Reflexology is another alternative medicine practice. It can be traced back to ancient Egypt and Asia. Pictorial evidence of the practice is said to be found in the physician's tomb in Egypt and dates back to 2300 B.C. There are several forms of reflexology, such as foot, hand, and ear, but foot reflexology is perhaps the most common in recent times. Podiatrists (see Chapter 7) often study this practice and incorporate it as an adjunct therapy.

Reflexologists utilize a detailed mapping of the foot to identify and treat an imbalance of energy flow to other parts of the body such as organs and tissues. It has been shown to be effective in the treatment of acute as well as chronic conditions, such as migraines, back pain, sleep disorders, digestive disorders, infertility, hormonal imbalances, and stress-related conditions. In general the right foot corresponds to the right side of the body and its organs, and the left foot to the left side; however, there can be some crossover.

The reflexologist takes a detailed history of health and lifestyle. Based on the information collected, select pressure points in the feet are massaged to restore the flow of qi (vital energy). Treatments usually last about an hour. Responses can usually be linked to the yin or yang energy flow that was enhanced by the treatment. Feedback about the response generated is essential to ongoing treatments.

Education and More Information

Reflexology training by itself can be from 100 to 1,000 hours of study. Vocational schools and schools of massage or other healing arts typically offer reflexology courses. Graduates of accredited programs can apply for national certification from the American Reflexology Certification Board (ARCB). Licensure regulations vary from state to state and may fall under the category of massage therapy modalities (see Chapter 11).

Those who want to seriously practice alternative medicine may also wish to pursue a master's degree in alternative medicine and combine the reflexology training into their practice.

The curriculum will include learning Chinese medical language and symbols, traditional herbal remedies, basic acupuncture techniques, as well as interviewing techniques and how to identify the problems and choose treatments. Again, these programs require about 400 hours of internship with traditional medical practitioners.

More information about careers in reflexology is available from the Reflexology Association of America. Their Web site is www.reflexology-usa.org. Their address is 4012 Rainbow, Suite K-PMB #585, Las Vegas, NV 89103-2059.