Theory
Reflexology is based on the theory that the body is divided into 10 zones called longitudinal zones. Imagine a line through the centre of the body. There are 5 longitudinal zones on each side of that midline.
Think of the zones as segments through the body front and back that are an equal width at any point. For example, zone 1 runs from the big toe, up the leg, the body, the brain and down the arm to the thumb. Whichever parts of the body are found within a certain zone, these parts will be linked to one another by the energy flow within the same zone and can affect one another.
The feet correspond to the whole body. Reflexology practitioners apply pressure in a particular area in the foot to have an affect on an organ in the same zone. It is possible that patients will have a reaction after treatment. People react differently but reactions could be a headache, cold-like symptoms, a thirst, shivering, or disturbed sleep. This is quite usual and indicates that healing is taking place. Any reaction usually only lasts for a day or two.
History
Some form of foot therapy has been known for many thousands of years. The earliest example is depicted on tomb drawings of around 2500 BC and maps of the feet have been found that are thousands of years old.
It is thought that reflexology is an offshoot of acupressure, the traditional Chinese medicine based on the energy systems. In 1582 two doctors published a work on Zone Therapy. Longitudinal Zones were first described by Dr William Fitzgerald in the early 1900s. He was an American Ear, Nose & Throat Specialist who discovered that by applying pressure to certain parts of the body it produced an anaesthetic effect. We can recognise this ourselves. Some of us grip the side of the chair when we go to the dentist thereby applying pressure to the hands. He called it Zone Therapy.
Dr Fitgerald’s work was further developed by other American doctors. Eunice Ingham developed modern day reflexology from this zone therapy and described the map of the feet. A student of Eunice Ingham, Doreen Bayly, brought reflexology to Great Britain in the 1960s and founded the Bayly School of Reflexology.