Daneeta
Loretta Saft
examines the intricacies of reflexology and concludes it hurts - but it hurts so good.
Overheard in a reflexology clinic:
Practitioner: Does it hurt? Patient: Yes, but it' a good hurt. Practitioner: You're going to be just fine.
For those of you who have
experimented with the oriental healing arts, you know that there is a difference between
good pain and bad pain. Good pain is the pain that stops quickly and after the treatment
you feel 100% better. Bad pain is the kind of pain you experience when you pull something
in your back and can't get out of bed the next day. Understanding the difference will help
to get you through your first session of reflexology.
What is reflexology? To quote from the Reflexology Association of Canada, it is "a
natural healing art based on the principle that there are reflexes in the feet and hands
which correspond to every part of the body. Through application of pressure on particular
areas of the hands or feet, reflexology serves to relax tension, improve circulation and
promote the natural function of the related area in the body."
Does it work? According to the practitioners of other oriental therapies like acupuncture
and shiatsu, yes. "It's great as an adjunct therapy," says Edward Obaidey, one
of Tokyo's few foreign certified acupuncturists. "And it works if it's done
correctly." Of course. But how do you know it's being done correctly? Obaidey says if
it doesn't hurt like the dickens, you know it's not being done correctly. The practitioner
applies intense pressure to different areas of the feet and toes with their fingers or
with wooden instruments of torture - I mean wooden tools. You might scream, you might
protest vigorously, but you will feel sooooo good after.
Reflexologists have come up with varying explanations for the effectiveness of the
therapy. One explanation is that targeting pressure points on the feet reduces the amount
of lactic acid in the tissues while releasing calcium crystals that hold back the free
flow of energy to corresponding organs. So that's a Chi thing.
Then there's the idea that reflexology triggers the release of endorphins. Usually
associated with a good run, endorphins are those nifty little guys in the brain that
naturally block pain and give one a sense of euphoria. Similarly, some practitioners
ascribe the benefits to a relaxation response that opens the blood vessels and improves
circulation.
Unfortunately, none of these explanations have been scientifically verified. Most
reflexologists themselves agree, however, that the treatment is great for stress relief,
but it won't cure the underlying cause as other oriental practices may. A growing number
of people swear by the relaxing powers of reflexology and there are more than 25,000
practitioners worldwide. This number is growing rapidly as it is pretty easy to learn. You
can teach yourself from a book and even take a certification course over the Internet.
Reflexology has become somewhat of a fad in Japan. The appeal seems to be its ubiquity and
the fact that you don't have to take off your clothes. You can just pop into the
reflexologists, take your shoes off, and be out of there in under 15 minutes flat. But
watch out. This sort of wam-bam-thank-you-ma'am style of reflexology can cost you - JY1500
to JY2000 for ten minutes to be exact. It doesn't seem like a lot of money until you
calculate how much an hour would be and conclude that you could have had shiatsu or
acupuncture for half that. Best to learn it with your main squeeze and spend the evening
in.
Daneeta Loretta Saft is a Tokyo-based writer and health and fitness acolyte. For
further info on this and other health and fitness stuff check out her website at www.healthy-bytes.com
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For those of you who have
experimented with the oriental healing arts, you know that there is a difference between
good pain and bad pain. Good pain is the pain that stops quickly and after the treatment
you feel 100% better. Bad pain is the kind of pain you experience when you pull something
in your back and can't get out of bed the next day. Understanding the difference will help
to get you through your first session of reflexology. 
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