Reflexology By Dr. Jeffrey Dougal D.C., L.M.T.

Published in Healthy Living Magazine. June/July 2008)

It is believed that points on the hands, feet, and ears may beneficially stimulate a specific other part of the body (see fig. 1). Evidence of this type of treatment date back to almost 3000 B.C. However, by more modern and scientific thought, we could say that it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which stimulates healing and normalizes functions throughout all of the body.

Also, the toxins in our body are gravity dependent, and therefore sink down in the body. e.g. if a bruise is bad enough, you can watch it move down the body as it heals. So, many toxins end up in our feet and calves (also our buttocks if we sit a lot). Breaking up the toxins in the feet allows them to be eliminated by the body, and makes us feel better and more energetic.

The human body has several nervous systems. Most people are familiar with the central and peripheral nervous systems. In addition, we have a sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.

The sympathetic nervous system kicks on in times of stress. Stress is known as fight or flight in nature. In times of stress, all systems unnecessary for fight or flight are shut down.

Imagine an encounter with a dangerous animal. You don’t need to digest, reproduce, or filter blood for toxins (urinary system) to get away from the animal. So, all those systems are shut down and the blood is moved out of them and used to take oxygen from your lungs to your muscles. In addition, blood is removed from your skin in case you get cut from the animal or the brush while running away. With the blood removed from all these systems, your blood pressure will go up. This blood is used by the body to go between the muscles and the lungs, thereby getting oxygen to the lungs.

In nature, these situations last a short time. We humans get stressed out for hours, days, weeks, months and years at a time. You can imagine how these systems being shut down leads to health problems, caused by stress. e.g. ulcers, indigestion, colitis, kidney stones, endometriosis, acne… Pretty much any organ that has anything to do with the systems that are shut down.

Stimulation of the parasympathetic immune system through reflexology (massage too) causes a healing of all the organs involved in the systems that were damaged by stress. The above scientific explanation clearly states how many conditions can be cured with massage and reflexology.