Reflexology (a manipulative and body-based practice Manipulative and Body-Based Practices Five categories of complementary or alternative medicine are generally recognized: Whole medical systems Mind-body medicine Biologically based practices not usually used in conventional medicine... read more ) is a variant of massage therapy Massage Therapy In massage therapy (a manipulative and body-based practice), body tissues are manipulated to reduce pain, relieve muscle tension, and reduce stress. The therapeutic value of massage for many... read more that relies on manual pressure applied to specific areas of the palm or foot; these areas are believed to correspond to different organs or body systems via meridians. Stimulation of these areas is believed to eliminate the blockage of energy responsible for pain or symptoms in the corresponding body part. (See also Overview of Integrative, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine Overview of Integrative, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine Integrative medicine and health (IMH) and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) include healing approaches and therapies that historically have not been included in conventional, mainstream... read more .)
Reflexology is considered a homunculus-based therapy because it presumes that the entire body is represented on the bottom of the feet or surface of the palm. In most clinical studies of reflexology, findings tend to be nonspecific effects on subjective symptoms (eg, causing relaxation, indistinguishable from that caused by massage). A few meta-analyses showed only low-quality evidence that reflexology is effective for pain management in palliative medicine (1 References Reflexology (a manipulative and body-based practice) is a variant of massage therapy that relies on manual pressure applied to specific areas of the palm or foot; these areas are believed to... read more ) and for reducing pain during labor (2 References Reflexology (a manipulative and body-based practice) is a variant of massage therapy that relies on manual pressure applied to specific areas of the palm or foot; these areas are believed to... read more , 3 References Reflexology (a manipulative and body-based practice) is a variant of massage therapy that relies on manual pressure applied to specific areas of the palm or foot; these areas are believed to... read more ).
References
1. Candy B, Armstrong M, Flemming K, et al: The effectiveness of aromatherapy, massage and reflexology in people with palliative care needs: A systematic review. Palliat Med 34(2):179-194, 2020. doi:10.1177/0269216319884198
2. Smith CA, Levett KM, Collins CT, et al: Massage, reflexology and other manual methods for pain management in labour. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 3(3):CD009290, 2018. Published 2018 Mar 28. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD009290.pub3
3. Liang X, Wu S, Li K, et al: The effects of reflexology on symptoms in pregnancy: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Heliyon 9(8):e18442, 2023. Published 2023 Jul 19. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18442