Foot reflexology points confirmed by studies

Pressure massage of the foot reflex zone points can alleviate many organic complaints

06/26/2013

A pressure massage of the foot reflex zone points should provide relief for many organic complaints. While the foot reflexology massage is controversial among conventional medicine, the procedure in natural medicine has long been introduced. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, people in the US and Europe have been using the acupressure-like technique, which is probably based on ancient Indian knowledge. Small studies confirm the positive effects of foot reflexology.

Foot reflexology points depict organs
The foot reflexology massage is similar to the treatment concept of acupressure. If the treating person senses that a reflex zone is hardened, hurts or is generally conspicuous, this is considered an indication that there is a problem with the associated organ. The targeted massage on the affected foot reflex zone should then send a stimulus to the organ and initiate the healing process. In this way the metabolism and the blood circulation should be stimulated. Thus, for example, the metatarsal is treated in digestive problems. „This is an alternative medical treatment principle that was practiced thousands of years ago in China, India, Egypt and some Indian tribes, "explains Margarete Hermanns, alternative practitioner from Gräfelfing, to the news agency „dpa“. „It is based on the theory that the human body is reflected in the feet, with each body part coupled to a specific part of the foot. "

For millennia, the knowledge about foot reflexology was only passed on orally. It was not until around 1913 that the American physician William Fitzgerald systematized the treatment method after watching his country's indigenous peoples relieve illness and pain by pressing and massaging certain points on the foot. He then conducted studies to find out which point was related to which organ. „Based on this, he divided the body into ten longitudinal zones, which he proportionally transferred to his feet, "reports Rainer Stange, chief physician of the Department of Naturopathy at the Immanuel Hospital Berlin, to the news agency.Then the classification was supplemented by transverse zones, so that a grid was created Most of the foot reflex zones are located on the soles of the feet, and some are also located on the sides and on the dorsum of the foot up to the ankle.

Special grip and pressure techniques for treatment of foot reflexology points
The side view of the foot resembles the silhouette of a seated person. „The toes are the head area, the forefoot with the bale shoulders and chest, the metatarsal abdominal and back, the heel the pelvic area and so on, "explains Hermanns, where the right foot represents the right half of the body and the left foot the left half of the body Reference points of all organs, muscles, nerves, bones and joints are mirror images of where they are in the body.

In the middle of the 20th century, American Eunice Ingham developed the basic grip and printing techniques, which were further developed and supplemented by the German alternative practitioner Hanne Marquardt. „Work is done with the fingertips, especially with the thumb and the index finger, "explains Reinhard von Neipperg, chairman of the International Teachers' Association for Reflexology Therapy on foot after Hanne Marquard, told the news agency. „With them, the therapist puts impulses into the reflex zones, where the power should come from the poor. "

Treatment with foot reflexology begins with collecting the findings. The reflex zones are checked for hardening, pain and other abnormalities. The intensity and type of the handles depends on the diagnosis and the purpose of the treatment. For example, slow and soft paces are used to calm down organs or silence acute pain. Clamps and powerful grip techniques serve, among other things, to stimulate and strengthen the functions of body parts. „The range of illnesses and complaints, which use the foot reflex zone therapy and show positive effects, is far, "reports von Neipperg.As examples gastrointestinal complaints, pain conditions, metabolic disorders and joint diseases can be quoted as the Bund Deutscher Heilpraktiker eV informed, a session typically lasts between 30 and 45 minutes, with six to twelve applications in all.

Studies on the effectiveness of foot reflexology
„That the Fußreflexzonentherapie works, you see in practice again and again. However, it is still controversial in conventional medicine, "says Stange, adding that the research situation is still poor, as no reflexive foot-body connection has been proven, for example, one theory is that the special connection is through nerve pathways or energy flows The cause of electromagnetic resonance is repeatedly discussed as the cause, and anatomical or scientific evidence for the assignment of foot reflex zones to specific organs has not yet been provided.

Nevertheless, smaller studies have shown positive effects of foot reflexology on certain clinical pictures. Researchers at the University of Innsbruck, for example, demonstrated increased blood flow to the kidneys when the associated reflex zone was stimulated. This promotes detoxification.

Another study demonstrated the effectiveness of foot reflexology in knee problems. Researchers at the University of Jena have shown that pain and functional impairment in moderate knee osteoarthritis can be alleviated by targeted treatment of the associated foot reflex zone. In the study, subjects received 12 treatments each of the foot reflex zones associated with the knee over a period of six weeks. To verify efficacy, researchers also included six weeks before and eight weeks after treatment as reference periods. On the one hand, they consistently conducted patient surveys on their subjective perception of pain. On the other hand, the scientists used several survey methods to measure pain intensity. The mobility of the knee was also examined.

„In both aspects, there were significant improvements during and after foot reflexology therapy: The pain intensity decreased by more than two-thirds and the mobility (flexion) of the knee joint could be improved by twelve degrees, "explained Professor Christine Uhlemann from the University Hospital Jena, Department of Natural Remedies. 92 percent of the study participants stated that their condition had improved. „These are really amazing results, because in fact we have provided the first time comprehensible evidence on the effectiveness of foot reflexology.“ (Ag)