This ancient practice originated in Egypt and Asia over 5,000 years ago, and is a form of hand and foot therapy that affects the health of the entire body. There are specific points (reflexes) on the hands and feet that correlate to certain parts of the body and organs. The theory behind Reflexology is that our hands and feet have a map of pressure points that are energetically connected to organs and areas of the body, and when pressure is applied to these points, an increase of energy goes to the correlating area which can cause it to relax and heal.
Fingers, thumbs and sometimes therapy tools are used on warmed feet and /or hands to apply gentle yet firm pressure on specific areas as outlined on a map of the hands and feet, for several minutes according to guidelines for reflexology. Little or no lotion is used to maintain proper technique. This treatment may help alleviate pain and discomfort in the body, improve circulation, reduces stress and anxiety, improves organ function, revitalizes the body and could help treat insomnia over time. Because of its effects on the energetic meridians in the body, this is a wonderful compliment to acupuncture treatments.