…REFLEXOLOGY
Can prodding your feet really ease PMS, sort migraines and diminish pain? healthy investigates
Should I try it?
Words Laura Potter. Photographs Getty
This complementary therapy, based on the theory that specific points on your feet, lower legs, hands and face correspond to different body parts, dates back to Ancient Egypt, or 2330 BC to be precise. It also has a long history of use in India and China, but only started being practised in the West in the 1930s.
The thinking is that reflexology helps the body to restore balance, and it’s been gaining momentum recently as a way to counter the negative impacts of stress. The ‘reflex zones’ practitioners massage contain millions of nerve endings that stimulate organs, and claim to invigorate energy pathways. This stimulates the body to heal itself by improving circulation, reducing stress, soothing pain and restoring natural equilibrium.