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Reflexology & Foot Pain

Reflexology can help alleviate foot pain and discomfort caused by injury, trauma or even dietary or chemical imbalances in the body. Depending on your specific condition, you may want to consider reflexology as a treatment option.

  1. Reflexology

    • Foot reflexology does not treat specific ailments directly. Rather, it can be used to determine and mitigate the cause of discomfort, pain and other symptoms by applying pressure to known physiological reflex points on the feet.

    Conditions

    • Causes of foot pain include improper footwear, imbalanced diet, poor circulation and the after-effects of injury or trauma, from a stubbed toe to recent surgery. Reflexology can help treat these and other sources of foot pain.

    Treatment

    • According to certified reflexologist JoAnn Tennent, foot pain is your body's way of alerting you to a problem, be it trauma to the foot itself or a physiological imbalance elsewhere. A reflexologist applies direct and measured pressure to a patient's feet, promoting relaxation and improved circulation in that area while simultaneously addressing possible problems throughout the body.

    Technique

    • Reflexology charts map the location of reflexology points on the feet and indicate the anatomical areas to which each point corresponds. By consulting such charts, reflexologists can apply pressure to the exact part of the foot connected to a patient's source of discomfort or pain.

    Warning

    • While the basic principles of foot reflexology are easily accessible and can be applied by referring to simple books or charts, it is possible to over-stimulate pressure points and cause harm. Gentle foot massage yields many of the relaxing benefits of reflexology without incurring any risks. If you are seeking to treat a serious or specific ailment, consult a reflexology professional.

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