Reflexology is a type of massage that involves applying different amounts of pressure to the feet, hands, and ears. It’s based on a theory that these body parts are connected to certain organs and body systems.

Reflexology rests on the ancient Chinese belief in qi (pronounced “chee”), or “vital energy.” According to this belief, qi flows through each person. When a person feels stressed, their body blocks qi.

 

This can cause an imbalance in the body that leads to illness. Reflexology aims to keep qi flowing through the body, keeping it balanced and disease free.

 

In Chinese medicine, different body parts correspond with different pressure points on the body. Reflexologists use maps of these points in the feet, hands, and ears to determine where they should apply pressure. They believe their touch sends energy flowing through a person’s body until it reaches the area in need of healing.

 

Other theories

In the 1890s, British scientists found that nerves connect the skin and internal organs. They also found that the body’s entire nervous system tends to adjust to outside factors, including touch.

 

A reflexologist’s touch may help to calm the central nervous system, promoting relaxation and other benefits just like any form of massage.

 

Others believe that the brain creates pain as a subjective experience. Sometimes, the brain reacts to physical pain. But in other cases, it may create pain in response to emotional or mental distress.

 

Some believe that reflexology can reduce pain through calming touch, which may help to improve someone’s mood and reduce stress.

 

Zone theory is another belief that some use to explain how reflexology works. This theory holds that the body contains 10 vertical zones. Each zone contains different body parts and corresponds to specific fingers and toes.

 

Practitioners of the zone theory believe that touching these fingers and toes allows them to access every body part in a particular zone.

Reflexology is linked to many potential benefits, but only a few of them have been evaluated in scientific studies.

 

So far, there’s limited evidence that reflexology may help to:

 

  reduce stress and anxiety

  reduce pain

  lift mood

  improve general well-being

 

In addition, people have reported that reflexology helped them:

  boost their immune system

  fight cancer

  get over colds and bacterial infections

  clear up sinus issues

  recover from back problems

  correct hormonal imbalances

  boost fertility

  improve digestion

  ease arthritis pain

  treat nerve problems and numbness from cancer drugs (peripheral neuropathy)