The Journal of Reflexology Research Project
©2000 Kunz and Kunz
Web Hits The Kunz and Kunz Web page, www.reflexology-research, averaged 27,000 hits per day for a two-week period in April. Our daily average is usually about 5,000. Our total to date since we opened in October of 1996 is 1,774,434 hits.
New Pictograph A new pictograph from Ankhmahor's tomb in Saqqara, Egypt has been discovered. The picture depicts an individual facing forward receiving hand work applied from a silhouetted individual. The author, Czech physical anthropologist Eugen Strouhal, attributes the work to manicuring. His translation of the hieroglyphics states: "Don't hurt them." and "I'll make it enjoyable for you my dear." (Strouhal, Eugen, "Life of the Ancient Egyptians," University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK, 1992, p. 89)
Minnesota A legislative conference committee is working out differences between House of Representatives and Senates bills for the "Complementary and Alternative Health Care Freedom of Access Act." The law would "establish an office in the state Health Department to investigate complaints and disseminate facts about alternative treatment. … The bill under consideration would not attempt to license or set training standards for alternative practitioner, but rather to oversee their work when necessary." While reflexology is not specifically mentioned in the bill, reflexologists would be included.
The bill creates an office to investigate complaints against "unlicensed complementary and alternative heath care practitioner," disciplining them and providing information on complementary and alternative health care practices. The bill requires the reporting of "certain conduct" of the "unlicensed complementary and alternative heath care practitioner" by governmental entities, health care institutions, professional societies, health care professionals, insurers who provide professional liability insurance, court administrators.
The client must be made aware of the "alternative health care client bill of rights." The bill includes a full and fair disclosure system with informed consent making the client aware of theoretical approach utilized by the practitioner and his or her educational background. Also included are (1) a description of the procedure for filing complaints, (2) client rights to information concerning practitioner's assessment, recommended course of treatment, including duration of treatment, (3) client confidentiality, and other provisions.
"Current law saves the state's medical practice board authority over anyone who practices medicine without a clinics. That would still be illegal, but most alternative health practices would no be construed as 'practicing medicine' in the same way as physicians do." … Dr. Paul Sanders, chief executive officer of the Minnesota Medical Association, said the proposal is 'something we can live with, given the clamor to do something.'"
(O'Connor, Debra, "Bill focuses on alternative medicine: Massage, acupuncture among targeted treatments," Minneapolis-St. Paul Pioneer Press, April 26, 2000) [Top]
Tennessee A bill exempting reflexologists from the massage therapy practices act has been enacted. The bill was initiated by a massage school owner who felt his income was limited by teaching reflexology only to the massage therapy licensed individual.
New Mexico Attempts to correct a typographical error and return an exemption for reflexology to the Massage Practice Act died with the 2000 legislative session. A last-day filibuster by Senate Republicans prevented voting on a number of bills including the reflexology exemption. The bill had passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 68 - 0. Reflexologists are excluded under Rules and Regulations passed by the Board of Massage Therapy in November 1999.
Pennsylvania A bill creating licensing of both reflexologists and massage therapists has failed to move out of legislative committee.
Massachusetts Reflexologists are attempting to hold in legislative committee a massage therapy bill until an exemption for reflexologists is included.[Top]
North Carolina Reflexologists in North Carolina are working with the Massage Therapy Board and a coalition of practitioners toward an exclusion for reflexologists within the Rules of the Board. Reflexologists are currently required to obtain massage therapy licensing under the recently enacted state massage therapy practices act.
Alabama House Bill 90, exempting reflexologists from the states massage practices act, has failed. A previous attempt two years ago failed.
Arizona A coalition of hands-on practitioners is meeting next on July 29 to consider legislation that would create licensing.
Maine Reflexologists and others who do not use the titles "massage therapist or "massage practitioner" have been exempted from Title 32 of the Professionals and Occupations, regarding massage therapists since 1993.
