Plantar Reflexology is a simple and effective manual technique aimed at recovering and maintaining general health .
This is one of the many alternative therapies, even if, to tell the truth, many therapists who practice it consider Plantar Reflexology a complementary therapy rather than an alternative therapy.
It uses massage and pressure techniques performed on the feet, using maps of the reflex zones of the feet that correspond to different areas of our body.
Objectives of foot reflexology
The goal is to facilitate the body to seek a state of optimal balance, stimulating energy channels and millions of nerve endings present in the foot . The reflexology massage stimulates the circulation of energy, causing a general revitalization and determining a natural process of self-healing (such as acupuncture); for this, it is a great help for:
- recover the psycho-physical harmony of the organism;
- relax and rebalance the nervous system;
- eliminate toxins, improving skin condition and muscle tone;
- improve blood circulation and oxygenation, favoring better breathing;
- stimulate the body's immune defenses. The main therapeutic indications of Plantar Reflexology concern:
- joint pain (arthralgia) and joint disease (arthropathy);
- digestive diseases (dyspepsias), menstrual disorders, mood disorders, stress, asthenia, insomnia, migraine, allergies;
- cardio-circulatory diseases.
Foot reflexology is a zonal type massage: discover the others
Contraindications of plantar reflexology
The contraindications to this technique are few, but they exist, and they are: mycoses, skin ulcers, varicose veins, phlebitis and severe arterial hypertension.
Reflexology can also be applied to the palms of the hands and in this case it is called Palm Reflexology, but it is much less practiced than the plantar one.
I also remember that for particular types of problems, linked to emotional imbalances, the therapist may decide to propose a session of Plantar Reflexology integrated with Bach Flowers, a vibrational therapy described by the English doctor Edward Bach (1886-1936) .
How the foot reflexology session takes place
A plantar reflexology session lasts about an hour and is usually repeated weekly. The patient is semi-lying on the massage table, dressed in comfortable clothes, while the therapist (who can be a naturopath or a doctor) is seated at the bottom of the bed and works by pressing the various points on the feet of the patient.
The number of sessions required for each person cannot be decided a priori, as it depends on the type and duration of the disorder that the person presents. However, they are usually recommended for five to seven sessions in order to find effective and lasting results over time.
