All About Zone Therapy

Reflexology is a type of medical procedure that involves the manipulation of the nerve endings that are located in the feet and the hands in order to achieve relief from symptoms which may occur all over the body. Reflexology is a practice that is much in line with that of zone therapy; in that respect, we’ve created this article in order to help to inform you about what zone therapy is and how it can be useful as a medical procedure.

Zone therapy is a practice that has its roots in ancient Egypt. Hieroglyphs have shown that ancient Egyptians were aware that manipulating the hands and the feet can be useful when it comes to achieving an anesthetic quality elsewhere in the body. In zone therapy, the body is divided into ten separate and distinct zones. A map of zone therapy points shows that the practice separates the human body vertically into five zones on the right side of the body and five zones on the left. The zones are identical on both sides of the body, but are linked with different parts of the body. These separate zones correspond to different parts of the body, as the nerve endings that are found within the feet and the hands lead to all of the organs inside our bodies. One of the easiest places to manipulate these nerve endings are in the fingers and the toes, where the nerve endings are the most easily accessible to the zone therapy practitioner. To that end, each of the zones corresponds to certain fingers and toes that can be manipulated in order to achieve certain effects. As an example, the 4th zone on the left side of the body corresponds to the ring finger of the left hand and the fourth toe on the left foot.

Manipulating the nerve endings located in these areas are said to have a positive effect on the brain, eyes, lungs, breasts, large intestines and ovaries. Gentle circular rolling motions are used in order to manipulate the nerves and to achieve the anesthetic result. Pinching is also necessary in certain circumstances in order to properly manipulate the nerve endings. Areas are generally manipulated for between a half of a minute and five minutes in order to achieve the full effect.

One great thing about zone therapy is that it is a type of alternative medicine that you can learn in your own home and use at will. Many people regularly practice zone therapy on themselves in order to keep their health in optimal condition. Since practitioners contend that zone therapy can be useful when it comes to helping the body’s stress to be released, it can be of great merit when it comes to keeping you in good health and spirits. If you’d like to learn more about reflexology or zone therapy, there are plenty of resources online that are at your disposal. You can buy books or DVDs that show you exactly how to get the kind of results that you need out of the practices.

Foot Reflexology

Foot Reflexology: Not Just Your Basic Massage

Foot reflexology dates back to over 5000 years starting from the east and slowly traveling to the west where it made its debut in Russia. The ancients were aware of the importance of good foot care, evidence shows in hieroglyphics on the tomb of Ankhmahor, the chief overseer and possible physician to the great Pharoahs where foot diagrams reflecting modern day foot reflexology points are mapped out. We can see similar diagrams of the Hindu god Vishnu feet where Sanskrit symbols are precisely located in modern day foot reflexology zones.

Modern day foot reflexology is often accredited to work of Dr. William Fitzgerald and associates at the Riley School of Chiropractic in Washington, in 1913. Doctors Fitzgerald, Bowen and Starr White wrote about their work in this new field of foot massage. They discovered how certain areas or zones in the foot corresponded with various body organs. Dr. Fitzgerald founded zone therapy and is accredited with producing the first foot reflexology charts.

The foot reflexology technique is designed to massage the foot and help you relax as well as stimulate other parts of the body. But it is much more than just a foot massage as this approach to holistic medicine does not only concentrate upon the foot but reflexologists concentrate on the person as a whole. The reflexologist will work with people, find out the different health issues facing them, empathize, support and attempt to therapeutically correct the body imbalance caused by years of stress and strain upon various organs and systems. Reflexologists work with body and soul and claim to touch upon the areas upon which “modern medicine” so often neglects.

Advanced foot reflexology goes beyond foot massage; it incorporates the mind, body and soul. Reflexologists maintain that by doing a foot reading they can ascertain a person’s life style and general wellbeing, they profess that, “The mental, physical and psychological history of the person is spelled out with such accuracy.” Sometimes a person comes to a reflexologist with simply the mention that, “I do not feel well” and the reflexologist begins to analyze the foot to see where the body imbalance originates. Some common indicators of stress within the body can be found by detecting, calluses, bunions, corns and knobby toes, other indications include an unusual tenderness experienced when touching the feet. At this point, the reflexologist will target the stress areas and corresponding organs within the body.

Besides going to a reflexologist, you can obtain information on the web, through your library or bookstore as well. Several excellent books are on the market, one that is highly recommended is The Complete Guide to Foot Reflexology by Barbara Kunz, an expert in the area of reflexology. This book is easily found on amazon.com.

Always remember that if the body is experiencing an imbalance through foot reflexology this imbalance can be reversed or corrected for most common ailments. A serious note of caution, foot reflexology is to be used in conjunction with standard medical practice and should never be considered as an application that can be used alone especially if one is suffering from major medical conditions.

Reflexology Foot Map: Types and Sites to Choose From

When we review foot reflexology, we no doubt will come across the areas of the foot that have been mapped out for us; to give us a quick reference to the various organs and systems of the body that can benefit from the healing offered through reflexology. It is important to consult a reflexology foot map to know that we are massaging the proper area to correct a problem that we have been having.

A reflexology foot map is a wonderful tool to guide us along the road of good health care. A reflexology foot map is also known as a reflexology foot chart and there are numerous reflexology foot maps to choose from. Relexologists; both practitioners and teachers alike, use the reflexology foot map in their private practice and in the classroom setting.

A foot reflexology map can be as large as a wall chart for classroom purposes or as small as a thumbnail drawing within a text book. For the layperson who just wishes to relieve stress or sooth tired burning feet at home, there are reflexology maps that illustrate the reflex points within the foot. They provide effective instruction on how to massage the areas of the foot to hit your target goal. Whether it be stimulating the thyroid gland, or massaging the heart, a foot reflexology map will pinpoint you to exact area on the foot to utilize.

The development of reflexology socks is an interesting concept to provide easy instruction coupled with a practical use. Reflexology socks allow an individual to have a foot massage just about anywhere without having to carry extra baggage around with them. Simply sit down, relax, kick off your shoes and commence. You can do this individually or joyously with a partner.

A basic internet search will bring you to various sites that will sell a reflexology foot map for your personal convenience. There are many sites to choose from.

If you live in the UK or US, the site http://www.dorlingkindersley-uk.co.uk/static/cs/uk/11/features/reflexology/footchart.html provides information and maps of the foot. The areas that they have mapped on the foot correspond to several body organs and areas including: Adrenal Gland, lower back, liver, arm, elbow, eye, face, groin, bladder, gall bladder, sciatic nerve, brain, head, breast, heart, chest, fallopian tubes, colon, pancreas, diaphragm, elbow, lung, ear, lower back, upper back, spine, tailbone, eye, ileocaecal valve, solar plexus, gums, shoulder, tops of shoulders, jaw, teeth, stomach, kidney, sinus, neck, brain stem, liver, spleen, spine, knee, leg, lymph glands, parathyroid gland, thyroid gland, pituitary gland, thymus, small intestine.

For more information and a vmore interactive group setting, you can visit Kevin Kunz’s reflexology group on www.facebook.com.

You can go to various sites such as amazon.com, bizrate.com and smarter.com to find the right reflexology foot map (reflexology foot chart) for your personal use.