Reflexology is known as an alternative medicine technique which is believed that pressing on the specific areas on your ears, hands or feet may have positive therapeutic effects on various parts of your body.
There are many nerve endings which are called reflexes run throughout your ears, hands, and feet. This corresponds to various organs and systems within the body.
Pressing on the reflex points will stimulate your nervous system as well as fuels energy pathways which may be congested. This will improve a proper functioning of your corresponding organ.
Top 10 Health Benefits Of Reflexology You Should Know
Though reflexology is not common than acupuncture, it is an effective and holistic method.
Remember that reflexology is not claimed to have the ability to treat any ailments. Rather, this method will help in restoring the body’s natural treatment balance and providing you a relief from distressing psychological symptoms and pain. Today, in this article, VKool.com will present to you top 10 health benefits of reflexology massage. This article listed the best advantages of applying this method from reliable sources. However, it is for the informational purpose and it is not aimed to give medical advice. Continue reading this writing to understand more!
1. Nausea
Reflexology may help you reduce the signs of nausea. In many hospice centers and hospitals all over the world, many cancer departments apply reflexology as a therapeutic method to fight against nausea in patients suffering from cancer.
16 patients suffering from breast cancer who underwent 4-foot reflexology sessions (40 minutes for each session) every day during 24 days reported that they significantly reduced the symptoms of nausea, fatigue, and vomiting.
You simply massage your duodenum foot and stomach reflexes in a circular cycle to decrease the signs of nausea.
Learn more: 23 soothing tips to treat nausea, diarrhea & upset stomach at home
2. High Blood Pressure
In the U.S, hypertension affects to seven million adults and then causes strokes, heart attacks, heart failure, and kidney disease.
In reflexology method, the reflexologist will start with relax of your diaphragm reflex in order to relax the chest cavity as well as promote better breathing.
The reflexologist may promote the solar plexus reflex and thereby further stimulate relaxation, the pituitary gland reflexes, and blood pressure-regulating thyroid. Next, the reflexologist can proceed to promote the adrenal reflexes because your adrenal gland has the ability to regulate your body’s circulatory system.
Finally, the reflexologist will promote the organs directly which cause hypertension such as kidneys, lungs, liver, and heart and then improve the reflexes of organs harmed by hypertension such as the brain and eyes.
See more: 27 natural home remedies for high blood pressure control
3. Insomnia
Insomnia is known as a medical problem which severely affects to your life quality. Properly sleeping is essential for your body to normal functioning.
People suffering from insomnia may apply reflexology techniques to have a better sleep. The pineal gland has the ability to produce the hormone melatonin including sleep. Promoting pineal gland reflexes on your hands and feet will activate the gland as well as promote the production of melatonin.
In addition, promoting the diaphragm reflex points is beneficial in improving sleep by stimulating better breathing which includes relaxation. Promoting the diaphragm/chest reflex on your ear also give you a better sleep. It is proven that reflexology is effective in reducing fatigue and helping you asleep.
Read more: How to stop insomnia naturally and effectively without pills
Keep reading this article about health benefits of reflexology to get more information!
4. Cold
Cold is one of the most popular conditions of our time. Those suffering from a persistent cold have to struggle to active well daily. Although using medication provides you with a relief from a cold, regularly depending on them may cause the harmful effects.
Reflexology is a technique which is tried and tested to have the ability to relieve the signs of a cold. Promoting the respiratory reflexes that are located on the foot pads (below your toes) will aid in the movement in congested organs such as your lungs and thereby decreasing phlegm and coughing.
In addition, promoting the throat reflex provides you with a relief. Moreover, thumb that walks the inside of your fingers and toes is beneficial in stimulating the sinus reflexes.
In a 2024 study, 10 female volunteers suffering from cold intolerance reported that their skin temperature increased and they recovered from the cold faster after applying reflexology therapy.
Read more: Get rid of cold sores fast review – can Ellie’s book really work?
5. Infertility
Another of top 10 health benefits if reflexology is to treat infertility. Reflexology may be an effective therapy for healing infertility in both women and men.
The newest developments in reflexology suggest using foot and hand reflexology to improve the reflexes of a reproductive organ like the ovarian and uterus reflexes in females and the testicles and prostate reflexes in males, can help pregnancy as well as increase libido.
In fact, thumb walking across your fallopian tube reflexes also assists in this problem. Promoting your endocrine system reflexes can improve relaxation as well as increase libido.
Learn more: 18 Home remedies for infertility in men and in women
6. Asthma
Reflexology is an effective technique for reducing asthma. Your lung reflex points which are located in your feet and hands have to primarily be promoted through thumb walking.
