Hand Reflexology
Are you looking for a proven-effective way to boost your health and improve your quality of life? Over the last decade, hand reflexology has emerged as a popular medical alternative to traditional treatments.
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Through consistent practice, those who receive hand reflexology may benefit from many health improvements, such as headache relief, improved circulation, and more.
In this guide, we’ll go over the fundamentals of hand reflexology, as well as examine a handful of the benefits associated with this quality medical treatment. We’ll also cover who should use hand reflexology so that you can see if this treatment is proper for you.
With this in mind, let’s jump in and take a closer look at this increasingly-popular medical alternative!
What is Hand Reflexology?
Let’s start with the basics. If you’ve never heard the term before, you may be asking yourself, “What exactly is hand reflexology?” Despite the name, the treatment does more than test your hand’s reflexes.
In fact, with consistent practice, many patients find a wide range of health benefits that span the full body and mind.
As such, it’s crucial that you gain a detailed understanding of what hand reflexology actually is.
In a nutshell, the practice attempts to reduce symptoms and causes of various ailments around the body by targeting “reflex points” in the hands. This is done by identifying which reflex points correspond to other body regions and massaging these points in a specific way.
When done correctly, this can lead to significant pain reduction in the hands and wrists, as well as reduction of symptoms in various regions across the body.
To summarize, hand reflexology is a form of massage that’s gained a ton of ground over the last few decades. As more individuals turn to alternative forms of medicine, hand reflexology has grown as a severe field of pain and symptom relief.
Who Uses Hand Reflexology?
With that being said, who uses hand reflexology?
Admittedly, the practice may sound similar to other practices you’ve heard about, such as acupuncture or moxibustion.
In theory, the practice works similarly. Underpinning all these medical treatments is the idea that different parts of the body are connected and that changes in one part can lead to significant differences in other regions as well.
This doesn’t mean, however, that hand reflexology is exclusive to any particular tradition. Instead, it is a form of medicine that’s gained traction in medical communities across the West.
Today, many people use hand reflexology to treat a variety of illnesses and their symptoms. For example, you may use hand reflexology if you suffer from:
- Intense headaches
- Digestive issues
- Poor blood flow
- And more!
Though hand reflexology is a relatively new field, there’s a wealth of anecdotal evidence supporting the practice’s benefits in treating various symptoms.
This means that it’s essential to take a closer look at the benefits of hand reflexology so that you can benefit from these advantages, as well.
Hand Reflexology Benefits
So saying, let’s take a look at just a few of the essential benefits that have been documented with hand reflexology.
Keep in mind that, due to the nature of the field, there has yet to be a consistent body of scientific research backing hand reflexology.
This doesn’t mean, however, that the field doesn’t help target a variety of disorders and provide top-of-the-line treatments that can significantly benefit a patient’s quality of life.
This section will go over five benefits of hand reflexology that have either been consistently documented with anecdotal evidence or even scientific study.
So doing, we hope to provide you with a better sense of what this treatment is for and what it can potentially do for you.
Keep these benefits in mind as you attempt to find a treatment for whatever ailment you may have. Remember also that there are no known adverse side effects to hand reflexology.
In other words, while individual results may vary, you can rest assured that you won’t suffer any undue side effects from hand reflexology practice.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at the top benefits you can expect from hand reflexology. Specifically, the practice:
1. Relieves Headaches
Hand reflexology has emerged as a popular alternative to traditional headache relief treatments.
One 2015 study showed that individuals who received hand reflexology over six months saw a significant reduction in headaches, with some participants noting that their headaches disappeared altogether.
This makes hand reflexology an interesting treatment for those who suffer from constant headaches or migraines.
If you suffer daily from headaches and have not found any luck in traditional treatments, hand reflexology may be for you.
This is particularly true if you believe your headaches to be stress-based. Through specific techniques, hand reflexology can trigger calming reactions in your body that can reduce the rate and severity of your headaches.
Specifically, hand reflexology that targets headaches focuses on a few pressure points in your hand and wrist that are believed to be connected to your head.
For this reason, a growing number of patients have turned to hand reflexology to treat their head pain. Several of these patients have remarked that the treatment has a calming effect on them, reducing stress, anxiety, and headaches.
This means that, if you suffer from terrible headaches, there may be no better treatment than hand reflexology.
2. Reduces Anxiety
The practice has also been connected to lower rates of anxiety (which are in turn connected to headaches).
While there has been anecdotal evidence supporting the claim that hand reflexology lowers anxiety rates for years, it’s only been since 2017 that scientific evidence came to back up this claim.
Specifically, a 2017 study found that individuals who received hand reflexology before their medical treatments were less anxious about those treatments.
