Massage & Reflexology

Reflexology is a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatment that falls under the broader category of massage therapy. Like any CAM therapy, reflexology should never be used in place of conventional medical treatment, says the America Reflexology Certification Board, ARCB. However, it can complement your treatment and be incorporated into a part of your lifestyle, even if you're healthy.

About Reflexology

Reflexology is a rather unique type of massage in that it involves applying pressure to various points on the feet and sometimes the hands or ears, states the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). Specific reflex points purportedly correspond to another area of the body. When pressure is applied to these points, the corresponding body part is affected.

History of Reflexology

Reflexology was developed in the 1890s by a doctor named Sir Henry Head, who believed that there was a neurological link between the skin and the organs in the body. According to the ARCB, modern reflexology was developed by American doctors, William Fitzgerald and Joe Shelby Riley, and physiotherapist Eunice Ingham in the 1920s. Foot reflexology became a type of therapy in its own right in the 1930s. Reflexology is used in countries like Japan, China and Denmark as a way to prevent and cure illnesses and improve overall health.

Massage v. Reflexology

Unlike conventional Swedish massage, reflexology entails the practitioner touching only the feet, hands or ears. The practitioner uses tiny movements using only the fingers and thumbs, rather than the entire hand. While massage is performed to relax the soft tissues being stimulated, reflexology purportedly stimulates organs and glands that are far away from the part of the foot, hand or ear being touched. You don't have to get undressed to have reflexology performed—only footwear needs to be removed.

Does It Work?

The National University Hospital in Copenhagen released a study in the March 2001 edition of "Respiratory Medicine" indicating that 40 patients who received reflexology for symptoms of asthma were unable to ascertain if they'd received the actual treatment or a placebo treatment. However, a later study published in 2003 conducted by the Sheba Medical Center in Tel-Hashomer, Israel suggested findings to the contrary. Seventy-one study participants with multiple sclerosis were a part of a randomized, placebo-controlled study that lasted for 11 weeks.

Researchers found that symptoms of multiple sclerosis were reduced in the control group. NCCAM indicates that scientific evidence supporting reflexology and other types of massage therapy is scant, noting that it's unclear to researchers what changes happen in the body during massage and if they have any effect on overall health.

Cautions and Concerns

When provided by a trained professional, reflexology and other types of massage appear to have few risks to your health, says NCCAM. However, aggressive forms of massage should be approached with caution by people who have bleeding disorders or take blood-thinning medications. Massage should not be performed on a part of the body that's been fractured, wounded or weakened by osteoporsis or cancer. Cancer patients and pregnant women should consult their treating physicians before using massage therapy as a complementary therapy.