Reflexology Massage Therapy in St. Petersburg and Tampa 33607

Reflexology massage therapy is one of the most sought after massage therapies for the treatment of specific illnesses. It has been found to provide relief for tension headaches, migraine, digestive problems, arthritis and back pain, among other complaints. It is also credited for detoxification, improving circulation, reducing tension and increasing the capability of the body to heal itself.

The roots of reflexology date back to the early Egyptians. In fact, illustrations and hieroglyphs on the walls of an ancient physician’s tomb in Egypt show reflexology being done on a patient. The Japanese have Zoku Shin Do, a foot reflexology massage technique that is traced back to ancient China of over 5,000 years ago. In China, this had developed into acupressure which later gave birth to acupuncture. The use of meridians also persisted in reflexology, though. In the West, North American Cherokee tribes also have their own version of reflexology handed down through generations and still in existence today. There have also been documented forms of reflexology in India, Africa and Europe. All of them involve manipulations of specific parts of the foot to treat specific health problems.

The basic thesis of reflexology is that people have an invisible life force called Qi which, when blocked in any way, causes illness and prevents healing. Certain areas of the feet could supposedly be massaged to release energy that removes blocks to relieve pain, restore balance and facilitate healing in corresponding body parts. Other reflexologists believe that reflexes in the extremities contain nerve endings that, when stimulated, affect the body’s nervous system and trigger healing.

Reflexology as the full body treatment we know it today was brought to the United States by Dr. William H. Fitzgerald in 1913. Dr. Fitzgerald was an eye, ear and throat specialist and a surgeon. He had discovered that pressure applied on certain parts of the body produced anesthetic effects on other body parts. He also found that pressure applied on certain parts of the body triggered responses in other body parts. He mapped out his discoveries in a reflexology chart, dividing the body into ten vertical zones corresponding to reflexes on the hands and feet. This gave rise to the term zone therapy.

In the 1930s to the 1940s, a nurse and physiotherapist named Eunice D. Ingham developed reflexology further, finding feet reflexes corresponding to all parts of the body. During this period, the word “reflexology” was coined. It is basically Ingham’s method that most reflexologists today learn and use in therapy. They apply reflexology not only to the feet, though, but to the hands and ears, as well.

Before a reflexology session, a reflexologist conducts an in-depth interview with the patient to learn about specific complaints and conditions. This will form the basis of the treatment. In the course of the session, ongoing diagnosis is still done since pain in certain reflex points are supposed to identify heretofore unknown or unacknowledged imbalances and illnesses. The necessary treatment for these discoveries is then also incorporated into the regimen.

Reflexologists may use more than just their fingers in order to apply the required pressure to reflex points. There are reflexology implements made of wood, marble or metal in many forms. Some are like sticks of varying thicknesses with rounded ends. Others are like rollers. There are also combs and clicks.

Even for non-believers in the therapeutic effects of reflexology, a thorough massage of the hands, feet and ears will always feel good and will release stress relieving endorphins.

You can avail or reflexology massage therapy and other types of massage therapy such as Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, sports massage and even pregnancy massage in St. Pete and 33607, whether you be from Downtown St. Petersburg or anywhere on 4th Street.