During a foot massage the practitioner is working the muscles and maybe trigger points( sensitive areas of muscle fibers) in the foot. This helps the muscles of the foot to relax and could facilitate relaxation. Some of the techniques could feel similar or be the same as the reflexology session and some of the reflexes could be worked during a session.
The difference with a foot reflexology session is the level of attention paid to the reflexes. The certified reflexologist has a knowledge of the foot reflexes and what areas of the body they affect and of anatomy and physiology. The practitioner is feeling for areas of stagnation in the reflexes and working them with intermittent pressure. The practitioner will be using what she/he feels in these reflexes to guide the treatment session and assist the body. Each treatment should be customized to the individual and have areas of emphasis to assist that individual's bodies functioning. The whole body is worked each session. This is because nothing in the body works in isolation and we want to make sure the body can handle anything we get moving. The foot reflexes are a gateway we use to assist the overall body.
I will give you an example with a client I had. The woman had been in a car accident months before and was still in physical therapy. She was crying in the beginning of the session and discouraged with her progress so far in physical therapy. She was a fitness instructor and was use to a very active lifestyle. She described what happened in the accident one leg got stuck under the dash board and it affected her leg, knee and foot . Her pelvis was also affected. She said she could feel something on the top of her foot by her ankle, but they could not find anything. They has done x-rays and such. When I started to working her reflexes I found stagnation in her pelvis, knee, foot, digestive and groin reflexes. When I started working the reflexes my areas of emphasis ( the areas I kept coming back to ) was where were I found stagnation, the lymph and lymph drainage, pituitary and adrenals reflexes. The top of her foot by her ankle is her groin reflex. We have a lot of lymph nodes in the groin and I often find stagnation in the reflex when people have tension in their pelvis area or lower back. By the end of the session she was relaxed and smiling. I was happy when I heard her kidding with another client outside the door after her session. When she returned for her follow up she said with a smile I said to my husband " It seems like even my digestion is better after my reflexology session." We have more serotonin( feel good chemical ) in our gut then in our brain. Our digestion can be affected when we are under stress. Digestion decreases when we are in our sympathetic nervous system. This is our nervous system activated when we are under stress. The stagnation being worked out of the digestive reflexes and her body finding the relaxation response, might have explained the drastic change in mood. Was reflexology the cure all? No, she still needed to continue with PT. I believe reflexology helped us aid her body and mind in the recovery process.
It is important to note reflexology is not a medical treatment and should not replace medical care. What reflexology is an important tool we have to assist our bodies in finding balance and assisting it the healing process. If you would like to try a treatment you are welcome to book a trail session. This is a 30 minute session for $35.00 . Scroll to the bottom of page to book. #footreflexology#reflexology#holistichealth#healthyliving
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