Foot zone therapy; tapping into nerve systems for overall health

FEATURE COLUMN – Perhaps you have heard the buzz surrounding foot zone therapy, but can’t imagine what on Earth it is all about. Well, I would like to enlighten, and perhaps intrigue you. I have been a certified foot zone therapist for about four years and am still amazed at this health modality and what it can do for so many individuals with varied health issues.

History of foot zone therapy

Foot zone therapy, in some form, has been practiced as a healing method for thousands of years. It has come and gone with the rise and fall of civilizations. Hieroglyphics and ancient paintings depicting this therapy have been found in Egypt and India.

footmassageThe modern history of zone therapy begins with Dr. William Fitzgerald, an American nose and throat specialist. His accomplishments include developing a theory describing the electrical circuits, or “meridians,” in the body. In the 1950s, Dr. Charles Ersdale of Norway was cured from paralysis using zone therapy.

This experience inspired 26 years of intense research into the human body’s own innate healing intelligence that can be triggered by specific points. Ersdale learned the feet’s natural signal system to establish balance, elevate life-energy and renew cells in the body. He was able to chart the human anatomy as it relates to “points“ on the foot. One of his most significant discoveries was that the body would consistently respond as a dynamically interrelated whole, rather than as separate symptomatic parts.

Zone therapy has been found to be a signal or electro-magnetic system, rather than a reflex system, and the body is always treated in its entirety as a whole.

What is foot zone therapy?

Foot zone therapy is precise, directed pressure to the various “zones” of the feet. The zone therapy practitioner observes the foot and interprets the “messages” it conveys through discoloration, texture and tenderness. When a signal point is triggered within a certain zone, a message goes to the tissue or organ effected through a reflex arc to the spinal cord and then to the brain. Discomfort is experienced in the areas of imbalance where healing is needed.

feet_webZone therapy stimulates every organ and renews the cell system in each treatment. It is a holistic approach that recognizes that all of the body’s cells and organs make up a complex and interactive organism. Some of you may have heard of reflexology, which is a more mainstream name. Modern reflexology and foot zoning were both pioneered by Fitzgerald, but reflexology can tend to focus on one body system that might be having problems, whereas foot zoning treats each session by a complete systematic routine that incorporates the whole body.

It is extremely important that your zone therapy be administered by a certified zone therapist. Much more occurs during a session than meets the eye, and practitioner experience is essential to achieving the full physical, mental and emotional benefit. A session typically lasts 45-60 minutes, and multiple and consistent sessions over a two-month period are recommended to detoxify and establish the bodies restorative process. After this period, you and your therapist will determine a schedule that is based on your individual needs and overall health. You will find that your body will tell you when it is time for another zone therapy session.

Benefits of a zone

As all of science knows, imbalances in the body are the early stages of ill health and occur long before the symptoms are present. This is called sub-clinical illness and simply means that an illness or medical problem is not detectable yet. By the time detection occurs, the problem is usually well advanced. With zone therapy, you gain early detection of these imbalances as they occur.

Foot massageZone therapy encourages the body’s natural healing capability by stimulating blood circulation, hormone balance, lymph flow, digestion, assimilation, elimination and function of the autonomic nervous system. The most important benefits include renewing cell systems, rejuvenating life energy, bringing the body into balance and assessing the body’s current state of health.

Anyone can benefit from foot zone therapy. People of all ages and health conditions can enjoy improved health and vitality. You will experience a fuller, more active life and can help others do the same.

To learn more about zoning or schedule a treatment, contact Red Canyon Foot Zone Therapy at 435-313-7518.

Roshelle Bromley
Roshelle Bromley

Written by Roshelle Bromley for St. George Health and Wellness magazine and St. George News.

Bromley has been a Washington County resident since 1987 and studied history, language and nutrition at the University of Utah. Living in Europe for over 15 years, she was exposed to various natural health practices and nutrition, which made a deep impression on her outlook of health and wellness.

Upon being introduced to foot zone therapy, she said she knew it was something she had to pursue. She completed her certification under Kathy Duvall, founder of the Academy of Foot Zone Therapy, and became the first foot zone instructor in the St. George area. She is committed to assisting people who are sincerely interested in their overall health and wellness, and believes foot zone therapy is a cornerstone to giving the body the help it needs to strengthen and balance.

Ed. note: The opinions stated in this article are the author’s own and not representative of St. George News. Readers are encouraged to evaluate and understand both the associated risks and rewards before engaging in any health practice.

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