Hand reflexology is generally used when, for one reason or another, the feet cannot be accessed. It is believed that to work on the feet delivers a more powerful reflexology treatment but I have had some pretty profound moments working on the hands too. Not to mention how relaxing it can be for someone who uses their hands a lot in their working day.
The feet may be inaccessible for many reasons, maybe the person is self-conscious of their feet or extremely ticklish. Perhaps the client has a form of infection, fungus or injury on the feet which prevents them from receiving a treatment. Perhaps the client is an amputee or there is restricted access to the feet where the legs cannot be raised. Or maybe it is a simple case of location and wanting to be discrete while delivering a treatment. The hands are easier to access in general as no covering needs to be removed and some people find it to be less invasive. The hands are also ideal for self-treatment and first aid situations e.g. to comfort someone who is in shock or to work on someone on a plane or boat where there is limited space.
Another good reason for working the hands as opposed to the feet is that the fingers are so much larger than the toes! The toes and fingers, you see, represent the head area in the body, this includes (but is not limited to) the sinuses, teeth, cranial nerves and cervical spine. As a compromise, the abdominal reflexes on the hands are considerably smaller than those of the feet. The benefit of having better access to the 'head' area when using the hands is that you can offer a more in-depth treatment to somebody who may suffer with problems in this area e.g. neck problems, jaw problems, eye and ear issues and headaches, sinus and migraine.
As reflexology is a holistic therapy, however, it is important to mention that in the treatment of any illness or imbalance the entire body is taken into account and treated, but being able to focus more on certain areas can be very beneficial to the client.
Each of the 12 phalanges of the fingers (and toes) represent a cranial nerve as is outlined in the diagram below:
A tender sensation in any of these areas can help you to figure out what, if any, energy imbalances exist in your system.THUMB:
Cervical Spine, Neck, Sinuses, Pituitary Gland, Pineal Gland, Hypothalamus, Thyroid Gland, Mastoid, Occipital and Temple regions as well as the face and the incisors
INDEX FINGER:
Olfactory Nerve: Relates to our sense of smell
Optic Nerve: Relates to our sense of sight
Oculomotor Nerve: Relates to eye movement
Also the index finger contains reflexes for the canines, sinuses and the eyes
MIDDLE FINGER:
Trochlear Nerve: Relates to eye movement
Trigeminal Nerve: Relates to our jaws and temples
Abducens Nerve: Relates to eye movement
Also the middle finger contains reflexes for the premolars, sinuses and the eyes
RING FINGER:
Facial Nerve: Relates to facial movement
Acoustic Nerve: Relates to our sense of hearing and balance
Glossopharyngeal Nerve: Relates to swallowing
Also the ring finger contains reflexes for the molars, sinuses, eustachian tube and the ears
BABY FINGER:
Vagus Nerve: Relates to our parasympathetic nervous system
Accessory Nerve: Relates to our spine, neck and shoulders
Hypoglossal Nerve: Relates to our sense of taste and salivary glands.
Also the baby finger contains reflexes for the wisdom teeth, sinuses and the ears
As a reflexologist working on the hands one can sit directly opposite the client with a pillow to support the hands and arms. My preference, however, is to seat my client in a reclining chair where they can completely relax and I work to the side supporting the arm and hand on a pillow.
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