AMTA The American Massage Therapy Association is now offering a reflexologist referral service, directing interested consumers to a "trained and certified reflexologist in your area" according to a February 23, 200 article in The Detroit News.[Top]
California California reflexologists are reporting that Pacific Bell Telephone Company is no longer offering reflexologists the opportunity to be listed under a heading of "Reflexologist" in the "Yellow Pages." Reflexologists will be listed under the heading of "Alternative Health Practitioner" in the future. The listing of "Reflexologist" resulted from complaints by reflexologists listed under the heading of "Massage" addressed to the "Headings Committee" of the Bell System in 1981. Complaints centered around the inclusion of advertisements for apparent houses of prostitution. Such problems continue today for the "Massage" headings in many cities, for example, Philadelphia. Currently, with the increasing popularity of numerous alternative health practices, non-massage titled practitioners seek to be listed under a non-massage heading. For Pacific Bell the solution is, apparently, to include all such practitioners, as well as reflexologists, under one "Alternative Health Practitioner" heading, thus circumventing reflexologists' protests that inclusion under a "Massage" heading forced business advertising in a category shared with houses of prostitution.[Top]
2000 China Reflexology Symposium The 2000 China Reflexology Symposium will be held October 17, 18, and 19, 2000 in Beijing, hosted by the China reflexology Association. The registration fee is US$200 and includes three lunches, a reception dinner, and a symposium report. Register no later than August 31, 2000 mailing to Ms. Zhang Hongjing, General Secretary, P. O. Box 2002, Beijing 100026, CHINA FAX: 0086-10-65068309, Telephone: 0086-10-65068310 E-mail: craz@public.bta.net.cn
Sight-seeing Program (after symposium) Visiting a Chinese hospital; Line One (one day): Great Wall, Ming Tomb; Line B (one day): Tian-An-Men Square, Imperial Palace, and Temple of Heaven; Line C (one day): Summer Palace, Fragrant Hill, US$50 each (lunch included)
Fourth European Conference of Reflexology The Conference will be held September 8 - 10, 2000 at the Radisson SAS Hans Christian Andersen Hotel in Odense, Denmark. The theme of the Conference is "Reflexology as a Profession after 2000." The biannual Conference of the Reflexology in Europe Network (RiEN) is being organized by the Danish Reflexologists Association. Associations from 16 countries are members of RiEN. For information about the Conference, write Fourth European Conference of Reflexology, Skovvej 15, DK-5700 Svendborg, Denmark; Fax 45-6222 1758; email conference@fdz.dk; Web page www.fdz.dk/rien2000. The cost of the Conference is DKK 2,400 (approx.. US$315) before May 31, 2000 and DKK 2,700 (Approx.. US$350) from June 1, 2000. Content will include "common health problems," "Reflexology techniques," Reflexology as Staff Care," Health centres," Education and professionalism," "Research," and "Life quality." The opportunity to stay with a Danish reflexologist can be arranged. [Top]
Notable Television Sightings "Reflexology deals primarily with the manipulating what body part to provide healing?" was a $1,000 question on the quiz show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" of Friday, April 29. The contestant, an orthopedic surgeon, stated "That's one of those alternative health things I should know." He then polled the audience. 66% of audience members identified the feet as the correct answer. … The PBS program April 21, "Health this Week" included a segment about reflexology and headaches. A consumer noted that she could have avoided years of pain if she had discovered reflexology earlier. A doctor comments that she is interested in reflexology for her patients if research can be demonstrated.
Research: Reflexology and Diagnosis A study at the Department of Complementary Medicine, School of Postgraduate Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Exeter in England has resulted in a conclusion that "diagnosis based on reflexology examination is no better than chance." The objective stated: "Reflexologists believe that disease of different organs of the body cause tenderness in corresponding areas of the soles of the feet. We undertook to determine whether reflexology is a valid diagnostic tool.… "Three reflexologists chose six medical conditions which could be detected most easily and reliably. Eighteen adults with one or two of these conditions were examined by two reflexologists, blinded to the patients' condition(s). … "Results: There were 72 opportunities to make a correct positive diagnosis. The reflexologists made a definitive diagnosis 9 times. Of these, 3 were correct." (Fact: Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies 1998; 3(4), Fifth Annual Symposium on Complementary Health Care) [Top]
(Eds. note: Do reflexologists actually believe that disease in different parts of the body cause tenderness in corresponding areas of the feet? First, sometimes the most seriously ill do not exhibit any tenderness at all in the feet. Secondly, the functioning of the body as influenced during reflexology work is more a more complex activity than that represented by a simple reflex area to organ relationship. (See below.))
