The History of Reflexolgy
Reflexology has been practiced in various forms for millenia. There is historical evidence of this therapy being practiced in Egypt, Japan, India and in China.
More recently, in the early twentieth century, an American ear, nose and throat physician noticed that by pressing one part of the body, another part would be anaesthetised. He started to perform minor surgery using this technique with a great deal of success. This knowledge formed the basis for the development of reflexology as we know it today.
Whilst some doctors were not very enthusiastic, others became fascinated by this new technique. In 1915, one doctor published an article called ‘To Stop That Toothache - Squeeze Your Toe’. The theory continued to gain credibility and in the early 1930’s an American physiotherapist, Eunice Ingham, became aware of the potential benefits that seemed to be offered by this therapy and introduced reflexology into her Physiotherapy Department. In those patients treated, she noted a decrease in their perception of pain, an improvement in their mobility and a noticeable speeding up of their body’s natural healing processes.
Recognising that all nerves ended in the feet, she began to realise that the whole body could be treated using the application of pressure to the feet. She started to ‘map’ the whole body onto the feet and her charts are still the standard used by reflexologists all over the world today.
News of her success began to spread and public awareness of reflexology, its popularity and reputation continue to grow worldwide.
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