Like many other alternative therapies’ reflexology is often misunderstood or completely ignored. It is however a powerful tool for helping with a variety of ailments and issues, although it should always be conducted by a qualified professional. Many reflexologists will combine the use of essential oils into their massage session. Reflexology can be conducted on the feet as well as the hands and uses pressure to stimulate certain points that relate to other areas and organs within the body. The pressure on these points can help the body to begin to heal itself and it can be incredibly effective for people suffering from anxiety, depression and a whole variety of other issues.
Here are some of the reasons why you might want to look into the benefits of reflexology:
- Nerves – the act of massaging your hands and feet can help to stimulate over 7000 different nerves within the body. Over time our nerve endings start to lose some of their sensitivity, and this can be improved with reflexology. Stimulating the nerve endings to work more effectively means that messages are conveyed to the brain quicker.
- Aches and pains – one of the major benefits of a reflexology massage whether completed on the feet or hands is that it can help to relieve a number of different aches and pains including neck and back complaints as well as headaches and stronger migraines. The pressure on the points related to your head as well as the calming feelings of the massage and any essential oils that are included can help to alleviate any stress that may be contributing to the pains.
- Anxiety and depression – these two mental health issues can be helped with massaging the upper toe areas as this stimulates the brain to produce serotonin which is the feel-good hormone. An increase in this can help to alleviate some of the symptoms that are felt when a person is suffering with anxiety or depression.
- Circulation – you can often find that spending large amounts of the day sat down and general aging can cause your circulation to slow down. This reduces the amount of oxygen that is passed around your body. By stimulating your circulation, you can increase the blood flow to your vital organs. Your body works better when it receives more oxygen and you can find that your metabolism increases as well as the regrowth and healing of your cell tissues.
There are many more benefits to reflexology including alleviating the symptoms of PMS and the menopause and much more.