Reflexology is like acupressure that uses different points in the body to promote healing; however, reflexology is more about activating certain points on the hands and feet to get desired results. This ancient technique of massage helps bring balance and a sense of well-being to your body. The interesting thing is that even a light reflexology treatment can prove very effective in the treatment of certainly ailments, such as headaches. Reflexology for headache relief is a natural way to bring peace back to your life.

What Is Reflexology?

Reflexology is a specialized technique used to induce relaxation and relieve pain. It relies on the concept that there are reflex points or pressure points on the hands and feet that correspond to different parts of the body. It means that you can stimulate those points on your hands and feet to relieve pain affecting other body parts – you just have to apply gentle pressure to stimulate a point.

In reflexology, the hand and foot are divided into five longitudinal zones. These zones correspond to different areas of the body. Your left and foot correspond to areas on the left side of your body, whereas you can affect an area on the right side of your body by stimulating points on the right hand and foot.

Along with five zones, there are seven additional reflex sections on the hand. However, it is more common to use the feet to stimulate nerve endings in the body. It is relatively easier to use your hands to apply localized pressure to certain points on your feet. You do not need to apply any oil or lotion before performing reflexology on your hands or feet.

Reflexology for Headache: How It Works and How to Apply

Now that you know that there are points on your hands and feet that can relieve pain in different areas of your body, you may be wonder how you can use reflexology to treat headache. Here is what you need to know in this regard.

Foot Reflexology

Reflexology is all about stimulating certain points in your body to promote better circulation and optimal neurological function. As it is the form of holistic therapy, you can always resort to reflexology to enjoy a balanced and healthy life. You are obviously going to find yourself irritated and uncomfortable when you have to deal with migraines and headaches in general.

Thankfully, reflexology can be of great help in this regard, as experts have identified a number of different points in the feet that help reduce migraine pain. These points also reduce physiological strain of stress, which may also be the reason why you are experiencing a headache.

There are four basic points that you can stimulate to deal with a migraine attack.

1. Between your large toe and the one next to it lies this point. It is actually on the inside folds of these two toes.

2. You can find this point between the webbing of the talus and the large toe.

3. This point is present between the webbing of the talus and the little toe.

4. This point is at the top of each large toe between the metatarsal area and the nail bed.

It is important to bear in mind that when you stimulate the point between your left large toe and the toe next to it, you will be hitting the left temporal region of your head. That will not be the case if your migraine pain is localized on just one side of your head – you should be applying pressure on the opposite foot if the pain is localized on the left side of your head.

Both point 2 and point 3 are metatarsal points, and stimulating these points will provide relief to your midsection and internal organs. This reduces stress caused by any ailments in this region. Similarly, you can stimulate point 4 to relieve any pain caused by facial nerves. This also includes the nerve clusters located very close to your sinuses and above your eyebrows.

Migraine Relief Through Hand Reflexology

You can always use your foot to apply reflexology for headache, but vertical reflex therapy is equally effective when are dealing with migraine attacks. Traditionally, hand reflexology proves more effective when you want to improve your sleep quality, it can also help relieve stress and migraine pain.

Point 1

To use reflexology on hand, you should first locate a point on your palms that is below the space between your index and middle fingers. Apply pressure to the opposite hand if your pain is localized on one side.

Point 2

There is another point called He Gu located on top of your hand. You can find it between the webbing of your index finger and thumb – that muscle will bulge up if you pressure your index finger and thumb together. You have to stimulate the point located at the top of this muscle bulge.

Note: Ensure that the rest of your fingers are relaxed when you perform massage on your hand. It is also important to keep your hand still while massaging the point and it is better to apply pressure in a four-second rocking motion. You are likely to find relief after three sets of five rocking massages.

Caution with Reflexology

While reflexology for headache really helps bring some relief, you should talk to your doctor before using any technique. Keep in mind that no matter what people say about the effectiveness of reflexology, it never replaces other forms of treatment. Talk to your doctor and use it along with other forms of treatment to find relief.

It is also a good idea to avoid reflexology if you:

• Are suffering from an infectious disease
• Have undergone a surgery for a tumor
• Have recently been intoxicated from alcohol or drugs
• Have phlebitis or deep-vein thrombosis
• Have burns, wounds, or infections on your feet
• Use strong pain medications