INTERACTIVE FOOT MAP.
Click on the icon below and an interactive foot map will open in a new tab. The map shows the feet and a human body. Move your cursor over the foot or body to see how the two correspond.
Enjoy!
;
Reflexology used for cancer patients
Ten minute reflexology treatments can provide relief from pain, nausea and anxiety, according to a report from the School of Nursing, Division of Science and Design, University of Canberra, Australia.
Nurses at the School conducted an empirical study on the use of foot massage as a nursing intervention in patients hospitalised with cancer. The study was developed from the earlier work of Ferrell-Torry and Glick (1992).
87 patients participated in the study and each received a 10-minute reflexology foot massage (5 minutes per foot) . The results revealed that the treatments produced a significant and immediate effect on the patients’ perceptions of pain, nausea, and relaxation, when measured with a visual analog scale. The use of reflexology foot massage as a complementary method is recommended as a relatively simple nursing intervention for patients experiencing nausea or pain related to the cancer experience. The results were so positive that the researchers recommend that further research using larger numbers of patients in controlled clinical trials into its eused ffectiveness of reflexology in alleviating pain, nausea and anxiety in the management of these symptoms by the family at home is warranted.
Foot massage. A nursing intervention to modify the distressing symptoms of pain and nausea in patients hospitalized with cancer. Grealish L, Lomasney A, Whiteman B Cancer Nurs 2000 Jun;23(3):237-43
Click here to see the original article © Internet Health Library 2000
Reflexology & Migraine
According to a large nationwide research study undertaken in Denmark, reflexology treatment has a beneficial effect on patients suffering from migraine and tension headaches. The study was conducted at the Department of Social Pharmacy, The Royal Danish School of Pharmacy in co-operation with five reflexology associations. 220 patients participated with treatment being given by 78 fully trained reflexologist across the country.
Headaches remain the most common health problem amongst the adult population and it has been estimated that they are the reason for the loss of three mil-lion working days every year. Reflexology is renowned for its ability to help relax and calm patients and for this reason it was considered an interesting therapy to study for the treatment of tension headaches and migraine.
Of all the patients who took part in the study, 90 percent said that they had taken prescribed medication for their headaches within the month prior to the commencement of the study and, of them, 36 percent had experienced side effects from the medicines. 81 percent of the prescribed medicine in the acetvlsalicyclic acid and paracetamol group was taken at least twice a week and 72% of the stronger migraine medicines were taken at least once a fortnight which indicates that the majority of the patients were suffering from moderate to severe symptoms. 34 percent had taken medications for ailments other than headaches.
Three months after a completed series of reflexology treatments, 81 percent of patients confirmed that reflexology had either cured (16%) or helped (65%) their symptoms. 19 percent of the patients re-ported that they had been able to completely dispense with the medications they had been taking before the study.
The reflexologist also found that there was a strong link between headaches and the gall bladder, stomach, bladder, and endocrine hormone meridians. At the end of the study the patients who benefited from the treatment showed less stress on the reflex points for the ovaries, small intestine, bladder, stomach, liver and kidneys than they had experienced on their first treatment. The likelihood of successful cure was found to be greatest for: a) those patients whom the reflexologist found no stress on the reflex zones of the uterus or gall bladder, and b) younger patients who had suffered from headaches for a short period of time.
Brendstrup E, Launso L, Eriksen L. Reflexions March 1996, 10
See the Internet Health Library page Reflexology research migraine here (opens in a new tab).
Reflexology & Back Pain
A study conducted at the Hospital of Beijing College of Languages investigated the effect of reflexology treatment on acute lower back pain. Twenty patients between the ages of 35 and 55, all of whom were teachers or office workers, and suffering from lower back strain participated in the study.
The reflex points on the patients’ feet were treated for a maximum of ten treatments and the results analysed. All of the patients reported that the treatment had effectively eliminated their pain; 5 of the patients obtained complete relief after only one treatment, 10 after 3 to 4 treatments and a further 5 after 5 to 7 treatments. No analgesics or other medications were used throughout the course of treatments.
Although a small scale study, it adds to the growing body of evidence confirming that reflexology has extensive therapeutic value beyond the realms of mere relaxation and stress management.
Xiao Zhenge, Hospital of Beijing College of Languages Reflexology Research Reports 2nd Edn. Compiled by K Walker. Association of Reflexologists.
See the research site Internet Health Library – listing Reflexology Research on Back Pain