A different route

Debate has raged for decades to ascertain the exact birthplace of Reflexology. Ancient Egyptians are supposed to have practised a form of treatment similar to it,though the methods have evolved a lot into the present form. China is another place suspected to have given birth to this solution to painful ailments around 5000 years ago. The acupressure method has since then become accupuncture,with pins accessing precise pressure points. The basic idea of massaging specific pressure points on the feet,hands and the ears though has existed at the core of every evolved form. The idea now has found practitioners in Asia,North America,Africa and Europe.

Science has always expressed reservations about any diagnostic or treatment procedure that doesn’t have solid rationale to present as evidence. Reflexology opines that applying pressure to certain points on the feet,arms and ears clears the energy flow in the body. It is believed that most organs can be energised through dedicated points on the feet themselves. This energy network that is worked upon is refered to as ‘qi’ (chee),which loosely translates into ‘breath’ or ‘air’. The pressure activation is assumed to release endorphins into the body,thereby toning down stress symptoms.

But all the information available liberally on the Internet and the sheer number of people relying on it for pains big and small still hasn’t convinced the propagators of science. “I use some inexpensive little tools to stimulate the pressure points in my arms sometimes when I experience any pain. But I don’t use it as the ultimate solution to my ailments,” says Sreya Singh,a media professional. Even Reflexologists agree to this point. Reflexology is often promoted as a supplementary help in the treatment of a disease rather than the mainstay. Medical practitioners have commented in the past that alluding to such alternate methods could delay the prognosis of serious diseases and ultimately affect the treatment.

The controversy that Reflexology and other ideas like Pranic healing encounter is the challenge to the existence of an energy network inside the body. But for the followers,they are considerate tools to fall back on.