Massage of any kind is relaxing and promotes a feeling of calmness. In fact, to many health practitioners, foot massage has been known to be good for health and well-being. Foot massage is common throughout the east as a healing method. Foot massage or reflexology works in the same manner as acupuncture. Each foot area corresponds with another area of the body, and by massaging each part of the foot, you may be working on your liver, kidney, colon, stomach, etc. It is said that reflexology can get rid of toxins, help your circulation, improve body functions and even improve memory. A professional foot reflexologist can even diagnose the health problems you face just by massaging your feet.
Foot massage or foot reflexology has a Chinese origin. It dates back more than 3,000 years ago and is used to prevent and cure many health ailments. Some say foot massage dates back to ancient Egyptian times due to archaeological findings in cave drawings in Egypt.
The principle of foot massage rests on the premise that the meridian network connects all tissues, organs, and cells in our body. Each organ in the body is connected to a specific reflex point on foot through the intermediary of 300 nerves.
By using pressure on these reflex points, the foot massage is good for stimulating the activity of internal organs and improving blood and lymph circulation. Thus, a person's whole well-being can be achieved through the foot.
The principles of foot massage are not in congruence with western allopathic medicine. Western medicine merely sees the foot as a body part comprising bones, ligaments, and joints. Like most eastern medical techniques, foot reflexology is a holistic treatment. It concentrates on treating the whole person rather than just the symptoms of one particular ailment.
More recently, foot massage has become more popular in western regions like the United States. A foot massage will help melt away the day's stress, if nothing else. People tend to overlook their feet. Your feet take the biggest beating throughout the day. They have to get you where you need to go and hold up your entire body weight. When you ignore your tired feet, they may just render you immobile. The health benefits may be disputed, but it never hurts to try it out and see what benefits it may hold for you. Afterall, we designed a whole company around whole-body regimens that start with the feet! (Read about our history and love for feet.)
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