A reflexology session doesn't feel exactly like a massage

Forget what you know about foot rubs. Reflexology is aimed at much more than simply making sore feet feel better.

"Many clients first come here with a combination of misconceptions and expectations," said Larry C. Clemmons, a reflexologist with a practice in the Loop.

First of all, Clemmons said, people don't see the foot as a "sensory organ" but simply consider it as a means of transportation.

Second, a reflexology session doesn't feel exactly like a massage. "There is tension introduced to the feet in a different way than you might be accustomed," Clemmons said. "We use an alternating pressure of finger movement to send sensory signals to the brain for a reflex response. The reflex response induces the hormone endorphin to be released in the body and helps relieve discomfort through blood flow and nerve pathways."

Reflexology is based on the observations of an American physician, Dr. William Fitzgerald, while he was working in hospitals in Paris, Vienna and London during the late 1800s. He discovered he could relieve pain in one part of a person's body by applying pressure to another part, especially the feet.

After he returned to the U.S., he refined the concept by studying similar Chinese healing arts and then developed a system based on 10 energy zones in the body that run from head to toe.

A colleague of Fitzgerald's introduced the method to Eunice Ingham, a St. Petersburg, Fla., physiotherapist. Ingham started her practice in the 1930s and built a following that spread nationwide. She wrote the first book on reflexology and started a school to train other therapists.

Today, about 2,500 to 3,000 reflexologists practice in this country. They consider the feet to contain dozens of specific points that correspond to the body: The bottom of the toes are linked to the sinuses; the tips of the first three toes are associated with the brain; part of the left heel can signal the colon; the inner side of the feet hold the adrenal glands, pancreas and kidneys; the top of the feet just behind the toes is where the lungs can be manipulated.

Clemmons, who has been in practice since 1972 and was founder of the American Reflexology Certification Board, based in Littleton, Colo., said he has helped patients with problems as diverse as headaches, digestive disorders, back pain, poor circulation, sinus troubles and what he calls "non-specific pain."

"But the problem is, people are looking for a reflexologist to diagnose and solve the problem in one or two sessions," he said. "Only doctors should be providing a diagnosis."

Clemmons said anyone seeking a reflexologist should plan on four to six weekly sessions before judging results. Relief might come sooner in some cases, while other clients may simply not respond to this form of treatment.

The current popularity of reflexology is based more on personal recommendations than medical evidence.

"People believe it works and provides physiological benefits. They faithfully go to their reflexologists," said Kevin Kunz, a reflexologist and director of Reflexology Research, a clearinghouse organization in Albuquerque. "The other side of it is, the medical and scientific community needs hard facts to prove it is a successful therapy."

Kunz has made it his business to uncover the latest findings about reflexology, which derive mostly from studies performed in China and western Europe (particularly Denmark). For example, he cited a Chinese randomized study that showed significant improvements in blood glucose levels among patients who were treated with conventional medication and reflexology compared with the control group that only took the medication.

Nonetheless, like Clemmons and other reputable practitioners, Kunz is not about to claim reflexology as a cure-all. "The only way to further reflexology as a healing therapy is to make sure people know it won't help everything," he said.

It's important to find a qualified practitioner. Start by asking a prospective therapist about his or her experience. Accreditation by the American Reflexology Certification Board or the International Institute of Reflexology in St. Petersburg, Fla., translates to extensive testing and hands-on training. If reflexology is one of several therapies practiced by the therapist, it is frequently better to look elsewhere.

If the credentials are acceptable, try an hour session. Kunz said you should not feel too much pain from the work, and it should end with your feeling more relaxed.