During a reflexology session, you may notice that certain areas on your feet feel more tender than others. The practitioner will probably spend a little extra time on these areas, knowing that tender spots on the feet can correspond to areas of congestion in other parts of the body. According to the teachings of reflexology, it’s normal to build up toxins and blockages in different areas of the body over the course of a lifetime. These toxins can contribute to a general feeling of being unwell and prevent the body from healing from sickness or injury. Like Shiatsu and acupuncture, reflexology helps release this blocked energy throughout the body — helping to detoxify, eliminate toxins, and get the body back on track to wellness.

Arthritis is a common medical condition associated with pain and inflammation in joints like the knees, wrists, and hips. While those with arthritis benefit from seeking physical therapy, reflexology may also be a helpful complementary therapy. For example, to address osteoarthritis in the knee joint, a practitioner might work the knee reflex point in the foot to strengthen the knee joint. They may also stimulate spine reflex areas in order to strengthen the spine and take excess pressure off the knees. Recently, researchers have studied reflexology’s effects on rheumatoid arthritis — an autoimmune disorder that causes painful joint swelling. In the study, reflexology was shown to relieve pain and fatigue for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

When people think of circulation and massage, they probably envision the long, sweeping strokes of Swedish massage. However, reflexology has been shown in studies to boost circulation as well. ​ Increased circulation in the body is a powerful contributor to overall health. It helps flood the body’s cells with the oxygen they need to thrive, while ridding the body of toxins at the same time. This is why many people use reflexology as a complementary therapy to support overall health.

It’s difficult to directly access organs like the intestines, stomach, and colon that are involved with digestion. By stimulating certain areas on the feet and hands, reflexology can help bring balance to these organ systems — and rid blockages — in a safe and comfortable way. For many patients, a reflexology massage session is helpful in managing digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome and constipation. In fact, one study of reflexology’s effects on constipation showed that 94% of participants reported improvement in constipation after receiving reflexology

Reflexology is used to help pregnant women cope with many pregnancy-related symptoms, including
Ease pain in joints
Help with back pain
Moderate nausea and morning sickness
Treat insomnia
Relieve constipation
Because stimulating certain points on the feet is thought to cause uterine contractions, it’s important to only work with a trained professional when receiving prenatal reflexology. They will know which points to avoid during a session. However, once labor has begun, reflexology can be a powerful complementary therapy. In fact, studies have shown that pregnant women who receive reflexology during labor reported less pain

Multiple studies have examined the way gentle, therapeutic touch can help people achieve a state of deep relaxation — and reflexology is no different. As patients experience the gentle yet firm pressure on their feet throughout the session, they generally feel a loosening of tension throughout the body and mind. ​
This is thought to occur because of the way reflexology — and other manual therapies — stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps the body heal, seek balance, and digest Relaxation is powerful for full-body health, and can have the following effects: ​
Reduced anxiety and mental stress​
Improved digestion​
Cut down on harmful stress hormones like cortisol​
Bring blood pressure into balance

Multiple sclerosis causes a variety of symptoms, including muscle spasticity (contracted, painful muscles) and paresthesia — prickling, pins and needles sensation. In addition, those with MS might experience mental health symptoms like stress, anxiety, and depression.
In one study, reflexology was shown to significantly improve patients’ paresthesia, spasticity, and bladder symptoms. In other studies, research has demonstrated that reflexology has a significant impact on reducing anxiety and depression in women with multiple sclerosis, making it an exciting treatment option for people with this autoimmune disease

One of the major goals of any reflexology session is to restore balance throughout the body. Reflexology is thought to facilitate the body’s natural tendency towards healing, and therefore helps bodily systems get back into optimal function. As a result, many people experience increased energy as a result of a reflexology session. In fact, practitioners can address fatigue by stimulating certain points on the feet. For example, stimulating the adrenal gland reflex point in the foot can help boost energy for those suffering from exhaustion

As discussed, reflexology experts work with the 7,000 nerve endings in the feet to produce results. By stimulating these areas, it’s possible to relieve pain throughout the body. In fact, one study showed that using reflexology to manage pain can be as effective as painkillers in some circumstances
To this end, reflexology sessions have been used to address:
Headache pain
Fibromyalgia
Stomach and digestive pain
Muscle and joint pain
When people are in pain, it’s difficult to relax. Because reflexology helps induce a state of relaxation in the body, this allows a person to break a cycle of pain and stress. This helps jump start the body’s natural healing abilities, which can be a powerful way to fight back against chronic pain.

Though chemotherapy treatments from cancer effectively fight against tumors, most people who receive chemo suffer side effects as a result. One study took a look at the effects of reflexology on women who’d received treatment for metastatic breast cancer.
The study found that women who received reflexology, in comparison to a placebo group, had less incidence of dyspnea — also known as shortness of breath Because reflexology is known to jump start the body’s healing process, receiving reflexology massage can be a soothing and relaxing complement to an individual’s cancer treatment