How to Decipher a Foot Reflexology Chart
- Cloud Massage Brand Team
Our feet do more than we realize, and when foot pain gets bad, we’ll often turn to anything to try to help - even if it means soaking your feet and hoping for the best. But, have you considered there might be easier ways to find faster relief? What if I told you that there is, and that it doesn’t just help your feet - it helps your whole body? Would you believe me?
Enter foot reflexology - an innovative, natural way to relieve most foot pains. Granted, it won’t solve all of your foot issues, and may not be able to give you immediate relief like a massage machine will - but it’s a great way to get in touch with your body.
If foot reflexology charts look confusing to you, no sweat - we’re going to cover the basics of reflexology, look at and decipher some foot reflexology chart images, and even talk about when it helps (vs. when other solutions are needed).
Let’s hit the ground running and get started:
What Is Foot Reflexology?
Foot reflexology is a practice in which someone puts pressure on certain points in the bottom of your foot (or hand) in order to assist with certain pains or body ailments.
Despite its recent popularity in the United States, foot reflexology has actually been around for centuries. Its origins began in ancient China, where it is still used as an effective means of treating all kinds of things.
But how? Anyone reading a chart for foot reflexology points may not see the correlation, but these points supposedly act as meridian points that connect to all different parts of our body!
So, what exactly can these meridian points do? Well, as it turns out, putting pressure on these points isn’t just a way to ease foot pain - foot reflexology affects all kinds of places!
Here are just a few of the many claimed benefits of foot reflexology:
Benefits of Foot Reflexology
According to the Mayo clinic, foot reflexology may help with:
Eye Strain
- By focusing on pressure points on our feet, you may find that muscles we may keep tight without even knowing it loosen up a bit. This is especially true for our eye muscles, which are often tight from looking at screens all day.
Stress & Relaxation
- Arguably the biggest benefit! Looking at any foot massage chart’s reflexology points will tell you that many pressure points on the bottom of the foot lead to increased relaxation. This is partially due to the fact that, well, getting any massage and pressure on our muscles is very relaxing in general!
- Moreover, many people find that certain pressure points on the bottoms of our feet help to alleviate general anxiety and melancholic feelings.
Improved Sleep
- Seeing that reflexology has already been shown to help with stress, it’s no wonder that better sleep comes along with it. Because reflexology helps with blood circulation, having a better night’s sleep is a common side effect.
Digestion
- According to many reflexologists, one of the reflex points on our feet connects directly to the stomach. When this point is pushed, it may increase blood flow to our stomach, which in turn helps out with digestion.
And that’s just a few of the benefits you could see from reflexology. But now that we know that, how are we supposed to decipher a reflexology foot chart and its meanings?
Let’s get into it:
How to Read a Foot Reflexology Chart
To begin, foot reflexology charts don’t generally rely on gender (unless you’re doing acupuncture) - meaning there aren’t any male or female foot reflexology charts specifically.
However, the left and right foot are often differentiated, as points on both feet do different things.
Here is a basic rundown of each pressure point, and the part of the body that those points may affect:
If that’s still a little too confusing, no sweat! Here’s a more basic rundown that may help you better understand which pressure points do what:
- On any foot reflexology chart, the right foot is associated with the right side of the body. The left foot is associated with, you guessed it, the left side of the body. This is easy at first, but note that some organs are on different sides (i.e. your stomach is on your left side, so your left foot would be used) - hence there being varying foot massage chart reflexology points.
- Moving from the ground up, the bottom of your foot is connected to your pelvic area, knees, and appendix.
- The center part of your foot (known as the waistline) has a wide reach. The part above the waistline correlates with the stomach and organs above the waistline. The part below the waistline correlates to the intestines.
- The insides of your feet correlate to your spine.
- The area right underneath your toes corresponds to your chest.
- The toes and feet correlate to your head and neck.
There are more specific reflexology points that do very specific things, but that’s the basic rundown. Now, you can be more informed when you see some foot reflexology chart images in a doctor’s office or on Google!
Massage vs. Foot Reflexology: What’s the Difference?
This question gets asked often, and for good reason - they both apply pressure, and they both feel great! However, there are a few distinct features that separate the two practices:
For starters, foot massages are great for muscle soreness, and allow you to feel more immediate relief than reflexology might. Many people who are looking to soothe pains after a long day at work may want to try a massager gun or massage machine (both of which can be found on our website!) for a quick, pleasant relief.
The con, of course, is that relief from a foot massage is temporary, and only affects the area that has been touched.
Foot reflexology, as we know now, is a bit more complicated (there’s a reason foot reflexology charts are so hard to read). While it may not soothe your aching feet, it may help with pain in other parts of your body and can have a more long term effect after completion.
Foot Reflexology Key Takeaways
Well, we hope that helps clear things up on the wide, wide world of reflexology. If you’re looking to try to aid some sleep or digestive problems, we recommend giving it a shot! If you’re looking for something more along the lines of instant relief, we have you covered there too - feel free to check out our website for all the massage guns, machines, and spa tools you need to kick back and relax!
Have a stress-free day!
Contributing Writer: Aurora Detor