Sometimes less is more. Ask Amy Petersen, who owns The Foot Bridge in Blue Grass, Iowa, and works throughout the Quad-Cities area. Petersen practices Integrative Reflexology™, a type of body work that applies pressure to areas of the feet and hands to bring balance to all of the body’s organs and systems. There are many misconceptions about reflexology – that it is no different from a foot massage, that it can be used to diagnose disorders — but one of the most needless is that it has to be painful in order to work.
“It’s not about the more pressure, the better it is,” says Petersen. “It’s about working to the level that is comfortable for your body.”
Integrative Reflexology™ builds on techniques pioneered by the Ingham method of reflexology while combining them with practices from various types of massage. These include acupressure, shiatsu and rolfing (soft tissue manipulation). The result is a whole-hand technique that is less taxing on the the reflexologist and less intensive on the feet of the client, though no less effective.
For Petersen, who grew up receiving Ingham method reflexology, this was a revelation. “There was a much higher level of comfort,” she says. “Of course, the more I was trained, the more I understood why it works.”
Benefits of reflexology can range from pain relief, improved digestion, reduced swelling, better circulation and relief from muscle tension. It can help counteract the side effects of some medications and sometimes is recommended as pre- and post-surgical care. But, says Petersen, it is important to understand that helping the body heal is a process, and one that takes time.
In Integrative Reflexology™, clients are initially encouraged to come to four sessions over the course of two weeks. (In Ingham or zone reflexology, six sessions during the first two weeks are more common.) After that, the reflexologist assesses where the client is at and the frequency of visits he or she may need. Usually clients come once a week or once every other week after that, until a visit is needed only once every three or four weeks. The process is gradual, though, as the body works toward a state of balanced well-being.
Although reflexology can be offered as an alternative treatment, Petersen practices it as complimentary care. This means that rather than take the place of treatments you might receive from a physician, it is meant to work cooperatively with his or her care.
Every visit at the Foot Bridge begins with a foot soak, during which Petersen spends five minutes doing reflexology treatments on the client’s hands. After that the client moves to a table or chair, whichever is most comfortable, and Petersen begins working on his or her feet. Each person is given a chart so that he or she can follow along and see which parts of the body correspond with the areas of the feet Petersen is working on. Over the course of an hour, she touches on areas for each of the organs and all of the body systems. When the session is over, Petersen encourages clients to drink water, just as they would following an intensive massage session.
The difference between a foot massage and a reflexology treatment, says Petersen, is that a foot massage deals primarily with the surface of the foot. Its overall goal is a sense of relaxation and well-being. Reflexology, on the other hand, is about whole body health. She describes it as “relaxation on a therapeutic level.”
In the coming months Petersen will be offering basic, 10-hour courses on reflexology. The classes are designed to teach simple practices that anyone can use to deliver palliative care to friends and family. She describes it as a “do no harm” care technique, a way to share a restorative touch with elderly relatives or children that is safe and non-intrusive.
If you are interested in finding a reflexologist for yourself, Petersen encourages looking for a practitioner who is nationally certified, who has between 100 and 200 hours of training, and who has made reflexology at least 50 percent of his or her clinical practice.
By Sarah Gardner. Originally published in the August 2009 issue of Radish magazine.