the hand. It is one of the two basic modes of zone therapy.

(See also: Hand reflexology, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

body reflexology: System of reflexology or acupressure that encompasses pressing, pulling, massaging, and clamping reflex points on the face, tongue, ears, scalp, nape, hands, crotch, buttocks, shins, and feet. These so-called reflex points, also termed reflexes and reflex buttons, include about a hundred pinnal acupoints. Body Reflexology: Healing at Your Fingertips (1994) defines reflex points as energy junctions that relay and reinforce energy along meridian lines of the body, passing energy toward the organs and the nervous system. The book states that the palm of the right hand is positive and stimulates energy, and that the palm of the left hand is negative, sedative, and cleaning.

(See also: Body reflexology, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

auricular reflexology: Mode of reflexology whose focus is the ear. Dr. P.F.M. Nogier of France discovered the method in 1967.

(See also: Auricular reflexology, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Reflexology (Reflexotherapy) - Treatment by irritation of an area of the body distant from a lesion. It usually consists of using the hands to apply gentle pressure to the feet in order to ease pain, relieve tension, and restore energy. The term can also be applied to applying pressure to specific points on the hands and ears.

(See also: Reflexology (Reflexotherapy) , Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Ayurvedic Reflexology-Acupressure: Service offered by the Dr. Guervaz Ayurveda Center, in New York City. Its design is to open channels and meridians.

(See also: Ayurvedic Reflexology-Acupressure, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

microreflexology: Any form of reflexology that concerns microsystems - compact parts of the body. Microreflexology encompasses ear reflexology, Foot Reflexology, and hand reflexology.

(See also: Microreflexology, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Laura Norman method (Laura Norman Method of Reflexology, Laura Norman Reflexology): Form of reflexology taught at the Laura Norman & Associates Reflexology Center, in Manhattan (New York City). It includes Foot Reflexology and hand reflexology. Laura Norman, M.S., is the author of Feet First: A Guide to Foot Reflexology (Simon & Schuster).

(See also: Laura Norman method, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

2005-04-23

Original Ingham Method (Ingham method, Ingham method of foot reflexology, Ingham technique, Original Ingham Method of Reflexology): Brand of reflexology promoted by the International Institute of Reflexology, in St. Petersburg, Florida. The institute defines reflexology as a science which deals with the principle that there are reflexes in the feet relative to each and every organ and all parts of the body. The Ingham method emerged from the work of Eunice D. Ingham Stopfel (1879-1974), author of Stories the Feet Can Tell (1938), and her nephew Dwight C. Byer, author of Better Health with Foot Reflexology. Ingham developed a style of Foot Reflexology she called the Ingham Reflex Method of Compression Massage. In the 1930s she refined zone theory (see zone therapy) by mapping the feet with organ reflexes (e.g., the heart reflex). each of these areas is a conduit to a corresponding part of the body.

(See also: Original Ingham Method, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Vacuflex (Vacuflex Reflexology System, VRS): Variation of Foot Reflexology developed by Inge Dougans, a Danish reflexologist, in the 1970s. Its theory posits the meridians of Oriental medicine. The first stage of treatment involves wearing felt boots.

(See also: Vacuflex, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

hand-mediated energetic healing (HMEH, HMEH approaches, HMEH traditions, hand-mediated healing modalities): Group of healing methods characterized by the principle that the practitioner's hands are agents of the transfer or interchange of energy.

Hand-mediated energetic healing encompasses acupressure, external qigong (Qigong therapy), Healing Touch, Jin Shin Jyutsu, Polarity (Polarity Therapy), reflexology, Reiki, shiatsu massage, Therapeutic Touch, and Touch for Health.

(See also: Hand-mediated energetic healing, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

somatic therapy (somatic disciplines, somatic methods, somatics, somatic techniques, somatic therapies): Field that encompasses aikido, the Alexander Technique, applied kinesiology, Arica, Aston-Patterning, Awareness Through Movement, bioenergetics, Body-Mind Centering, Capoeria, Continuum, CranioSacral Therapy, Eutony, Focusing, Functional Integration, Hakomi, Hellerwork, judo, karate, kundalini yoga, kung fu, Lomi (see lomi-lomi and Lomi work), Oki yoga (see Oki-Do), Process-Oriented Psychotherapy (process psychology), rebirthing, reflexology, Resonant Kinesiology, Rolfing, Rosen work (see Rosen Method), sensory awareness, SHEN, somasynthesis, tai chi, Touch for Health, Trager, Trans Fiber, yoga therapy, and Zero Balancing.

Subtle-energy elements are a commonality of somatic therapies. Thomas Hanna, founder of the journal Somatics, coined the word somatics.

(See also: Somatic therapy, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

The Flocco Method: Form of ear reflexology, Foot Reflexology, and hand reflexology taught by Bill Flocco.

(See also: Flocco Method, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

macroreflexology: Any form of reflexology that concerns reflex areas throughout the body. Acupressure and body acupuncture exemplify macroreflexology.

(See also: Macroreflexology, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Quantum Reflexognosy (Quantum Reflexognosy and Massage, Reflexognosy): a form or variation of reflexology whose focus is the whole physical body. It isa near panacea.

(See also: Quantum Reflexognosy, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

head reflex massage: Form of reflexology characterized by stimulation of reflex points on the head, for example, by pulling hair or by lightly pounding the entire head with fists.

(See also: Head reflex massage, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)