Reflexology

Reflexology is an alternative medicine method involving the practice of massaging, squeezing, or pushing on parts of the feet, or sometimes the hands and ears, with the goal of encouraging a beneficial effect on other parts of the body, or to improve general health.

There is no consensus among reflexologists on how reflexology is supposed to work; a unifying theme is the idea that areas on the foot correspond to areas of the body, and that by manipulating these one can improve health through one's qi.

Concerns have been raised by medical professionals that treating potentially serious illnesses with reflexology, which has no proven efficacy, could delay the seeking appropriate medical treatment. There is no conclusive clinical or scientific evidence that reflexology has specific effect, with some exceptions

Claimed mechanisms of operation

Reflexologists posit that the blockage of an energy field, invisible life force, or Qi, can prevent healing. Another tenet of reflexology is the belief that practitioners can relieve stress and pain in other parts of the body through the manipulation of the feet. These hypotheses are rejected by the general medical community, who cite a lack of scientific evidence and the well-tested germ theory of disease.

The origins of reflexology are not known, but the earliest attestation to similar health technique can be found in an illustration on the walls of the physician’s tomb at Saqqara in Egypt. The hieroglyphics in the tomb can be translated to; "Don’t hurt me." The practitioner’s reply is:"I shall act so you praise me."

The precise relationship between the ancient art practiced by the early Egyptians and reflexology as we know it today is unclear because different practices involving the manipulation of the feet to effect health have been used throughout the world.

The precursor of modern reflexology was introduced to the United States in 1913 by William H. Fitzgerald, M.D. (1872–1942), an ear, nose, and throat specialist, and Dr. Edwin Bowers. Fitzgerald claimed that applying pressure had an anesthetic effect on other areas of the body.
Reflexology was further developed in the 1930s and 1940s by Eunice D. Ingham (1889–1974), a nurse and physiotherapist. Ingham claimed that the feet and hands were especially sensitive, and mapped the entire body into "reflexes" on the feet. It was at this time that "zone therapy" was renamed reflexology.

Modern reflexologists in the United States and the United Kingdom often learn Ingham's method first, although there are more recent methods