Reflexology, or Zone Therapy, is a very ancient form of therapy which involves applying specific types of pressure on the reflex areas of the body (soles of the feet, hands and ears) to bring the body to healthy balance after a disease that is caused by a wrong way of life and nutrition.
Reflexology of the feet is mentioned in the Chinese Emperor Huang-ti's book "The Yellow Emperor's book of internal Medicine" which was written 4000 years ago.
Hippocrates was the first to practice reflexology on the ears. He was born on the island of Kos and had a school where he taught holistic medicine. When his students had some physical pain, he would apply pressure on their ears using seeds such as lentils or chick peas.
In 1913, Dr. Fitzgerald of the University of Connecticut discovered that by pressing on certain areas of the body, the pain felt in other areas of the body was aleviated. He located these points and described that the body can be divided into ten vertical zones, five on each side of the body.
The specific pressures on the soles of the feet affect the circulatory and nervous system. A good circulation is vital for all parts of the body, since the blood supplies nutrients to the tissues and carries away all the waste products of metabolism.