Reflexology feels amazing, but it is much more than a good foot massage! In a reflexology treatment, pressure is applied to specific trigger points on the feet or hands to stimulate and heal other parts of the body. There are millions of nerve endings in our feet and hands, and the idea behind reflexology is that by putting pressure on specific areas, the connections in the nervous system can be used to relieve tension and restore the natural flow of chi (the invisible life force) around your body.

Reflexology promotes healing by stimulating the nerves in the body and increasing blood flow. In the process, reflexology helps to relieve the sensation of pain as well as the source of the pain. Anecdotal evidence suggests that reflexology can assist in the treatment of a variety of conditions and injuries. For example, reflexology is often recommended in conjunction with massage therapy for people with fibromyalgia. It can be an alternative to drug therapy in relieving difficult breathing caused by the tightness in the muscles of the patient's neck and throat, as well as for controlling the muscle pain associated with fibromyalgia.

Reflexology may also help alleviate allergy symptoms, digestive problems, as well as stress, back pain, and chronic fatigue. It’s said that if you have a particular ailment, for example a thyroid problem, you might feel a pain in your foot when pressure is applied to the area of the foot that corresponds to your thyroid.

Reflexology can be incorporated into any massage service at Holistic Massage of Hood River.