Mayo Clinic magazine mistaken about Reflexology...what's your view?

Hi there!

 My last trip to the grocery store, I found on the magazine rack "Mayo Clinic Guide to Alternative Medicine 2011," published by Time Inc. Specials. Cost $12.99 US. Listed to be on display until 12/17/2010.

I was excited. Flipping through the magazine, I saw Reflexology as one of the therapies. I purchased the magazine and took it home to read. Inside, the magazine is divided into two parts: 1) Today's Medicine and 2) Guide to Complementary & Alternative Therapies. Several of the hands-on therapies (example: massage therapy) had a page or more written about the therapy with enthusiastic comments and citing research studies.

So you can imagine my surprise when I turned to the Reflexology section and found 1/2 page written--4 paragraphs. The editors/writers claim that there is little research to show Reflexology to be effective. The writers also said that Reflexology is used to treat various diseases or symptoms. Reflexologists diagnose illnesses based on the condition of the soles of a person's feet and that the only people who offer Reflexology are chiropractors and physical therapists. Also, doctors are unable to grasp the theory behind Reflexology.

Huh? Doesn't that just irk you? When will Reflexology be taken seriously? WARNING: Cranky attitude follows. Read at your own risk.

Okay...for those of you who may think that there is nothing wrong...Reflexology's 3 benefits are: 1) Relaxation; 2) Improves circulation of blood & lymph; and 3) Aids the body in healing itself naturallly, by interrupting the fight/flight impulses of the the sympathetic nervous system; substituting the rest/digest/fertility impulses of the parasympathetic nervous system. If a medical doctor can't understand the concepts of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems or how the body heals, maybe he/she shouldn't be touching you.

Next: Scope of Practice...Reflexology does not DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CLAIM TO TREAT, CURE  or PRESCRIBE for specific diseases, symptoms or illnesses. That would be practicing medicine without a license. And that is illegal. As Reflexologists, we know how the human body reacts to consistent Reflexology sessions (see benefits above). Observing stress cues on the feet or hands enables trained/certified Reflexologists to know where to work, to formulate questions to ask our client and to make recommendations/referrals. Not to diagnose. We don't do that...ever. Those who claim to are not Reflexologists.

Now on to: Research...or the lack of it. Have the editors not done their due diligence? There is the International Council of Reflexologists' Research Analysis Document of studies from around the world. There are state, national and international Reflexology sites all over the 'Net. You only need to put it into the search engine. Trying Google/Yahoo!/Ask.com searches with "Reflexology" + a health topic would come up with something. Maybe a Dr. Oz blog. When I was still writing the Reflexology Organization of Wisconsin's (ROW) newsletter, I was finding online medical studies featuring Reflexology in Nursing journals and JAMA going back to the 1990s. And isn't there a medical college in Michigan now running Reflexology studies? Have they not heard of Kevin & Barbara Kunz, Christine Issel, Dwight Byers, etc.? When it comes to Reflexology, it seems that it is not a topic worthy of the most basic of inquiry by the editorial staff.  

Ending with...Those who practice Reflexology: Yes. Only trained Reflexologists practice Reflexology. Some of us practice other modalities, too, for which we were trained for. For example, I trained in Reflexology for a year before I went to Massage school. My being a Massage Therapist does not automatically make me a Reflexologist...it is my Reflexology training that makes me a Reflexologist. And we DON'T MASSAGE THE FEET!

Which brings me to these questions. How much longer are we Reflexologists and the field of Reflexology going to allow ourselves to be bullied and bull-dozed over by other modalities that have no idea about what we do? Isn't it time we pull our heads out of the sand and decide it is time to be recognized as a legitimate health care modality, like massage therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture and yoga? Even Reiki is considered a useful modality in the hospital/hospice setting! Until we start caring and holding Reflexology detractors like Mayo Clinic accountable, we will never be accepted.

Not sure what to think? Get a hold of a copy of the Mayo Clinic Guide to Alternative Medicine 2011. Read it and decide for yourself. Since it is a Time Inc. Special, you should be able to find it in most bookstores, grocery stores, etc.

The magazine has wonderful information. But when it comes to Reflexology...well...a LITTLE more research and insight should have been done. Gosh, all they had to do was pick up the phone and call Dwight...or Kevin & Barbara...or Christine...or Laura Norman...or the RAA...or the ICR...or interviewed an ARCB-certified Reflexologist...or...?

This comment first posted on "Wisconsin Reflexology' discussion board.

Would you like me to enter the entire Reflexology article on this site for comment? It's only a couple of paragraphs. If you have not picked up a copy of the Mayo Clinic magazine, you may not understand why I am so disappointed. Please let me know.