what do you think of reflexology?

[dolphin]

does it work o not what is your opioin on it

 

[Kate]

I was a total skeptic about reflexology until I met a woman who specialized in it. As we got to talking I told her that honestly I thought it was a bunch of crap, and she just smiled and asked me if I had any pain or discomfort right at that moment. I said yes, I was on my cycle and having cramps. She asked if she could show me something and I said sure, and she lifted up my pants leg and pressed down on a spot on the inside of my leg above my ankle. I nearly shot through the roof - it hurt so bad! She said that was the "spot" for the uterus and ovaries. She massaged it and I swear within 10 minutes all of my pain was gone. So I went from skeptical to a total believer in 15 minutes' time!

 

[Slim D]

I've tried it before and yes it does work!

 

[ep1909]

My wife was told she may need surgery !2 treatments the pain is gone I had gout its gone Go to a Chinese We go to one in Vancouver that has doctors from china

 

[Venkat]

It is good, just Proceed, also see some details & explanation below which i copied and pasted below and also refer to the web site which might be helpful/self explanatory.

In a reflexology chart the body is reflected on the feet or hands. It serves a s a map for technique application to target health goals.

Left foot or hand reflects the left side of the body and the right foot or hand the right side. The spine reflex area runs down the insides of the feet and hands with reflex areas for the arm and shoulder reflected toward the outside of the foot or hand. The toes and fingers mirror the head and neck as well as the parts of the body they encase. The ball of the foot mirrors the chest and upper back in addition the heart and lungs.

Halfway down the foot at the base of the long bones of the foot is represented the waistline of the body. the parts of the body above the waistline are mirrored above this line and those below sare represented below it. Internal organs lying above the body's waistline are reflected by reflex areas above this line while those below the waistline are mirrored below this line.

 

[William T]

It's a foot massage given by a liar. The entire concept is absurd and entirely debunked. Yes a foot massage makes you feel better, but it doesn't mean that it's magic. That reflexology doesn't work is not a matter of opinion. It's a proven fact that it doesn't work, it doesn't matter how many anecdotes you get here from people who think it works, it's still just quackery.

 

[Richard L]

Well, I want to propose an answer. But I must warn you that some questions do not fall into the proof of Western thinking. So, remember, this is just my opinion.
I have had excellent foot massages by trained Chinese practitioners. In the course of those treatments, I felt better. Nothing dramatic, but I definitely had more energy. The treatments were done by people who could seem to find places that hurt just a few millimeters apart. But once treated on a Monday, then the treatment two days later was much easier.
I want to propose an idea. It is that not all treatments can be evaluated best by a double blind, placebo controlled, crossover study. (Known as the Gold Standard)
I used to hear about appendicitis when I was a kid. In those days, when the appendix burst, it often spelled death. So when people had appendicitis, they were rushed into emergency surgery. All the people I knew who had the surgery got better or at least said that they did. But they did not participate in a Gold Standard study. All of them got surgery to remove the appendix. No one got surgery and had their colon removed instead or were just cut open and sewed back up again. And they all knew that they had surgery. And the doctors knew. To be true, according to the Gold Standard, a portion of them would have had a different surgery or just a cut and mess around with internal organs surgery. And the doctors would have had to be kept in the dark. But they were not allowed that Standard of medicine and somehow still survived to tell about it.
Of course, I am forcing the argument a bit here. Maybe even pushing it to the absurd. But I am trying to suggest that there are levels of truth in the observational practice of helping humans with health problems that may not fit the Gold Standard, but that are not false just because they don't fit. Most body treatments that deal with Traditional Chinese Medicine's meridians, like reflexology, have that problem.
On the chance that those who report help from reflexology are only better because of the placebo effect, I still don't doubt that they are feeling better. But that is just my opinion. And that is what you asked. Thanks for listening.

 

[SkepDoc 3.0]

Utter nonsense. The magical idea that various organs in the body have a corresponding point on the foot contradicts everything we know about anatomy and how the body communicates internally.
The magical idea that by somehow touching these spots hits some sort of reset button and an illness goes away is delusional, and also is in unsupported by any scientific evidence.

It is a foot massage. It feels good. You will feel more relaxed. That is all.

 

[Gary Y]

Implausible and never proven to beat placebo effect.
http://www.skepdic.com/reflex.html