Member Note

Reflexology deals with the concept that reflex areas in the hands and feet connect to the glands, organs and parts of the body. Practitioners massage areas in the feet, hands and ears, with the intent of reducing stress and alleviating stress-related illnesses.

Modern reflexology began with the work of William Fitzgerald in the early 1900s and later by physiotherapist Eunice D. Ingham. Reflexology maps out the body on the hands and feet and purports to manipulate these areas to promote health and overall wellbeing.

Criticism

Though reflexology practitioners claim that nerves in the hands and feet can be used to clear the body of toxins and promote health, the scientific community is nearly unanimous in dismissing this method as without basis in scientific fact. Several medical studies have shown that reflexology does not prevent or adequately treat any illness, and positive responses from the procedures have been attributed mostly to a "placebo effect."¹