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Most people are both shocked and surprised when they have a reflexology treatment performed. At once it’s relaxing and painful, especially if they’re not all that healthy, yet it can alert you to issues in your body that you weren’t aware of.
I had my first reflexology treatment about a year ago, with my wife’s encouragement. I thought it was going to be a foot massage, and who doesn’t love having their feet massaged? I was in for a surprise.
There is a little bit of foot massage within reflexology, but not much. The basics of reflexology will remind people of acupuncture without the needles. The concept is that there are pressure points on your feet that are in connection with different organs and muscle groups in your body. Some of those areas can be assisted by rubbing or working on those pressure points, while others can be diagnosed by a reflexologist working on your feet.
My feet hurt before I went to this therapist. Within a few minutes, my feet were hurting even more, but I was also feeling it in my side. When I mentioned this to her she asked me if I were diabetic; I didn’t see that coming, but I said yes. Seems she knew from the area she was working on and my reaction that I had to have some issues there.
As she worked on others areas, she would ask me about things in parts of my body where I had to admit I wasn’t feeling as comfortable as I might have wanted to feel. One spot she touched immediately went to my neck and shoulders, and I could see tension leaving that area of my body, even though she was still only working on my feet.
I have to admit that half the time she was working on my feet it hurt; other times it felt wonderful. The oils she used at first soothed my foot so she could do her thing, then later on, as it got closer to the end, she mixed a couple of oils that brought a warm feeling as well as a tingly feeling; it was great, actually. The idea is that, when the therapist is finished, you feel better overall, and not just your feet. It’s not like a deep tissue massage at all, because though your feet are being rubbed, the therapist is really working on other areas of your body, not your feet.
There are some reflexologists who will work on hands instead, but the feet work better, in my opinion, though I’ve had both. You will leave feeling pretty good, and if the therapist is good, you’ll know if there are some things you might need to see your doctor about later on.
See more:
Additional Reflexology Information
How Does Reflexology Work?
Try Reflexology for Your Headache
