Reflexology goes online
By Meg Rivera
FOOT reflexology is an ancient art that works on the premise that certain pressure points in your feet and hands are directly connected to organs in your body. Any blockages of your life energy (qi), to organs such as your liver, can be fixed with pressure on its corresponding point. The practice goes back to way back when, and finds its way into modern spas.
Alternative medicine says that reflexology is a gentle way to relieve pain and ailments, and is even said to have a slight anaesthetic effect. In any instance, foot reflexology still feels great when you’ve been standing or walking all day. Or, if you’re not up to leaving the house, you can always take out your phone and DIY.
These apps demonstrate the different areas in your feet that you can massage to alleviate certain aches and pains. Some even show you the points in your hands that have a similar effect, so no need to kick off your shoes at the office. Show your tootsies some TLC, and let these apps show you how.
App name: Reflexology Free
App developer: Hap Inc.
Available on: iTunes
Easy to use: This is a therapist in your pocket! This app talks you through the steps for treating your ailments, down to a diagram and an explanation of what organs are involved in the zones of your feet.
Overall comment: One unique feature is that this app includes the tops of your feet as well as the bottoms, which apparently incorporates more areas of your body to access. The experience you get with this one is more holistic, because if certain areas are uncomfortable for you, they show you an alternative. This one is for those who want to gain a working knowledge of reflexology. Three clicks out of five.
App name: Foot Reflexology Chart
App developer: Loving Pixel
Available on: Google Play
Easy to use: If you already know how to treat areas and just need a handy reference guide, this one is for you. Think of those reflexology chart socks you got someone for Christmas one year. This app does that, but for your smartphone.
Overall comment: I honestly think that this app is just for the experts who already know what they are doing. I would recommend researching first what treatments are appropriate and then referring back to this chart to refresh. Otherwise, this is a good one for some basic study, or if they are like those reflex socks, pure decorative whimsy. Three clicks out of five.
App name: Foot Reflexology
App developer: NotionInMotion.com
Available on: iTunes, Google Play
Easy to use: Think of WebMD, but for your feet. This app contains a list of ailments from you to choose from, and the corresponding chart comes up. It shows you the areas you need to treat with pressure and what approaches to take.
Overall comment: This is a simplistic approach to self-treatment with reflexology. This is for the less involved patient, who simply wants to know where to press and how. If you’re looking to learn the zones in your feet, you might want to look elsewhere since it doesn’t demonstrate what organs are connected to the pressure points. For those who want to keep it simple, this is definitely for you. Four clicks out of five.
