Reflexology Explained: The physical element.

There are many theories on how reflexology works. I'll blog on each of them as they each will illuminate your understanding of why such profound results are possible. But first I thought I'd begin with the simplest, most straight-forward, cause and effect explanation.
Our feet are remarkably made. Twenty-six bones, brilliantly articulated, tendons joining these bones to major muscle groups in the lower legs, innervated with 7,200 nerve endings per foot. Those are our remarkable feet.
Now if you think deeply about the function of your feet you'll be struck by just how much work they do. Try standing on one leg (foot) and maintaining your balance. Go ahead,try it, do you feel the slight adjustments as the bones glide in relationship to each other? The minuscule movements performed by the foot to make balance possible? Fortunately with two feet working together balance is less precarious. It is this fine tuning of balance that allows us to conduct our life in an upright position. Balance begins at the feet. Everything else is built on top of that. When our feet loose there ability to balance us with fluidity in their motion we begin to compensate by altering our posture. The alterations in posture cause a misalignment of spine, shoulders, neck, legs etc. The compensation leads to increased muscle tension which in turn leads to strain which leads us to pain.
By working on the feet at the physical level I'm loosening the muscle tension there, which allow you to regain you natural balance, walk a little taller and feel a lot better. To get a better feel for this idea, and another opinion check out this podcast and pay special attention to the piece on barefoot running. It's the third part of the podcast on this site. This isn't just for runner's, although they'll get a lot out of it, this podcast is for anyone who wonders how the feet affect the entire body.
When you're feet are complaining to you with aches and pains. Listen. See a reflexologist. You'll find that paying attention to the warning signs the feet give you can save you a lot of pain down the road.
PS Did you know that reflexology can treat plantar fasciitis? Plantar fasciitis can ultimately lead to bone spurs. so listen to those sore feet and get them treated sooner rather than waiting for permanent damage.