Can foot reflexology diagnose your illness?

Can this diagnose your illness?

Tan Yi Hui
27 May, 2008
The Sunday Times

Is it true that a foot reflexology expert can diagnose a client's health problems just by massaging his feet?

After all, most reflexology outlets have multi-coloured charts showing the soles of both feet studded with pressure points that are supposed to be linked to internal organs.

Also, some television shows portray 'grand masters' who can tell, just by feeling your feet, whether you have kidney stones or a problem in some other department. Great feats indeed, but industry insiders here warn against buying too much into this.

Mr Jimi Tan, owner of Kenko spa and foot reflexology chain, says: 'I have been in this line for 18 years and I've never told any customer what sickness they have. There is no such thing. I'm not a doctor.'

The 50-year-old reflexology practitioner-turned-businessman says that it is highly unprofessional of a reflexologist to diagnose ailments and cause undue distress for the customer.

One also shouldn't take those cobblestone pathways for bare-foot therapy too seriously, say foot reflexologists that LifeStyle contacted. They simply provide a form of massage, certainly not miracle remedies for ailments.

Mr Khoo Eng Lim, 47, director of TCM Professional Centre, a private training school for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) programmes, says: 'Reflexology is all about wellness. It's about relaxation.'

He estimates that there are about 300 to 400 foot reflexology outlets in Singapore. Prices range from $15 to $18 for a 30-minute session, and double that for an hour.

As for how effective a practitioner is, Mr Khoo says it is a 'buyer beware' situation as there are no clear regulations for the industry.

Unlike massage parlours, foot reflexology outlets do not require a specific licence from the police to operate. Also, practitioners are not considered Chinese physicians, who can prescribe herbal medicine and are registered under the TCM Practitioners Board.

There are reflexology courses and certifications offered by agencies such as Mr Khoo's, but industry insiders warn against untrained practitioners who claim to be reflexology experts when they are, in fact, just unlicensed masseurs.

A typical foot reflexology session involves the application of pressure on the soles of one's feet. Techniques vary and some practitioners use their knuckles to press and grind, while others use mainly the index fingers and thumbs.

You may be a glutton for punishment, but experts warn that more pain is not necessarily better. Mr Khoo muses: 'Some people just think 'It's not painful enough, I want some more'.'

The massage-like actions of foot reflexology is what soothes and relaxes a person. At outlets such as Kenko, it can be offered as part of an entire package that encompasses hand, neck and shoulder treatments.

But what about those charts? The ones that appear to link certain zones on the feet corresponding with certain organs of the body. Fact or fiction?

Western medicine and science has yet to recognise the purported effects of foot reflexology.

But reflexology practitioner Benson Koh, 57, says a general claim is that there are pressure points in the feet that represent blood circulation in certain parts of the body.

'It's all about enhancing blood circulation,' he says, without going into the aspect of diagnosing ailments.

This was proven by a check with 10 outlets here, where only one claimed outright to be able to diagnose ailments.
United States-based reflexology gurus Barbara and Kevin Kunz, both 57, tell LifeStyle that it is irresponsible to use reflexology to diagnose, as confusion could arise from the practitioner's inexperience in detecting certain 'stress cues' in the feet.

According to other local practitioners, these may range from dry or unhealthy-looking skin on the soles of the feet when one is dehydrated, to lumps on the legs for diabetics. The general advice is not to use foot reflexology as a form of diagnosis or treatment for any illness. Always go to a proper doctor.

But all this isn't stopping some people from settling into the comfy chairs and propping their feet up for a spot of kneading.

Teacher Tung Z.K., 33, goes for foot reflexology at least once a month and says: 'As far as I know, foot reflexology has no scientific basis.

'It's very relaxing. This may sound strange but it's like a soothing pain. It's not the kind of pain that hits you hard and makes you scream.

To me it doesn't matter whether the claims are true or not. Just as long as I enjoy the experience, I am willing to go for it.'

This story was first published in thesundaytimes on May 25, 2008.