Everyone knows the benefits of a good massage. It’s excellent for relieving tension, improving blood circulation, and undoing painful muscle knots. A good deep tissue massage is a guaranteed way to get your body to relax, which everyone needs in an incredibly high-stress environment.
Whether you’re a massage enthusiast or a complete newbie, you’ve probably heard of reflexology. Most people think it’s a type of massage for the feet, hands, and ears, but it goes beyond that. There are pressure points in these areas that can reduce some bothersome symptoms you’ve had a hard time treating. However, a lot of reflexology myths continue to circulate that simply aren’t true. Here are four of them and why they’re bogus:
Myth No. 1: Reflexology Hurts
Some people feel pain from massages, which is why they think the same towards reflexology. However, this should never hurt. The pressure in reflexology must be firm enough without inducing pain or soreness. Although you may experience a sore spot in an imbalance area, it should feel more like a tender sensation than a painful one.
If you are feeling pain from your treatment, make sure your reflexologist knows. Your experience should be as comfortable to the point that you fall asleep, similar to getting a back massage. Your reflexologist must use a pressure that suits you best or change your position accordingly for the best treatment possible.
Myth No. 2: Reflexology Can Make Diagnoses
Although reflexology is useful for spotlighting aspects out of balance, it cannot diagnose illnesses. Only doctors are capable of doing so. In fact, reflexologists recommend patients to visit their doctor if they say they aren’t feeling well.
At the end of your treatment, your reflexologist might ask you if you’ve been feeling a strange sensation in any area. We usually ask this if we spot a reflex that feels out of balance, fizzy, or somehow crunchy. We also pick up on certain things, like tension in shoulder reflexes. Asking you this question allows us to determine if something is alarming and if you need to see a medical professional.
Myth No. 3: Reflexology is Just a Foot Massage
Many people believe that reflexology is a fancy term for a foot massage, but it goes beyond that. Although it uses some massage techniques to relax you and condition the muscles, actual treatment depends on using systematic pressure on the feet. Doing this will help restore balance in your body, and it should feel very calming.
Myth No. 4: Reflexology is an Alternative Treatment
Reflexology must never be used to treat an illness or a condition. Instead, it works together with other forms of treatment that you’ll receive from a medical specialist to help you recharge, rebalance, and recover.
The National Cancer Institute funded a 2011 study where experts examined how reflexology affected over 200 women with advanced breast cancer. All participants underwent treatment at the time of the research, like chemotherapy, for their cancer. The study found that reflexology effectively helped reduce some of their symptoms, like shortness of breath. Reflexology cannot cure illness, but it can make people feel better.
Conclusion
Reflexology is a great way to restore balance to your body. It operates on the theory that pressure points in your feet are directly connected to other parts of the central nervous system, and working on these areas reduces pain. Now that you know these myths are untrue, you may want to consider going in for a session!
If you’re looking for the best massage services in Edmonton, visit us at Soul 2 Sole Studio! We are a massage studio that offers numerous treatments that are guaranteed to relieve your stress, like deep tissue massages, prenatal massages, and reflexology. Make time for yourself today and book a soothing massage with us!
