The origins of reflexology

When deciding if reflexology is worth trying, and whether it would be the right complementary therapy for you, you may be asking yourself where it comes from and how long it has been around.
 
This week I will be looking at where reflexology began, what it is, how it works, how it differs from other complementary therapies and what it can help with.
 
Let us start with where it all began!
 
Reflexology is known to have begun to around 2500 BC in ancient Egypt although the actual founder is unknown. Archaeologists excavating a tomb in Egypt found wall paintings in a medical man’s tomb showing someone giving treatment to other’s feet and hands. The tomb itself dates back to 2330 BC. Other ancient illustrations of healing practices on the feet were discovered in China, Japan, India and Greece. But versions of reflexology has been found literally all around the world in ancient civilisations such as the Aztecs, Incas and Aborigines.
 
During the middle ages, there are many written pieces of evidence of manipulation of the feet creating a reduction in pain levels, including the Italian sculptor Cellini. However, the term “reflex” was not used until 1771 when a German physiologist published a book on the motor reactions in the body. Then a British scientist suggested that certain areas of the skin may affect internal parts of the body through the nervous system. Bit by bit, more research was done by Nobel prize winners, to see the effect of internal organs by stimulating the nervous system externally.
 
The next biggest breakthrough towards reflexology as we know it today, was when an American Doctor, William Fitzgerald, discovered that pressure applied to certain areas of the body created a dullness in sensation which could reduce the feeling of pain.  Although he used clothes pegs, elastic bands and aluminium combs to apply pressure, we now just use thumbs and fingers!! He developed the concept of zone therapy (which will be explained later in the week) and this was further developed by Dr Shelby Riley and Dr Bowers.
 
The mother of modern reflexology is Eunice Ingham, and physiotherapist working in the 1930s. She developed the reflexology maps, showing that the reflexes of the feet were an exact image of the organs of the body.  This led to the understanding that applying pressure with thumbs and fingers on tender spots on the feet, linked to problem areas in the corresponding area in the body.
 
So reflexology has been around in various forms for thousands of years.  Research continues into its effects and techniques are being developed all of the time, including visual reflexology, reflexology lymph drainage, as well as facial and ear reflexology.  I consider the fact that it is still being used, and very successfully, is a good reason to try it out for yourself!