|
Foot Massage
By Caroline Colby
Foot massage or foot reflexology
has a Chinese origin. It dates back to more than 3,000 years
ago and is used in the prevention and cure of many health ailments.
|
Some in fact say, foot massage
dates back to ancient Eygyptian
times due to archaeological findings in cave drawings in Egypt.
The principle of foot massage
rests in the premise that the
meridian network connects all tissues, organs and cells in our
body. Each organ in the body is connected to a specific reflex
point on the foot through the intermediary of 300 nerves. A
trained foot reflexologist can put pressure on different
meridians or energy lines on the sole and side of the feet to
determine the cause of illness.
By using pressure to these the
reflex points, the foot massage
is good for stimulating the activity internal organs, and to
improve blood and lymph circulation. Thus, the top to bottom
well being of a person can be made through the foot.
The principles of foot massage
is not in congruence with
western allopathic medicine. Western medicine merely sees the
foot as a body part comprising of bones, ligaments and joints.
However, foot massage is fast
gaining much popularity and
acceptance as an alternative health treatment. Fans of foot
massage believe it can cure not only colds and minor ailments,
but more serious ailments as well. These ailments include liver
dysfunction, constipation problems, chronic headaches, skin
allergies, etc. |
|
Like most Oriental medical techniques,
foot reflexology is a “holistic” treatment. It concentrates
on treating the whole person rather than just the symptoms of
one particular ailment.
While Western medicine promises
speedy recovery of all unpleasant symptoms, foot massage therapy
can be slow and gradual. A series of visits is necessary to strengthen
the body and to bring the body back to balance.
A session of foot reflexology
in San Francisco, can set you back as much as US$40-100. Thus,
foot massages over a period of
time, can add up in terms of costs.
However, for practitioners and
believers of foot massage, the cost for good health is well worth
it. The alternative would have been money spent in clinics and
western hospitals for prescription drugs and perhaps, invasive
surgery. |
Beauty Secrets of the World
