History of Reflexology

Because reflexology is an ancient practice, its origin and history are difficult to track. It is thought to have been passed down through oral tradition and was possibly first recorded as a pictograph on an Egyptian tomb in 2330 BC.
Cultures in China , Japan, India and Europe, North and South America were also known to have used the hands and feet to affect the rest of the body.

Halifax-Bedford-Sackville NS Reflexology 

In 1917, a physician named William Fitzgerald developed zone therapy. He found that y applying pressure to a zone that corresponded to an injury location, he could relieve pain during minor surgical procedures. He divided the body into ten vertical zones ending in the fingers and toes, noting that pressure on one part of the zone could affect everything else within that zone. Dr. Shelby Riley expanded on Fitzgerald 's  work by developing maps of horizontal body zones that correspond with reflex points on the feet and hands. Eunice Ingram, a physiotherapist, refined both there works in the 1930's, finding the feet to have the most effective reflex points, and developed the standard foot maps that are in use today.
Theory holds that the 72,000 sensory nerves in the feet are key in the body's immediate reflexive 'fight or flight'response to danger, communication with all the internal organs to cause sudden responses like an adrenaline surge.

Halifax-Bedford-Sackville NS Reflexology

How does reflexology work ?

Reflexology is based on Zone Theory:

In Zone Theory the body is divided into 10 vertical zones. Each zone corresponds to fingers and toes all the way up to the top of the head.

In reflexology theory, every organ, valve, muscle, etc. that lies within a zone can be accessed via a point or area on the feet or hands.

These pathways between pressure points and other parts of the body are thought to be connected via the nervous system.


 

Dr.William Fitzgerald developed the ZoneTheory in 1917. 

Application of pressure to feet, hands, or ears sends a calming message from the peripheral nerves in these extremities to the central nervous system, which in turn signals the body to adjust the tension level. This enhances overall relaxation, brings internal organs and their systems into a state of optimum functioning, and increases blood supply (which brings additional oxygen and nutrients to cells and enhances waste removal). It positively affects the circulatory, respiratory, endocrine and immune systems in the body.

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​Halifax-Bedford-Sackville NS Reflexology 

Reflexology Rates:   45 min.  $65
​                                    1 hour    $75
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New to Reflexology? book an hour session and get an assessment at no extra charge. 
​Info: Anne-Marie Sterckx, text or call: 902-240-2412