The Fast Pace of Life, Stressful Work, and Constant Rush… How Can You Take Care of Your Well-Being Amidst the Daily Rush?

A natural way to address this could be acupressure and reflexology of the feet and hands. It’s more than just a regular therapeutic massage of the feet, hands, or spine!

In what situations should you specifically apply pressure to reflex points? What is the map of receptors on the feet and hands? And how can you practice acupressure at home?

Read this article and discover how to naturally support the functioning of your body!

Reflexology of the Feet and Hands – How Does Stimulation of Reflex Points Work?

The feet are a focal point for specialists in various medical fields. In physiotherapy, they are said to be the foundation of the musculoskeletal system. It is the feet that contact the ground, carry different loads, and allow us to take each step.

In many healing practices, the feet are considered the foundation of health. This is true in reflexology – the science of receptors, whose stimulation brings numerous health benefits.

However, the term “reflexology” refers not only to the science of reflexes but also to a therapy that involves stimulating reflex points on the feet in a specific order.

Knowledge of reflexology is also useful in reflexotherapy. What is it, and how does reflexology differ from foot and hand reflexotherapy?

Reflexology vs Reflexotherapy

Reflexology as a form of therapy involves manually massaging receptors on the feet, transitioning from one zone to another. Reflexotherapy of the feet, on the other hand, uses various techniques on reflex points. “Breaking chocolate,” “relaxing the diaphragm,” “rocking” – these are just a few techniques of reflexotherapy.

How does such stimulation work?

By using specific reflex points on the feet and hands, you can influence various areas of the body by knowing their locations. The feet and hands serve as a kind of map of the body.

What Does This Map Lead to?

The individual points on the reflexology map of the feet and hands correspond to organs and glands (the full map, illustrated in an accessible way, can be seen in the Reflex Zones section). Interestingly, the arrangement of these points reflects the structure of the human body. It’s worth exploring this map – it contains many fascinating connections!

However, reflexotherapy is more than just acting on organs, glands, and parts of the body via points.

Massaging the receptors on the feet and hands also impacts the psyche. Specifically, it affects the levels of stress, energy, and mood.

More information on how to massage specific reflexology points on the feet can be found on our Instagram.

What is Foot Acupressure?

Do you know how acupuncture works? It’s a method often associated with acupressure.

Restoring the proper flow of qi energy, removing blockages, and improving well-being are the main goals of acupuncture.

Does acupuncture work similarly to acupressure?

Acupressure shares many similarities with acupuncture and uses the same points. It is a technique that stimulates acupuncture points to elicit a response from the body. It’s a form of energy transfer from the feet to the rest of the body.

In acupuncture, special needles are used to intervene in the body, while in acupressure, the skin’s continuity is not broken – the points are pressed with fingers. A fascinating modification of traditional acupressure is the use of wooden boards with nails, Sadhu boards, and acupressure mats.

Acupressure Mats and Other Accessories – What Should You Know?

Nerve endings on the feet and hands can be stimulated using products such as:

• Acupressure mats
• Accessories for stimulating foot receptors: acupressure boards with copper or galvanized nails
• Flexible spiked mats – Flexi Acupres Boards
• Foot massage balls

Some of these accessories are also used in physiotherapy offices for foot massages with elements of reflexology and acupressure.

What’s the Difference Between Manual Reflex Point Massage on the Feet, Hands, and Back and Using Accessories That Stimulate Reflex Points?

Primarily, with accessories, you can stimulate the receptors at home, in the garden, on the beach, or wherever needed. It can be done independently (if you’re interested in this topic, be sure to check our Workshops section).

Compared to manually pressing points, using a mat or board allows you to target a larger area of the body at once. This enables simultaneous stimulation of many acupressure points.

These products come in various versions, and you can even have your personalized board.

Acupressure boards are very practical. They can be packed in a special case and taken on trips. This way, you can always have them with you when you need a moment of relaxation and regeneration.

If you have additional questions about acupressure boards, feel free to visit our Contact section.

