Many centuries ago, Eastern healers noticed that by influencing certain points on the foot, one can not only improve the general condition of the body, but also cure various diseases. Gradually, people studied these points and mapped their correspondence to internal organs. Subsequently, the technique of influencing biologically active points on the feet became firmly established in the system of oriental medicine, spread throughout the world and is actively used to this day.

A modern take on an ancient technique

In Chinese folk medicine, a pattern of the effect of stimulating points on the surface of the body on a specific organ was experimentally noted.

Having united with the canons of Eastern philosophy - the doctrine of the energy meridians of the body along which the Vital energy, - a technique called acupuncture was created. According to it, there are 34 biologically active points on the foot.

Later, the Korean scientist Park Jae Woo created the Su Jok system (“su” - hand, “jok” - foot). Its essence lies in the fact that the surface of the palms and soles is a projection of the entire human body, and each organ has its “own” point.

If you feel pain when acting on a point, then you should pay attention to the state of health of the corresponding organ, and vice versa - with systematic stimulation of a certain point, you can activate the self-regulation system and cure the disease.

Despite the fact that traditional Western medicine rejects most of the principles of Eastern acupuncture, citing their unscientific nature, and casts doubt on the effectiveness of such treatment, comparing it with the placebo effect, there are also substantiated facts confirming the effectiveness of the technique built in ancient times.

The human skin and nervous system have a common source: during embryogenesis, they develop from the same germ layer - the ectoderm. This explains the presence of numerous nerve receptors on the surface of the skin.

Nerve endings on the plantar surface of the foot are located unevenly, their concentration creates bioactive points (BAP) or reflexogenic zones. They, depending on the constitutional characteristics of the body, general condition and the influence of third-party causes, the size can be less than a millimeter and reach 10-20 mm.

The location also has individual characteristics and varies within a few millimeters different people. BAP differ from other areas of the skin in a number of properties:

• noted more heat for high-precision measurements;
• faster metabolism and active oxygen consumption are observed;
• change physical quantities- electrical potential of the skin (values ​​are on average 2 W higher than in neighboring areas);
• when measuring the bioelectrical resistance between the palm and the BAP, the readings increase with inflammation and decrease with the attenuation of the pathological process.

The effects of exposure to active points are explained by the presence of a cutaneous-visceral arc, through which, through stimulation of reflexogenic zones on the foot, the autonomic nervous system is activated, regulating the function of internal organs.

Location of bioactive points on the foot according to the Chinese system

According to the works of Chinese healers, the vital energy Qi circulates in the body along the meridians. They connect organs with the nervous system and the surface of the skin, creating 3 types of acupuncture points:

A map of the internal organs of a person on the supporting surface of the foot is projected according to the principle of an embryo (see figure).

The medial surface will correspond to the spine. The right leg corresponds to the right half of the body, the left is responsible for the left side.

The main projection zones of organs on the sole with explanations are described in the table:

This can be clearly seen in Fig. 3, 4, 5:

There are several more options for the location of the projection of organs.

The correspondence system in Su Jok is slightly different from Chinese acupuncture. Almost all treatment methods are based on points on the hand, foot and ear. The foot is like a miniature man, where the big toe is the head, the second and fifth toes are the hands, and the third and fourth are the legs.

Later, correspondence systems such as the mini-hand-foot system and the insect system were developed.

To enhance the effect, you should also pay attention to the areas bordering this point.

Acupressure can also be used for preventive purposes if there is a predisposition to certain diseases.

If the massage was effective, in addition to lightness, a moderate autonomic response of the body may be felt:

• change in heart rate;
• sweating;
• increased frequency of physiological functions.

When performing a foot massage on another person, you should adhere to the same principles, closely monitor his reaction and ask if there is pain in certain points, gently influencing them. A child should have this massage only after consulting a doctor.

To get rid of some pathological conditions, it is necessary to act on several massage points at once:

Contraindications

Even in order to undergo a course of foot massage for preventive purposes, you should consult with a therapist and reflexologist.

Diseases for which massage is undesirable:

• skin damage at the site of intended impact;
• oncological diseases of any localization (all types of massage are contraindicated);
• bleeding disorders (propensity to form blood clots or increased bleeding);
• diabetic foot;
• decompensation of heart disease;
• acute inflammation;
• pregnancy.

