What is Foot massage?

Foot massage is one of the most unbelievably relaxing treats that you can give yourself or others. The ultimate study of foot massage is reflexology.

Foot reflexology is "pressure therapy" and involves applying focused pressure to certain known reflex points located in the foot to cure or prevent disease. Foot reflexology is based on the premise that our nerve zones or reflex points go from the bottom of our feet to the top of our head, encompassing all vital organs on the way. A trained reflexologist can put pressure on different meridiens or energy lines on the sole and side of the feet to determine the cause of illness.

What are the benefits of Foot massage?

Each part of the foot is reputedly linked to another, often distant, part of the body, with influence extending not just to the muscles but also to the vital organs as well.

There are many benefits of this type of massage, including the most basic: it feels good. The feet are many times the hardest worked of all body parts. They are what hold your weight up all day long, and the longer you walk or stand, the more tired they will become. By receiving a foot massage, the patient can experience relaxation as well as pain relief.

As well as the most basic benefits, there are many other benefits to foot massage as well. Take zone reflex therapy as an example: the belief in this type of foot massage therapy is that the beginning of all reflex zones is in the feet, and by rubbing and manipulating these areas of the feet, healing can occur. Based on this belief, a regular foot massage could also have healing qualities because the necessary zones may be rubbed and manipulated (even if it is unintentionally).

Another benefit is the release of stress. There have been studies performed on patients of heart surgery that showed there was a significant decrease in the stress of patients after a foot massage. This could mean that a foot massage not only causes relaxation due to less stress, but better health as well. Since heart disease is linked with mental well-being (i.e. too much stress can lead to a heart attack), the foot massage can be indirectly causing better overall health, as well as recovery and prevention.

Who can do Foot massage?

Foot massage is best administered by a qualified and experienced massage therapist. It harmonizes the energies of body and mind. Pressure applied to the feet releases powerful healing forces that ease pain and stress. Its exquisite yoga-like stretches improve flexibility, maintain health and vitality, and enhance sports performance. Since foot massage involves different forms of touch - pressing, stretching and twisting - which have been perfected through the ages – it should only be administered by experts. People who receive foot massage regularly experience feelings of relaxation, peace of mind, happiness, flexibility and youthfulness.