What is Exactly is Hand Reflexology?
Hand reflexology can be defined as a form of therapy which approaches the patient holistically. This means that as opposed to other forms of therapy, reflexology tends to focus on the whole person rather than on organs or systems. Most other disciplines focus on one part of the body when something goes wrong. For instance, if you have a headache the doctor will focus on your central nervous system since this is where the problem is manifesting.
Hand reflexology is a massage technique in which pressure is applied to various reflex points on the hands to facilciate holistic aspects of health and wellness. Within hand reflexology, as the with the other forms of reflexology, many aspects of an individual are considered. This includes spiritual issues, mental issues, emotional and physical problems. By approaching the patient this way, reflexology ensures that everything about the patient is taken care of, instead of just one thing.
Hand reflexology has a unique capacity to relieve stress buildup. Beyond the specific results that have been reported-relief from migraines, constipation, colds/flu symptoms, back/neck pain, digestive problems-Reflexology creates an overall calm that seems to envelop the body, allowing the body and mind to decompress and release energy flow. As a result, the body experiences greater stamina and energy, enhanced productivity and creativity, and emotional equilibrium. Clients with chronic problems such as allergies, chemical dependencies, and weight management issues also report significant improvement.
There are many benefits of band reflexology, it is a natural form of therapy that can help your body heal by targeting specific points in your body that are weak. There are many benefits that can be gained from learning about the reflex points in your body and how to use them to improve your health.
Who Uses Reflexology?
Reflexology is easy to learn and yet so powerful. It has become so popular in recent years that surgeons and other doctors, chiropodists, dentists, nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and massage therapists use it as a complementary modality. To illustrate how it can be used in conjunction with medical practices, imagine the following situation: a pregnant woman has had a birth. Although some of the pain you experience can be treated with modern pharmaceutical products, you still suffer from pain and discomfort in the lower back and neck. To help relieve neck / back pain, reflexology is performed on the hands / feet, specifically on the inner edges, a very non-invasive treatment for an internal problem.
There are no needles and nothing needs to be exposed other than her hand/feet. In just one hour, she feels a renewed sense of calm and her neck/back pain has subsided, allowing her to focus on the miracle of childbirth! In addition, many interested lay people choose to learn Reflexology to help reduce stress in their everyday lives, or in the lives of friends and family members.
Hand Reflexology Charts and Points
There are reflexology points that are found both in the palm of the hand and on the back of the hand. These reflexology zone can be massaged in a specific way to influence the correlation points in your body. In fact, you can boost your vital organs so that they can heal and improve naturally by applying certain techniques of manual reflexology. There are hand reflexology charts available today that make this process easy to learn. Those charts show which points in the hands affect specific areas in the body, so that you can refer to the chart to treat certain ailments and conditions that you may be experiencing. It takes time and practice to effectively treat a condition by using hand reflexology, but you will become more experienced over time. A sample reflexology chart is shown below.
Benefit #1: Safe and Non-invasive
One of the biggest benefits of hand reflexology is that it is a very safe procedure and it is non-invasive. There are no uncomfortable treatments that you have to go through. If you are interested in learning hand reflexology, make sure to study the proper techniques that should be used on the reflexology points. Also, you need to learn which reflexology points affect the different areas of the body so that you can treat the specific conditions that needs attention. There are more benefits associated with hand reflexology today. The video game consoles, computers and other electronic handheld devices that we use on a daily basis make our hands be used extensively. Hand reflexology is useful for overworked hands, it not only relaxes the hands but also the whole body.
Benefit #2: Promotes Brain and Heart Health Through Stress Reduction
If you are looking for a way to interrupt the stress patterns in your body, you should use hand reflexology. The corresponding body parts relax when the pressure sensors are stimulated by hand reflexology zone massage. This relaxation spreads throughout the body as it moves through the nervous syste. Medical studies have found that reflexology have beneficial effects on the brain and heart. Many people are not as aware of hand reflexology as they are with foot reflexology, but both processes work in a similar way. Because hands are more accessible and we are used to working with hands, they are also easier for many people to work with.
Benefit #3: Increases the effectiveness of Baroreceptor Reflex
In the body, hand reflexology increases the effectiveness of baroreceptor reflex. This particular “reflex” in the body has many different roles and responsibilities. First, it is one of the main components when it comes to the human body. For example, it is one of the main elements of the natural homeostasis, or “balance” in the body. Regulation of blood pressure and similar areas is increased when the baroreceptor reflex in the body is activated by the application of hand reflexology.
Benefit #4: Improves Blood Flow
Individuals that suffer from the effects of irregular blood flow in the body, and related complications have been found to benefit in tremendous ways when it comes to having hand reflexology conducted on them. Effectiveness in blood flow is necessary when it comes to organs throughout the body receiving the nutrients that are required for proper functioning, healthy cell maintenance and production, as well as an increase to the natural strength and ability of the immune system’s ability to fight against infectious agents and complications that the body may be exposed to.
