What is Reflexology?

The roots of Reflexology stretch back centuries and can be found in many civilizations around the world including Ancient Egyptian, Indigenous American, Indian and Chinese. Different forms of Reflexology have evolved and are practiced around the world today.

The most commonly used method in the UK is the Ingham method which is based on Zone Theory, and is often called Western or Modern Reflexology.

Zone therapy is generally considered to have been developed by Dr William Fitzgerald, a Doctor working in America in the early 20th Century who experimented with the technique for pain relief during surgery. In Zone therapy the body is divided into 10 vertical zones. Dr Fitzgerald discovered that by applying pressure to points on a specific toe or finger you could affect a response in other organs or body parts in the corresponding zone.

Then in the 1930’s Eunice Ingham - a Physiotherapist often referred to as ‘The mother of Reflexology’ - further developed the theory of zone therapy by creating detailed maps of the entire body on the feet, based on her own practice of Reflexology. The foot maps form the basis of the therapy we as Reflexologists practice today.

It is important to say that Reflexology is not a medical treatment and it cannot diagnose, treat or cure. What Reflexology can do is support and promote balance and relaxation.

As Reflexologists we treat the person in front of us, not the condition or illness they live with.