What is the history of reflexology?
A wall painting found in an Egyptian tomb suggests that reflexology was being used in Egypt as long ago as 2350BC. More recently, in 1913, Dr. William Fitzgerald discovered that applying pressure to certain parts of the body could produce an anaesthetic effect on another part of the body. He developed this theory further by dividing the body into 10 equal longitudinal zones, concluding that pressure applied on one part of a zone could affect all parts within that zone. In the 1930’s, Eunice Ingham continued to develop this idea. She noticed that alternating pressure produced a stimulating effect rather than an anaesthetic effect. She also noticed that congestion or tension in any part of the foot mirrored congestion or tension in a corresponding part of the body. She further refined the technique and gave it the name ‘reflexology’.
