Reflexology History

Early Reflexology History

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People have been working on the feet in various ways to effect health all over the world since the beginning of time. Evidence of working on the feet has been found in the form of drawings and statues in the countries of Indian, Japan, China and part of Europe. Using the feet as a source of healing can be traced back to several different American Indian tribes and the earliest evidence of therapeutic work on hands and feet has been found in Egypt in the form of wall drawings in the Physician's tomb, 2500 year BC. Marco Polo, and other missionaries to China, are credited with bringing the ancient Chinese massage technique into Europe.

Throughout the history of humankind the feet have played an important part of healing practices. Reflexology goes back to early history. As information is gathered it seems that variations of the modern practice of reflexology existed in all of the ancient healing cultures.

2500 BC

Evidence of the use of pressure points on the feet was found in Egypt in the tombs of Ankhmahor (highest official after the Pharaoh) at Saqqara, which is also known as the Physician's Tomb.

107 AD

One of the earliest records of a formalized system was developed by a Chinese doctor called Dr Wang Wie. He had a human figure cast in Bronze. On this he marked the points used for Acupuncture. This is where a qualified practitioner positions needles in the appropriate points in the body.

690 AD

Traces of the practice dating back to 690 AD were also found in the Physicians Temple in Nara, Japan.

Modern history and the scientific basis of reflexology are rooted in research about the reflex in Europe and Russia 125 years ago.

1890's - 1920's

Physicians in Germany began to look at physiological reflex action. They began to look at treating Disease through massage and developed techniques known as reflex massage.

In the 1890's knighted research scientist and medical doctor, Sir Henry Head demonstrated the neurological relationship that exists between the skin and the internal organs.

Nobel prize-winner, Sir Charles Sherrington proved that the whole nervous system and body adjusts to a stimulus when it is applied to any part of the body.

Zone Therapy

Dr William Fitzgerald deserves the credit for establishing the basis of modern Reflexology. He discovered the zones and developed a treatment called Zone Therapy. Fitzgerald noticed while treating patients for the same disorder with a minor operation that some would feel great pain and others very little. He investigated this and discovered that some patients were producing anaesthetic effects upon themselves by applying pressure to areas of the body. He tested these theories on his patients. He found that if pressure was applied on the fingers it would create an anaesthetic effect on the hand, arm & shoulder, right up to the jaw, ear & nose! He carried out minor surgery using this knowledge. Using this he worked out the zones in the body, which we use today.

Fitzgerald and his colleague Edwin Bowers tried to convince colleagues of the validity of the therapy. They used to apply pressure to the person's hand then stick a needle into the part of the face, which they knew to be anaesthetised!

In 1915 Bowers wrote his first article to publicly declare the effects of Zone Therapy entitled 'Stop the Toothache, Squeeze your toe'.

In 1917 the book 'Zone Therapy' was published. It was not well received throughout the medical profession (some things don't really change!) However, one physician called Joseph Riley was impressed with the findings. It was his research assistant Eunice Ingham who made the greatest contribution to modern Reflexology.

1930

Eunice Ingham, an American physiotherapist, further developed this theory in the 1930’s with her “Reflex Method of Compression Massage”, which stipulated that all parts of the body could be treated by pressing specific areas of the feet and hands. She produced a map outlining these reflex points, as well as highlighting various techniques that could used to stimulate them.

Ingham’s reflex point theory forms the basis of what constitutes modern day reflexology. Her maps of the feet and hands are still seen as the essential blueprints by which today’s practitioners formulate their treatment practices.

The Association Of Reflexologists

The Association was founded in 1984. It arose from a need to establish standards and to provide a network of qualified practitioners to which the public can refer with confidence. It is a truly independent organisation, not affiliated to any particular training establishment.

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