Diagnosis with Reflexology: Is it appropriate? (Adapted from: Kunz, Kevin and Kunz, Barbara, "Diagnosis with Reflexology: Is it appropriate?," Reflexions, Vol. 18, No. 2, Spring / Summer 1997) The question about diagnosis was raised when a recent research proposal included testing reflexology for diagnosis. Not withstanding the accuracy of reflexological observations, the reflexologists we talked to felt ill at ease when considering the possibility of diagnosis with reflexology. Reflexologists are neither trained nor encouraged to diagnose in the United States for legal reasons. Their attitudes approached the level of a taboo, an activity rejected within the community. Several issues emerged during conversations &emdash; the potential impact of diagnosis on the professional practice and the appropriateness of using reflexology to diagnose. [Top]
Professional choices: … As alternative health practices are increasingly accepted, a picture is materializing of how they will be utilized within conventional medicine. And, a picture is emerging of how alternative health practitioners want their practices to be used. Reflexologists, apparently, want reflexology to be used appropriately. An issue of concern to reflexologists is: The reflexology community is not experienced in diagnosis. There is currently no data base in reflexology to correlate the frequency of stress cues to the frequency of disease. A mathematical analysis of such information is possible but it would be better to wait for an opportunity to amass data before attempting work with diagnosis.
Theoretical model:… Is diagnosis consistent with theories about how reflexology works? Within the Selye stress model, for example, gradations of alarm, adaptation, and exhaustion mark the progress of stress. Exactly where along the stress continuum does disease occur? This is the problem for the reflexologist when asked to "diagnose." He or she gauges the foot's stress cues with the goal of charting a course for technique application. What may be an appropriate reflexological assessment may not be an accurate diagnosis.
For example, the goal of the proposed study in 1997 was for the reflexologist to differentiate between heart, lung, and kidney diagnosis in a patient. A recent experience with a relative hospitalized for congestive heart failure illustrated the problems of this approach. Before the hospitalization, stress cues in the lung reflex area showed stress in the lungs. At the time of hospitalization, fluid in the lungs was revealed as a problem - a problem associated with congestive heart failure. What "diagnosis" from a reflexologist would have been appropriate? [Top]
Issues… How will research of "treatment" of a disease by a reflexologist be handled? For example, atrial fibrillation (uneven heart beat) became a problem for the relative. Reflexology technique applied while heart variability monitor showed more effect on heart rate when technique was applied to the brain stem reflex area rather than technique applied to the heart reflex area. This raises the issue of influence on function versus structure during reflexology work. If reflexology work influences the function of the heart, for example, what happens when that problematic function is regulated by a body part other than the one diagnosed, the brain stem in this instance? Will research be appropriate to testing reflexology effects on function rather than structure? A recent study about the influence of reflexology on baroreceptor sensitivity, blood pressure, and sinus arrhythmia, found an effect on baroreceptor sensitivity (influencing heart beat). During the study "Each session (approx.. 45 minutes) covered all parts of the foot, and appropriate techniques were carried out at least twice." What were the "appropriate techniques?" Technique applied to the heart reflex areas? Would technique applied to the brain stem reflex area have shown more effect? In addition, no influence on blood pressure was demonstrated during the study. Would technique applied to the brain stem reflex area have shown a change? [Top]
Some argue that medical diagnosis with reflexology will emerge with a system of analysis of stress cues creating a diagnostic system. Following appropriate formal studies including data collection, statistical analysis, and peer review, the reflexologist of the future may provide to doctors information leading to diagnosis and treatment of disease.
Miscellaneous • Registered nurse and respected reflexologist Ann Lett of England is the author of Reflex Zone Therapy for Health Care Professionals soon to be published by Churchill Livingstone Publishers. • New York reflexologist and author Laura Norman has produced a line of reflexology shoes as noted in the February issue of Travel & Leisure. The shoes' removable insert provides a raised sole bed shaped as a reflexology chart. Prices start at $199. • One guided tour of Singapore includes a visit to a reflexology center complete with sample session. • Airliner Cathay Pacific has a new day spa in its first class and business class lounges at Hong Kong International Airport. Services include "body and facial massages, hair and skin care and spa and reflexology services." • "Astrology, ecology and reflexology … Liz Claiborne" reads advertisements in the April 2000 issues of Vanity Fair and Elle. [Top]