Benefit #5: Aids in Treating Sleep Disorders
It is believed that this procedure allows an individual who suffers from sleep disorders such as insomnia, to achieve a state of relaxation that will allow them to overcome the complications associated with this condition. In addition to this, those that suffer from extreme levels of fatigue such as those that are present in the case of chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, and fibromyalgia may benefit from this technique in that it can assist the body in overcoming the feelings of fatigue and rest only when it is necessary for the healthy functioning of the mind and body.
Benefit #9: Allieviates Anxiety
Most individuals that suffer from the effects of unhealthy stress, high levels of anxiety, and even complications with depression can benefit from the relaxing techniques that are associated with hand reflexology. It is believed that the physiological benefits of increased blood flow and regulation, optimizing oxygen levels in the body, and the soothing feelings associated with the application of this procedure holds the cure for those who experience mental disruptions and complications such as anxiety, depression, and similar conditions.
Benefit #10: Releases Toxins
Hand reflexology helps the body to release toxins and pollutants that have built up over the years. It is important to help your body detoxify from these toxins, because allowing them to stay may cause a reduction in health. Also, hand reflexology techniques allow your body to release the negative feelings that are held within.
Benefit #11: Helps Maintain Energy Balances
Hand Reflexology helps the body to maintain energy balances by opening any blockages within the body. There are many things in life that may cause energy blockages, but they can easily be removed within a few reflexology sessions. It opens the lines of circulation, and helps the body to perform at it’s optimal level.
Benefit #12: Treat Various Ailments
Hand Reflexology has been found to be effective in treating the following ailments: migraines; sinus issues; PMS; menopause; allergies; fertility Problems and even arthritis.
Hand Reflexology can be used on the young and old alike. Children will see a benefit in using refelexology over conventional medical treatments in areas like ear infections, colic, bed-wetting and even constipation. Research shows that if hand reflexology is used on children with cerebral palsy then there is an increased growth rate over children who did not receive the therapy treatment.
Reflexologists, although benefiting many people with various illness’s, can not be used as a substitute for diagnosing or even curing diseases as they lack medical training in these matters. If there are lots of toxins in your body, then the immune system is is unable to function efficiently, making you more likely to become sick. What hand reflexology can do is bring the body to a state where it is able to heal itself.
Benefit #13: Reduces Side Effects of Pregnancy
Another interesting fact is that hand reflexology has also aided women with pregnancy complaints such as:
Stress & Anxiety, Constipation, Headaches, Swollen Ankles, Backache, Nausea, Digestive problems and Fatigue.
It has also been shown in one study that women who had had at least 10 sessions of hand reflexology has reduced labor times and less complications that those women in the study who has received any treatment.
Reflexology vs. Massage Therapy
Reflexology is technically a sub-specialty of massage therapy. The idea, plain and simple, is that there are different parts of the hands, feet, and ears that correspond to different parts of the body and that by manipulating these areas without lotion, one can effect a change in the body elsewhere. When reflexology is used on the ear, it is a form of altered auricular therapy. It is derived from acupuncture.
Reflexology has been in use for the last 4,000 years or so. Used by the Chinese, Japanese, and Egyptians, reflexology was only discovered by the West in the 19th century. It’s not a newfangled science or religion and been around in some form since 2,000 B.C. Reflexology is used to reduce the stress levels in the body because the feet and the hands hold a great deal of stress. By relieving the stress in those areas, homeostasis can be restored to a body that was once reigned by chaotic tension. It can also help those that are suffering from arthritis, hormone problems, and sports injuries. As mentioned before women that are pregnant should also use reflexology.
One of the best things about reflexology is that it is not painful. It is a complement to standard medical care, but it should not be used as a replacement for medical care. Reflexology can also be done very flexibly wherever you go. Most insurance providers also pay for it because it is used as after operations and for palliative care. Most sessions last from 30 minutes to an hour. A person should feel relaxed after a session.
Performing Hand Reflexology
Everyone can learn the art of hand reflexology. It is a simple process of breaking the stress patterns created by the combination of motion, pressure and strain. When practicing hand reflexology, be careful not to overwork. If you feel pain or discomfort following a reflexology treatment, you should wait a few days for your hands to be calm. You can even learn the hand’s reflexology techniques and use them in yourself. If you ever need a few moments to calm down or feel stressed, these techniques are ideal.
It is a simple process of finding a reliable source of information and learning the techniques. Many resources provide step-by-step treatments that are used, and also charts to show which parts of your hands correspond to the areas of your body. Many people like to apply pressure through the use of massage tools. There are wooden tools that can be rolled between the hands to stimulate pressure points that can be quite effective.
Conclusion
There are a number of hand reflexology benefits. While this article only shared 13, there are many more. These benefits are both physiological and psychological. If you are looking for alternative methods of increasing the overall effectiveness of the mind as well as the body, then hand reflexology may be the right option for you! This is a proven and attractive means of optimizing the health without the use of chemical based medicines and expensive health care procedures.
