The arrangement of reflexology areas on the feet mirrors the organization of the body, to the extent that organs on the right side of the body are represented on the right foot, and the same with the left side and foot. Reflexology features a few basic techniques that can be performed either by you or by a partner. The finger technique uses the same walking motion but with the edge of the index finger closest to the thumb. When working a specific area, one hand should work and the other should hold the foot in a comfortable position with the sole flat and toes straight. Practitioners of reflexology claim that it can relieve a wide variety of ailments.
Critics say that treatments are no more than glorified foot massages.
According to the tenets of TCM, chi is carried through our bodies along 14 channels, called meridians. The 14 meridians do not correspond to any visible anatomical structures in the body, such as nerves or blood vessels. Each of the 12 major meridians is named according to the anatomical structure, or organ, it is thought to influence. The meridians connect the interior and exterior of the body. Western scientists have shown that many of these points are located at key crossways of the autonomic nervous system.