Foot massage can be combined with other useful procedures. To maintain healthy legs and the body as a whole, you need to:

• Walk barefoot more often. At the same time, you need to protect the skin of your feet from damage: walk on safe surfaces.
• Wear massage slippers or lay a special padded mat under your feet. You need to walk on such surfaces for at least 5 minutes a day.
• Roll a ball with your feet. This effective prevention flat feet.
• Take care of your foot hygiene, do baths and compresses, and don’t forget about a contrast shower.
• Avoid overcooling your feet.
• Choose the right shoes. Materials must be natural and breathable, and the position of the foot must be physiological.

Wearing uncomfortable shoes negatively affects your overall health, as long-term improper stimulation of active points occurs.

Acupressure is in an effective way keep the body in good shape with the correct method of influencing bioactive points. But this method cannot replace necessary medical treatment.

Many centuries ago, ancient healers noticed one interesting fact: people who walk a lot without shoes, that is, barefoot on various natural surfaces, feel much better and have better health than those who constantly wear shoes. The thing is that on a person’s feet there are a lot (about 70 thousand) of nerve endings that form reflexogenic zones. Each of these projection zones or acupuncture points has clear boundaries and is associated with a specific organ or physiological system, therefore, its correct and regular stimulation can improve the functioning of this organ. How exactly are these points located and how should they be influenced correctly?

The location of all active points on the feet has its own logic; they are all combined into blocks relative to the localization of organs in the body. These points are located as follows:

• on the toes and adjacent areas - there are projections of the organs that are located in the head. The centers responsible for the work of the frontal part of the head are concentrated at the very tips of the fingers, the thumb for the work of the brain, the next two fingers (index and middle) for the work of the eyes, ring finger and the little finger behind the ears. Below the fingers there is an area thyroid gland;
• forefoot - in this area there are centers that regulate the functioning of the organs of the upper body, namely the heart, bronchi and lungs;
• the central zone of the foot is the zone of responsibility for the abdominal region, or rather for all the digestive organs;
• precalcaneal zone - points that control the work are concentrated here genitourinary system, legs and pelvic area;
• heel zone - responsible for the functioning of the genital organs.

As can be seen from the location of acupuncture points, with proper influence on them, you can stimulate or improve the functioning of all organs of the human body and maintain normal health.

METHODS OF ACTIVATING INTERNAL ORGANS THROUGH THE FEET

There are several methods of influencing the soles of the feet, and all these methods can be divided into two large groups: professional and amateur. Modern medical institutions use methods of activating points on the feet from both groups. These methods are called like this:

• acupressure – a group of points is affected using a general massage;
• acupuncture - influencing active points using special needles;
• Guasha massage - a special effect on a group of points that are located in the same meridian, the movements should be scraping;
• Moxotherapy is the heating of points on the feet with the smoke of a cigar, which is made from medicinal plants.

Also, acupuncture effects include the placement of leeches applied to the feet, but the most accessible to most people and the most popular method is acupressure, that is, massage, which anyone can master.

SIMPLE WAYS TO AFFECT THE FEET

Even if a person does not have a specialized education and does not have massage skills, but really wants to maintain or improve his health, he will be able to master basic methods of influencing the points of the sole that are responsible for certain internal organs.

The easiest way to influence these points is to independently massage certain areas of the sole using your hands. It should not be confused with acupressure, since it cannot be performed by a non-professional, but regular massaging of the desired areas of the foot will still have the necessary stimulating effect on the internal organs. The main therapeutic principle of such a massage is to identify pain points that “leave” like a thread from the point of impact into the body. The presence of such a reaction is a signal of trouble in one or another organ, and such points require mandatory massaging in the first place.

However, you should not forget about the neighboring zones, even if they do not send pain signals. It is best to alternate massage between painful and non-painful points. The duration of this procedure, which should be carried out before bedtime, should be at least five minutes. You should expect the onset of the therapeutic effect soon after the pain in the massaged area disappears.

Also, a very simple way to activate acupuncture points located on the feet is to randomly apply pressure to the soles of the feet. This could be walking barefoot on small pebbles, sand or grass. The main difference between this method is that there is no goal to massage a specific point or center. The procedure has a general strengthening effect, improves well-being and improves mood.

