Foot Massage
Foot massage or foot reflexology has a Chinese origin. It dates back to more than 3,000 years ago and is used in the prevention and cure of many health ailments. Some in fact say foot massage dates back to ancient Egyptian times due to archaeological findings in cave drawings in Egypt.
The principle of foot massage rests in 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 the foot through the intermediary of nerves. A trained foot massage therapist is usually called a reflexologist or zone therapist. A reflexologist can put pressure on different meridians or energy lines on the sole, top and side of the feet to determine the cause of illness.
By using pressure to these reflex points, the foot massage is good for stimulating the activity of internal organs, and to improve blood flow and lymph circulation. Thus, the top to bottom well-being of a person can be made through the feet.
The principles of foot massage is not usually in congruence with western allopathic medicine. Western medicine merely sees the foot as a body part comprising of bones, ligaments and joints.
However, foot massage is fast gaining much popularity and acceptance as an alternative health treatment. In fact, over recent years it has become regularly the number one requested holistic therapy amongst complementary treatments s recorded by a number of complementary societies.
Fans of foot massage believe it can cure not only colds and minor ailments, but more serious ailments as well. These ailments include liver dysfunction, constipation problems, chronic headaches, skin allergies and much more. Like most Oriental medical techniques, foot reflexology is a holistic treatment. It concentrates on treating the whole person rather than just the symptoms of one particular ailment.
While Western medicine promises speedy recovery of all unpleasant symptoms, foot massage therapy does not, nor should it. It can be slow and gradual but with longer lasting effects seeing as it aims to treat the root cause and not just symptoms. A series of visits is necessary to strengthen the body and to bring the body back to balance. It is important to see a qualified therapist who will have had many years of training and case studies as this will yield the best outcome.
An average session of foot reflexology in the US, can set you back as much as US$40-100. In the UK depending on where you are, the prices can be similar at 30 – 75 pounds per hour, Thus, foot massages over a period of time, can add up in terms of costs. But the benefits will add up too and most therapists will certainly do group booking discounts if you take out a course of treatment.
Naturally, for practitioners and believers of foot massage, the cost for good health is well worth it. The alternative would have been money spent in clinics and western hospitals for prescription drugs and perhaps, invasive surgery. Not to mention time away from working or doing those activities which you enjoy.
Your health is always a priority and foot therapy or reflexology is certainly one that I would highly recommend you try as it really has many great benefits and is wonderfully relaxing too.
