8/3/2019 The Origins of Reflexology

1/2

8/3/2019 The Origins of Reflexology

2/2

while he was head of the Nose and Throat Division of St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut.

He discovered that pressure, when applied to certain points on the body, could relieve pain andenhances the functions of specific organs of the body. In his research Dr. Fitzgerald created a

technique of ten zones operating from the top rated of the head to the tips of the toes and hands. Dr.Edwin Bowers, medical critic and writer, investigated Dr. Fitzgerald's claims and, immediately after

satisfying his skepticism, jointly authored with Dr. Fitzgerald the book "Zone Therapy". Functioning

closely with Dr. Fitzgerald was a different medical medical doctor by the name of Dr. Joe ShelbyRiley.

The Horizontal Reflexes Are Mapped

In 1924, because of his research with Dr. Fitzgerald, Dr. Riley published a book known as ZoneReflex. In his book Dr. Riley, for the initial time in recorded historical past, suggests the existence

of horizontal zones going across the body in an orderly pattern. He also created the 1st in depthdrawings of reflexes on the feet and hands that advised a shape of the human body with the

guidelines of the fingers and toes corresponding to the head and the heel of the feet and handscorresponding to the reduce elements of the body. In his book, Dr. Riley also included an illustration

of the outer ear with just a handful of stress points. For the duration of Dr. Rileys investigation,physical therapist Eunice D. Ingham worked closely with Dr. Riley and was fascinated with his

investigation and started out creating her foot reflex theory in the early 1930's. She proceeded totreat hundreds of sufferers exactly where she meticulously checked and rechecked each reflex point

until she determined that the reflexes on the feet were an precise mirror image of the organs of thebody.

After Eunice reported her findings to Dr. Riley, he encouraged her to write her very first book

entitled "Stories the Feet Can Tell" exactly where she documented her instances and very carefullymapped out the reflexes on the feet as we know them today. This book was published in 1938 and

was later on translated into seven foreign languages, which spread the positive aspects of footreflexology beyond the borders of the United States. Confusion in between foot reflexology and

Zone Treatment began to arise at this point simply because a foreign publisher altered the title ofEunices book to "Zone Therapy." Nonetheless, there is a distinct distinction between the two

therapies. Zone Treatment relies solely on the zones to ascertain the place to be worked, whereasfoot reflexology requires the zones as well as the anatomical model to decide the area or locations to

be worked.

Foot reflexology has had an exciting and colorful evolution. What 1 need to keep in mind is thatdespite the fact that it is important that reflexologists know the origins of their trade it is equally

vital to hold in thoughts that foot reflexology is a healing modality that have to be practiced withadore and compassion so our clientele can receive the total advantage of our practice.