Almost everyone experiences dizziness at some time in their lives. Causes range from minor conditions such as tiredness or hyperventilation to life-threatening ones such as heart disease or stroke. Reflexology, which is a form of acupressure, may help in alleviating mild forms of dizziness and vertigo, but it should never be a substitute for medical attention if you suspect your dizziness to be a symptom of something serious.
Causes of Dizziness
Dizziness can range in severity from a mild loss of balance or feeling of vertigo to a complete inability to focus. Mild forms may result from anxiety or hyperventilation, or may be the side effect of a tension headache. Certain symptoms that accompany dizziness, however, are a warning of a serious medical condition. They include severe nausea, a high fever, a stiff neck, chest pain, blurred vision and a loss of hearing. According to MayoClinic.com, however, dizziness by itself is rarely a serious condition. If it begins to interfere with your daily life, you may get some relief by using reflexology.
Reflexology
The theory behind the practice of reflexology posits the hands and feet as microcosms of the body with specific points that connect to every major bodily organ and system. By applying pressure to a particular point, the reflexologist attempts to stimulate or modify energy in the organ or system to which it connects. Although data concerning its effectiveness is scarce in the West, a 1996 study conducted by the China Reflexology Association found that, in 8,096 clinical cases representing a variety of conditions, reflexology had a beneficial effect about 94 percent of the time. By contrast, the Merck Manual, a Western medical authority, suggests only that it may be effective for treating anxiety.
Developing a Strategy for Treatment
There is no one reflexology point that addresses dizziness per se, so at a typical reflexology session the practitioner will ask you questions about your health to determine a strategy for therapy. If you experience headaches along with your dizziness, for example, the strategy might focus on the tips of your toes and fingers, because they are connected to your brain and head. If you experience digestive problems, on the other hand, the strategy may shift to manipulation of the stomach points on the soles of your feet and in the middle of your palms.
The Benefits of Reflexology
Reflexology is an art more than it is a science, and the benefits you derive will depend on the ability of the practitioner to intuit your condition and devise an appropriate treatment strategy. If nothing else, you are likely to experience a state of relaxation during a reflexology session, and that relaxation may, by itself, bring the relief you are seeking, especially if your dizziness is stress-related; any form of massage is a powerful tool for relieving stress. You should, however, never consider reflexology a substitute for conventional medical care.
