The Amazing Benefits of Reflexology for Body’s Health
Aesthetics Daily – What is the best way to deal with stress and pain in the body? Generally, people will look for beauty spas or massage parlors to get massage therapy. Apart from that, there are various other treatments, one of the most effective for relaxing the body is reflexology.
The therapy that has existed since ancient times is believed to provide benefits for your body’s health. Not only your physical body, your mood and mental health can also improve thanks to reflexology. People who practice this therapy are called reflexologists. It’s worth noting that reflexologists are not authorized to diagnoze or cure any disease.
What is Reflexology?
Reflexology is a type of massage that is based on the theory that specific body parts including the feet, hands, and ears are connected to certain organs or body systems. There are different variations of reflexology but most of them refer to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine. This is influenced by the ancient Chinese belief of qi or ‘vital energy’.
This theory states that disease stems from energy blockages in the body and imbalances. Reflexology therapy is believed to maintain the flow of qi so that a person is free from various diseases. It is estimated that the ancient Chinese and Egyptians had practiced a therapy similar to reflexogy.
It involves applying different amounts of pressure to the feet, ears, and hands. Giving pressure to these body parts by reflexologists is believed to provide health benefits for the body.
When these areas and points are under pressure, this stimulates the movement of energy along the nerve tract. Moreover, it will help restore homeostatic balance in the body.
The human foot has about 7,000 nerve endings, each of which is a reflex point corresponding to a part of the body. Reflexology treatments that last about 30 minutes to 1 hour can be done independently or in combination with other types of treatment.
Many people enjoy reflexology because it is a gentle and relaxing therapy. Reflexology helps the body heal itself by restoring the body’s natural balance, reducing pain and stress as well as increasing blood circulation.
To increase people’s vitality and well-being, reflexology can be applied in conjunction with conventional Western medicine although they actually work on different principles. However, there is little scientific evidence proving its effectiveness.
Advantages of Reflexology
Reflexology is different from acupuncture, reiki, massage and other types of therapy even though they all provide health benefits for the body. Massage is generally used all over the body while on the other hand reflexology is mainly more focus on the feet.
1. Healthier feet
Reflexology provides foot health benefits by reducing stiffness, stimulating muscles, and reducing pain in the heels and ankles. This process can free you from various foot problems such as Achilles, nail fungus, tendonitis, and plantar fasciiltis.
2. Body calm
Overwhelming daily activities risk making you stressed. Some parts of your body may be sore, especially after a day of sitting, standing and walking. Reflexology that can open neural pathways is the best way for you to relax. This will trigger a state of calm throughout your body and mind as well as reduce stress levels.
3. Lowered blood pressure
High blood pressure or hypertension can cause various degenerative diseases including cardiovascular disease, stroke, and kidney. Reflexology helps lower high blood pressure by massaging the solar plexus reflex points. Moreover, it can also effectively lower triglycerides and systolic blood pressure.
4. Detoxification
Toxic levels in our bodies can increase due to additives, pollution, and excessive processed foods. Worse yet, they can inhibit vital organ function causing fever, aches, fatigue, and aches. Reflexology is proven to improve bladder function so that it can eliminate toxins and other unwanted substances more efficiently.
5. Blood circulation improvement
Reflexology efficaciously helps blood and oxygen to be circulated and delivered throughout the body. Improved blood circulation means more oxygen reaches vital organ systems. Thus, your organ system will work more optimally and your metabolic system will increase.
6. Nerve function enhancement
Nerve endings become less and less sensitive with age. Clean and open neural pathways help improve flexibility and nerve function in various organs in the body. Like muscles, neural pathways are beneficial for your body’s health.
7. Reduced discomfort from menstruation
During premenstrual syndrome or PMS, most women suffer from headaches, mood swings, insomnia, bloating, and fatigue. Reflexology can treat a variety of PMS symptoms by targeting Grandfather-Grandson points located on the inner feet.
Summary
Reflexology becomes a reasonable choice for some people to seek relaxation to release stress. What’s more, reflexology provides many surprising benefits for your health and well-being.
After a reflexology session, various reactions can occur ranging from tiredness to emotional or psychological release. However, it is so subtle that people often don’t perceive it as a reaction from reflexology. You need to understand that these various reactions commonly are positive signs as part of the healing process.