Moreover, doctors prescribe patients suffering from an asthma attack with adrenaline. Because the adrenal gland has the ability to naturally produce adrenaline, improving that gland on your feet and hands can help in relieving asthma.
Relaxing the reflex of solar plexus further helps your body to relax and promotes a healthy breathing.
See more: 12 natural home remedies for asthma attacks in adults
7. Migraine
If you suffer from a searing pain on two sides or either of your head, it may be a characterize sign of a migraine. At times, you will get a nauseated feeling accompanied with a migraine.
Over time, this problem can increase the dependency on medicine like aspirin, which is very harmful to you in the long run.
In fact, the hand has reflexes that correspond to the head/brain and spine. Using thumb walking along your spinal reflex will run from your thumbnail base down the thumb outside to your wrist. This will assist in relaxing your spine.
You simply massage the top of your fingers to stimulate your head and brain reflexes and thereby helping you relax and having a proper blood circulation.
Read more: 6 home remedies for migraines relief that work for kids & adults
8. Menstrual Cramps
Women over the world must experience menstrual cramps which often subside only by medication. Hand and foot reflexology is proven as a more convenient, cheaper replacement to medication for healing menstrual cramps. You may perform the technique of thumb-walking on the uterus and ovary reflexes located on your wrist tops and foot to get a relief from this condition.
Massaging your pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, and reflexes on your thumb and big toe also helps you to treat this condition. The reflexes of the fallopian tube along with the adrenal and thymus gland reflexes should be promoted next.
In addition, massaging the reflexes of the lower back is beneficial to women suffering from an extreme pain on their lower back related to menstruation.
It was reported that students regularly receiving reflexology sessions reduced the intensity as well as the duration of menstrual pain more than those taking ibuprofen.
See more: 17 home remedies for menstrual cramps, pain, and heavy bleeding
9. Osteoarthritis And Rheumatoid Arthritis
Foot and hand reflexology aids in relieving the painful signs of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis, minimizing joint damage as well as easing anxiety.
Osteoarthritis is known as an age-related problem which is characterized by a pain in the joints, particularly in the knees, hips, hands, and spine. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune problem characterized by long-term immobility, disability, and joint inflammation.
It was reported that 22 of 23 rheumatoid arthritis patients who applied 30-foot reflexology sessions daily significantly improved in tenderness, swelling, and joint pain.
For both these types of arthritis, the reflexologist will promote spine, hip, upper arm, knee, elbow, ankles, neck, shoulder, and sacroiliac joint reflexes in the feet.
Also, for rheumatoid arthritis patients, improving the adrenal gland reflexes which are located below the foot ball as a part of reflexology technique is very useful because the adrenal gland produces corticosteroid hormones regulating inflammation and immunity.
Read more: Rheumatoid arthritis prevention tips and strategies
10. Depression
Treating depression is one of the great benefits of reflexology. In fact, depression may be divided into 2 types: clinical and reactive. Clinical depression is caused by hormonal activity and erratic chemical in the body while reactive depression is a result of an external agent like a personal tragedy.
For instance, neurons in your brain are responsible for releasing serotonin which promotes happiness. Therefore, a low serotonin level can make you suffer from a clinical depression bout.
Hence, in order to enhance the production of serotonin, you massage the tops of the toes which locate your brain reflexes.
Keep repeating this exercise for at least 2 times in each time you sit down.
Plus, the pituitary, pineal, adrenal, and hypothalamus glands play a vital role in depression. Therefore, you should stimulate these reflex points on your feet to help you alleviate this condition.
It was reported that 46 middle-aged women practicing self-foot reflexology for 6 weeks had a significant improvement in reducing stress and depression.
Learn more: 8 Physical symptoms of depression in men and women
Important Tips
- Generally, it is advised to massage your reflex points for only 30 to 60 seconds; however, you may massage these points for a longer time, which depends on your intensity of discomfort and pain.
- Heat is considered as a great relaxing help for you before performing self-reflexology. You just put your feet directly on a heating pad for about 10 minutes before applying self-reflexology.
- Alternatively, you may perform this self-reflexology after taking a hot shower.
- You use a light cream or hot essential oil mixture on your hands and feet before applying reflexology for swifter motions.
Recommended link: Additional benefits of Kegel exercises for guys
If you want to know more about health and beauty benefits of various methods, please go to visit our main Health page. After reading the article of top 10 health benefits of reflexology massage, hope that it can help you find out the best benefits of applying this method to your health. However, the article is only for the informational purpose; therefore, you should see your doctor to get some advice before applying it. If you have any question related to any problem, please leave your comments below, I will respond you soon. Also, if you know other benefits of reflexology, please share them with us.
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