This suggests that the practice may play a significant role in reducing overall anxiety and stress levels.
This, of course, leads to an improved quality of life. Whether you are stressed due to work or are a natural worry-wart, you can be sure that hand reflexology can positively impact your life.
By focusing on a few reflex points, the practice can help you reduce anxiety levels in the brain and induce a calmer, happier state that can help you lead a more productive and enriching life.
This means that those who struggle with stress and anxiety disorders may experience significant benefits from receiving hand reflexology treatments.
3. Eases Constipation
Were they having trouble making it in the bathroom? Hand reflexology may help you in that regard, too. One 2010 study found that 94% of participants noticed a reduction in constipation symptoms after just six weeks of treatment.
This suggests that hand reflexology may play a critical role in minimizing both the physical and emotional causes of constipation.
Notably, the study revealed that stress-induced constipation virtually vanished in individuals who received regular hand reflexology treatments over six months.
This means that those who suffer from emotional issues or digestive issues such as IBS may benefit significantly from hand reflexology treatments.
What’s more, as staying regular plays a vital role in health and quality of life, this suggests that those who undergo hand reflexology treatments may experience extended health benefits both in the short and the long term.
For this reason, hand reflexology is recommended for individuals facing an array of digestive tract issues.
4. Improves Circulation
Due to the nature of the treatment, hand reflexology has been proven to boost circulation in patients. Specifically, the practice targets various reflex points through massage, often clearing up “blockages” and allowing for improved blood flow throughout the body.
This means that those who receive these treatments will experience heightened circulation throughout the body.
What effect does this have on overall health? Simply put, proper circulation has been linked to improved mental states, greater mobility, proper energy levels, and more.
Additionally, science has linked proper circulation to clearing various toxins from the body, suggesting that those with improved circulation do a better job of cleaning unwanted and potentially harmful substances from their bodies.
From this alone, it’s clear that hand reflexology offers a wide array of both short and long-term health benefits for patients if you are suffering from poor circulation in any part of their body.
It may be time to consider hand reflexology. With the right practitioner, you’ll find it easier than ever to improve your blood flow and start normalizing your body’s routines. This, in turn, will allow you to improve your mental health, helping you stay adjusted and well-rounded.
5. Relieves Allergies
You may be thinking, “What do my hands have to do with allergies?” However, the truth of the matter is that specific nerves in your hand are connected to your face, your head, and your sinuses, suggesting that they may play a significant role in regulating systems affected by allergies.
To support this, there’s a body of anecdotal evidence proving that those who receive consistent hand reflexology treatment are better able to fight off allergies and keep their systems healthier.
If you’re particularly affected by the changing of the seasons, it may be time to consider hand reflexology. With this treatment, you’ll be better equipped to fight off that pesky pollen and keep your sinuses clear of any obstructions.
This means that hand reflexology may be the ideal treatment of choice for anyone looking to stay healthy and clear-headed throughout pollen and allergy season. Consider seeing a hand reflexologist yourself if you are looking to experience these benefits firsthand!
Is Hand Reflexology Right for You?
While hand reflexology has been proven effective for people suffering from various illnesses and ailments, you’ll still want to make sure that the practice is proper for you.
Of course, you cannot do this alone. This means that you’ll want to consult with your physician before you undergo any hand reflexology treatments. Remember that you should never get any medical treatment that your doctor hasn’t approved.
This isn’t to say, however, that hand reflexology is not safe. Several studies have found that there are no ill effects associated with the practice. Despite this, practitioners ask individuals with the following issues to be wary of undergoing hand reflexology treatments:
If you suffer from any of these issues, make sure to clear your hand reflexology treatments with your doctor first. Only by doing so can you ensure that your treatments will target your issues and won’t have any adverse side effects on your health.
Pregnant women are asked to remember that specific reflex points may trigger contractions, so hand reflexology should not ever be considered a proper treatment for pregnancy-induced illness or stress.
By keeping these guidelines in mind, you’ll be able to get the most out of your hand reflexology treatments and start living your life like never before!
The Bottom Line
Hand reflexology has the power to significantly benefit your life.
This alternative medical treatment, which involves massaging specific reflex points in the hands and wrist area, has grown in popularity over recent years as a popular way to treat hand and wrist pain, headaches, stress, and more!
With this growth in popularity has come an increase in scientific evidence to support the benefits of hand reflexology.
If you are suffering from stress or any other illness, you may consider hand reflexology to reduce your symptoms and raise your quality of life. Remember to check with your doctor first before receiving any treatments, particularly if you suffer from any of the illnesses listed above.
By keeping the information in this guide in mind, you may be one step closer to boosting your health and getting healthier than ever before. For this reason, talk to your doctor today to find out if hand reflexology is suitable for you!