Stress and Reflexology

"The primary benefit of reflexology is relieving stress and tension, which is the cause of over 75 percent of our health ills". So says Dwight Byers, president of the International Institute of Reflexology, who is also the nephew of Eunice Ingham (founder of modern reflexology).

Doctors implicate stress as a culprit in a multitude of health problems - from migraines to compulsive eating, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety and sluggish immunity. In this context, reflexology must be seen as an important way of promoting good health and preventing disease.

Under stress, humans instinctively practice reflexology, says Bill Flocco, reflexologist and director of the American Academy of Reflexology in Burbank, California. Mothers wring their hands the first time their teenagers drive the family car. And many of us find ourselves rubbing our feet at the end of a long, hard day at work or pulling on our ears as we ponder a sticky problem.

Reflexology may work in the same way that acupuncture and acupressure do, prompting the body to produce the neurochemicals responsible for producing feelings of well-being, relieving pain and reducing inflammation throughout the body, says Bruce Pomeranz, M.D., Ph.D., neurophysiologist and professor at the University of Toronto School of Medicine.

When you are feeling particularly stressed, tense or anxious, why not take an hour of your time to relax with a reflexology treatment.