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The History of Reflexology
Although we think of reflexology as a recent development, it’s believed to date back to Ancient Egypt, India and China. But it wasn't until 1913 that Dr William Fitzgerald introduced reflexology to the western world, as “zone therapy”. He showed that applying pressure to a specific part of the body could have an anaesthetising effect on a related area.
Building on his findings, Fitzgerald divided the body into ten equal and vertical zones, ending in the fingers and toes. He concluded that pressure on one part of a zone could affect everything else within that zone.
In the 1930s and 1940s Eunice Ingham, a nurse and physiotherapist, further developed and refined zone therapy into what is now known as reflexology. She observed that congestion or tension in any part of the foot mirrored congestion or tension in a corresponding part of the body. Thus, for example, treating the big toes produces a related effect in the head, and treating the whole foot can have a relaxing effect on the whole body.
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