Reflexology and Acupressure – Similarities

Do you notice similarities between reflexology and acupressure? Reflex points on the feet and hands… is there anything else?

Do acupressure and reflexotherapy work similarly?

Just like acupuncture, these techniques work on the entire body. And not only for pain relief. They help organize emotions, release energy blockages, and reduce tension. Many people, once they try it, regularly use these methods, appreciating their effects.

These techniques share several common points:

• Both acupuncture and reflexotherapy approach the body holistically as the basis of their work (similarly to acupuncture, osteopathy, and many other treatment methods).
• They affect specific points (in acupressure, these are meridians and acupuncture points, while in reflexology, they are called reflexes).
• Both methods date back to ancient times.
• Both methods are part of alternative medicine techniques, related to natural ways of influencing health (like acupuncture).

The topic of acupressure vs reflexology is often discussed due to these similarities.

Differences Between Reflexology and Acupressure

Reflexology of the hands and feet and acupressure, though seemingly very similar, are different techniques. They differ in:

• The location of the areas being affected (acupuncture points and reflexes are located in different places).
• The area of influence (reflexes are mainly found on the feet, hands, ears, and head, while acupuncture points and meridians are distributed across various areas).
• The techniques used for pressing points and zones.
• The way the points are pressed (in reflexology, receptors on the hands and feet are usually pressed with fingers, while in acupressure, various tools may be used).

Indications for Reflexotherapy

Acupressure and reflexology treatments are often used for health prevention. However, these techniques are also employed for problems such as:

• Chronic stress
• Fatigue
• Lack of energy
• Spinal pain
• Joint pain (including that related to degenerative disease)
• Headaches and sinus pain
• Allergies
• Some respiratory (e.g., asthma) and digestive issues
• Sleep disorders
• Overweight – as a supplement to treatment

Contraindications for Reflexology and Foot Acupressure

In addition to many indications, as with any method, there are contraindications for acupressure, including:

• Cancer
• Post-heart attack or stroke (within 6 months)
• Uncontrolled heart conditions
• Fungal foot infections
• Diabetic foot
• Fevers
• Post-orthopedic injuries or recent surgeries on the foot (e.g., bunion correction)
• Varicose veins
• Pregnancy

For both acupressure and reflexology, the contraindications are similar.

Aside from the listed contraindications, foot massage, reflexotherapy, and acupressure of the feet or hands are generally well tolerated. Because they are non-invasive and do not break the skin’s continuity, they are safer techniques compared to treatment methods such as acupuncture (or even cosmetic acupuncture) or dry needling.

What Are the Effects of Acupressure Massage and Stimulation of Reflex Points on the Feet?

The stimulation of receptors on the feet and acupressure points on the hands is done to achieve:

• Release of energy blockages
• Reduction of stress and accumulated tension (both muscle and fascial, as well as emotional)
• Improved resistance to stress
• Easier emotion management
• Help identifying emotional issues
• Improved decision-making abilities
• Increased resilience to uncomfortable situations and activation of coping mechanisms
• Mental clarity
• Restoration of balance in the body’s functioning
• Energy for regeneration and initiation of the self-healing process
• Easier falling asleep

These effects were studied as early as the 1980s in Russia, where the effectiveness of an acupressure-based device was tested. The study showed that participants experienced reduced pain, stiffness (in those with osteochondrosis), and improved respiratory function. Another study of the updated device version was conducted in the U.S. in 1996. Out of 200 participants, 105 reported reduced pain and muscle cramps, as well as improvements in insomnia and mood changes.

How to Tell if Acupressure is Effective and What You Feel After Standing on Nails?

At first, you may feel discomfort or pain from pressing the receptors on your foot. However, the longer the pressure is applied, the sensation diminishes. It is replaced by a very positive feeling.

Right after the acupressure treatment, people usually experience a surge of energy but also inner calm. Many people show a smile, relief, relaxation, and an enhanced belief in their own abilities after using acupressure accessories. And that’s exactly what many of us need!

Focus on better health with reflexology of the feet and hands – maybe this technique is the way for you to regain your energy?

References:

Researchgate