What Are the Benefits of Reflexology?

Reflexology is a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapy. It's a type of massage that applies pressure to specific points in your hands and feet. The effects of reflexology can vary from person to person but may include pain and stress relief.

More research is needed to know whether reflexology actually works. Some evidence suggests that reflexology might help treat the root causes of migraines, lower back pain, anxiety, and depression.

1. Helps Treat Migraines and Headaches

Migraines cause severe pain on one side of the head, usually accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. Some evidence suggests that reflexology may relieve pain in people with chronic migraine and other types of headaches. One study found that stimulating reflex points in the feet helped reduce the intensity, frequency, and length of migraine flares in women aged 33-58.

2. Manages Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain might cause reduced movement, stiffness, and trouble standing up straight. In one study, 38 nurses with chronic lower back pain received 30-minute reflexology sessions once per week. The nurses reported significantly less low back pain after four weeks.

Research has shown that reflexology might relieve lower back pain if you use it alongside standard treatments. You can typically treat lower back pain with a back brace, cold and heat therapy, and stretching exercises.

3. May Help With Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety and depression often cause trouble falling and staying asleep, which can result in fatigue. Research has shown that applying pressure to reflex points in the feet may help improve sleep in people with these mental health conditions. One study found that symptoms generally reduce more as the length of the reflexology session increases.

4. Reduces Stress

Research has linked chronic stress to several diseases. Reflexology helps relieve stress in a number of ways to help balance qi and prevent disease.

You might feel a general sense of relaxation when pressure is applied to specific points in your hands and feet. Stimulating reflex points in your feet helps activate your parasympathetic response, which relaxes your body. It might take multiple reflexology sessions to notice changes in your stress level.

5. Relieves Pain

Research has found that reflexology helps release endorphins, or chemicals that help relieve pain. One study looked at people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who received a 40-minute reflexology session once per week. The researchers reported that they had significantly less pain after six weeks. RA causes painful, swollen, and stiff joints, typically in the wrist and fingers.

How Does Reflexology Work?

A reflexologist applies pressure to specific areas in your hands and feet, or "reflex points." The idea is that these points link to different body parts. Applying pressure to a specific point will help treat the body part it links to.

The method is rooted in the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) belief that the body is made up of vital energy, or qi. Stress can block qi and cause an imbalance of emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual health. Reflexology helps balance qi and prevent illnesses.

There's a lack of research on whether reflexology works and how it heals different body parts. Some evidence suggests that applying pressure to the reflex points improves blood and energy flow and relaxes the body.

What To Expect

A reflexologist will typically begin a session with a brief health history. They will ask about any underlying conditions and symptoms you have. This information can help guide treatment.

A typical reflexology session lasts about 30-60 minutes. The reflexologist may create a comforting environment with dim lighting and soft music to help you relax.

They will examine your hands and feet for reflex points to focus on and then apply gentle pressure to these areas. The goal is for you to feel relaxation in the body parts that correlate to the reflex points. Make sure you tell the reflexologist if you feel any pain when they apply pressure.

Who May Benefit

People with various health conditions can benefit from reflexology. Those who have had strokes might use reflexology as an alternative therapy to recover. Research has shown that reflexology might also relieve symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), which is a nervous system disorder.

Some evidence suggests that reflexology might improve the loss of sensations and burning sensations that occur in the hands and feet of people with diabetes. Reflexology may also improve pain in people with diabetic neuropathy, or a type of nerve damage.

When To Avoid Reflexology

Reflexology is generally safe, but some people might need to avoid it. This method might lead to side effects for some people with conditions or health concerns like:

• Diarrhea and vomiting: Reflexology may overstimulate the body and worsen these symptoms.
• Disease of the hands, feet, and ears: Reflexology applies pressure to the hands, feet, and ears. This type of massage might be painful if you have skin conditions that affect these areas.
• Fever: Your body is under a lot of stress when you have a fever. Reflexology might excessively stimulate your body, which further stresses it out.
• Pregnancy: Talk to a healthcare provider before scheduling a reflexology session during the first trimester of pregnancy. Stimulating certain points might induce labor, which might risk premature delivery.

You might want to avoid reflexology if you have had multiple sessions and continue to feel stressed. Reflexology might not be well-suited for your body in this case.

A Quick Review

Reflexology is a type of massages rooted in TCM. A reflexologist applies pressure on specific points in your hand and feet, which is thought to correlate with different body parts. Reflexology can provide relief from everyday stress and help relax your body.

People often use reflexology as a complementary therapy to treat conditions like anxiety, depression, and migraines. Talk to a healthcare provider about whether reflexology might be useful and how it might manage stress and pain.