Question - What are the Differences Between Reflexology and Massage?

Answer - Massage deals with touch all over the body with major emphasis on muscular, circulatory and lymphatic systems. Reflexology, by working on complete reflex maps on the feet, hands and outer ears, not only helps the muscular, circulatory and lymphatic systems, but also profoundly effects the inside of the body, such as everything inside the head, inside the neck, inside the chest and inside the abdomen. In reflexology, only footwear is removed with the client otherwise staying fully clothed.

Question - What is the Difference Between Reflexology and Acupressure?

Answer - Both Reflexology and Acupressure fall into the category of touch therapies called Reflex Therapies. However, they each work under very different energetic principles and extremely different reflex point locations.

Acupressure deals with over 14 long thin energy lines called meridians that run most of the length of the body. There are more than 800 pressure points along these lines, of which, fewer than 30 are found on the feet and the hands with only one meridian acupressure point on the bottom of the feet, and only one meridian even coming close to the ear, in the crease behind the outer ear.

Reflexology, in contrast, has an entire reflex map of the body on the feet, a second complete reflex map of the body on the hands and a third complete reflex map of the body on the outer ear.

Question - What is the Difference Between Ear Reflexology and Auriculotherapy?

Answer – Auriculotherapy is the approach used by Licensed Medical Practitioners, usually Medical Doctors, Acupuncturists, Chiropractors, Physical Therapists, and Dentists. Within their Scope of Practice, they are legally licensed to Diagnose, Prescribe, and use implements to treat specific illnesses. Reflexologists are not. Reflexologists use specific touch techniques nurturingly applied to the outer ear, to help the different parts of the body relax so that all parts function better, thus helping the body to better heal itself.

Question - I understand You Can Diagnose With Reflexology?

Answer - Unless you have been through medical school and are licensed to diagnose, in most countries of the world, it is illegal to diagnose, consequently, it is illegal to diagnose with reflexology. More importantly, it is unethical, in the opinion of Bill Flocco, Director of the American Academy of Reflexology to diagnose with reflexology for two additional reasons. Irregularities (such as tenderness) in a reflex area, can be caused by many different factors, such as a bone out of alignment, a strained muscle, or poor circulation in the feet or hands. Secondly, a number of research studies conducted to determine if reflexology could be used as a dependable diagnostic approach, give different results with a couple of studies in China showing some favorable results while another study conducted by Medical Doctors and Reflexologists in England, demonstrated that reflexology is not effective for diagnosis.

Question - Was Reflexology Discovered in Asia?

Answer - Acupressure was discovered in the Orient. Foot and Hand Reflexology were first discovered by Drs. Fitzgerald and Riley in the USA, Ear Reflexology was first discovered by Dr. Paul Nogier in France, all during the 20th Century.

Question - Was Reflexology Discovered in Egypt?

Answer - An Egyptian pictograph showing someone working on someone else's finger and toe is a clear indication that something of significance was happening to the feet and hands. In the May 1997 issue of the ICR Newsletter, starting on page eleven, it is documented that six Egyptologists (leading authorities in Egyptian Pictography) clearly stated that the Pictograph depicted the prelude to surgery… not Reflexology

Drs. Fitzgerald and Riley from the mid 1920’s onward taught about the reflex maps, at first mostly on the hands, then later mostly on the feet. In the 1930’s, Eunice Ingham who worked as a physical therapist in Dr. Riley’s office in Florida, taught the reflex map on the feet, mainly to lay people across America. At first she called it compression massage, later called it Reflexology. By the 1950s Eunice Ingham was printing the word "Reflexology" on Certificates given to her students.

Here is how the inaccurate information came about. In 1960, a man from Southern California, during a vacation in Egypt, came upon a book with a colorful pictograph of two people, one touching a toe, the other touching a finger of two other people. An arm pit and knee are also being touched. This person came back to the USA, and, without asking specialists in Egyptology about what the picture really meant, exclaimed that the picture was the beginning of Reflexology.

Foot and Hand Reflexology had been practiced in the West for over 30 years before the pictograph of touching a finger and toe was ever seen in the West.

For Reflexology to achieve the respect it deserves, one of the steps in that direction is to correct all of the misinformation that is out there and for everyone to use the Documented Validated History – that Reflexology was discovered in the 20^th Century by three Medical Doctors, two in the USA, the third in France.