Reflexology for Energy

The average human being will walk more than 115,000 miles in his lifetime -- and feet withstand the worst of every step along the way. Feet daily perform high-impact muscular and skeletal work. They contain a high concentration of bone, muscle and nerves. Proponents of reflexology -- a foot-massage practice emphasizing points of high nerve concentration -- believe the foot's anatomy holds the key to mental and physical health. Evidence concerning the relationship between reflexology and general health is inconclusive, but the practice seems to yield some benefits. Before receiving reflexology treatments, talk with your doctor about the health risks and benefits.

Definition

Reflexology is a form of massage that focuses on points of high nerve concentration called reflex points. Proponents believe that each reflex point corresponds with a particular internal organ. One point on the foot might correspond with the liver, another to the heart. Reflexologists claim that energy flows between an internal organ and its specific reflex point. Theoretically, massaging one end of this energy flow corrects malfunctions at the other end.

Effectiveness

Few medical research reports suggest that reflexology is an effective medical intervention. Medical researcher Dr. Edzard Ernst and colleagues reviewed 18 randomized controlled trials in which reflexologists treated patients for a number of conditions including cancer, asthma, chronic fatigue and multiple sclerosis. Five trials yielded positive results. In the September 2009 publication of "The Medical Journal of Australia," Ernst and his team concluded, "The best evidence available to date does not demonstrate convincingly that reflexology is an effective treatment for any medical condition."

Benefits

Through reflexology has not been proven to effectively treat chronic fatigue or other medical conditions, it does have benefits as a form of massage. In the March 2006 edition of the "Journal of Nurse Management," Dr. Rosanna Quattrin reported findings that reflexology reduced cancer patients' anxiety and helped them to cope with their disease. In its 2011 Web database of medical references, the University of Maryland Research Center states that reflexology massage does temporarily increase recipients' degree of energy and alertness, and may help those with headaches, back pain and mild depression.

Mechanisms

Biomedical scientists disagree as to why massage therapies like reflexology yield any benefits. Some think the physical act of applying friction to the skin has the effect of loosening stiff muscles. Others believe the benefits are psychological: massage recipients experience comforting feelings of being cared for. Some theories suggest that massage helps expel the body's toxins; other theories concentrate on massage's effects on the central nervous system. Though scientists have debunked claims that reflexology can heal internal organs, they continue to examine other effects it may have on the body and mind.