An excellent option for stimulating points on the feet is thermal impact on the entire sole or a specific part of it. In the first case, these can be warming foot baths, which are designed not only to warm up the body, but also to speed up recovery through thermal stimulation of areas of concentration energy centers. Foot baths can be replaced with compresses with mustard or pepper, left for 2-3 hours. In addition, the thermal effect can be targeted, which requires a stone heated to a tolerable temperature. It should be applied to the acupuncture center and kept there until it cools down.

HOW TO PROPERLY MASSAGE?

Of course, the most effective procedure will be one performed by a specialist, however, if you wish, you can stimulate all the necessary points on your feet yourself. For everything to go well, you need to relieve tension from your feet before the massage. You can do this as follows:

• walking in socks on the floor for 3-5 minutes;
• taking a warm bath with aromatic salts;
• taking a comfortable position that eliminates stress on the feet for 10 minutes.

You need to start the massage with your fingers, each of which should be kneaded separately. After this, the upper part of the foot is massaged from the inside and outside, then the effect moves to the ankle and heel area. The impact on the points should be done in a circular motion.

When independently stimulating acupuncture points located on the soles of the feet, you need to remember that too intense and frequent exposure to them can give a completely different result. In order to minimize the likelihood of any negative consequences Massage should be carried out in courses of 7 days with a break of 1-2 weeks.

- Come on, I’ll be a sultana... no, a sultani... In general, the wife of a padishah. And you are a servant. Here's a fan for you, servant. Let's keep the flies away from us. And scratch our heels with the other hand. Not so rude. And to make it pleasant...

(My daughter Masha, 9 years old (after reading fairy tales from One Thousand and One Nights))

What will be discussed in this chapter will seem incredible to many. But recent studies, based, by the way, on ancient knowledge, really confirm: by massaging the feet, you can influence the internal organs of a person. Briefly, this phenomenon can be explained as follows. Each internal organ is connected with the outer integument of the body through reflex pathways. Diseases of the internal organs cause changes in certain areas of the skin. And vice versa: by influencing (massage, heat or cold) on the patient’s hands, feet or ears, you can cause a rush of blood and lymph to the diseased organ, thereby promoting its healing. The system of massage of the reflex zones of the foot is based on the knowledge of ancient Chinese techniques, which is now successfully used to cure many diseases.

When influencing the reflex zones of the feet, first of all you need to know what can be achieved:

A noticeable increase in vitality in a particular organ or in the entire body as a whole;

Decreased tone of an organ or body due to a sedative effect.

The German doctor MD Alfred Birach, who developed his own method of massage of reflex zones, was once asked whether a person without medical education has the right to practice massage? “Yes,” Dr. Birach answered unequivocally. If he follows certain rules. Of course, not every reflexologist, a professional in his field, will agree with the idea that you can entrust a therapeutic massage to an amateur amateur. But in each specific case it is necessary to distinguish between acute, severe and life-threatening diseases and conditions. No one except a doctor who took the Hippocratic Oath at one time has the right to make decisions or do anything. And there are chronic diseases, when the patient has been comprehensively examined by a doctor, treatment has been carried out, and no unexpected situations are expected. There is hope with the help of massage to awaken the body's defenses and support the work of these forces. And at the same time relieve pain, improve the overall tone of the body. But to treat people, make a diagnosis, demand refusal drug treatment, and even take money for it, as happens all too often among us, an amateur has no right!

And further. Despite the fact that massage of the reflex zones of the feet has few contraindications, they still exist. Here it is necessary to remember the basic principle of medicine - do no harm! Massage should not be used when treating pregnant women, the elderly and infants. And also this method cannot be used for certain conditions of the legs themselves: fungal diseases, inflammation of the joints, open wounds, rashes, burns; as well as for any infectious diseases.

The soles of our feet are, as is commonly believed in Eastern medicine, “the places of contact with life.” Not just contact with the floor or ground, we mean contact with environment, with nature, from which man has gone so far, having built modern homes for himself, paved the streets, and got into a car.

The most natural massage of the reflex zones of the legs is walking barefoot. It is quite possible that you are doing this if your apartment has heated floors. But there is little benefit from walking barefoot on linoleum, even the most “environmentally friendly” one.

The best option is barefoot on the grass, on the ground, on stones.

In the summer, while sunbathing on a deserted stretch of beach on the Gulf of Finland, I saw this picture. At the very edge of the sea there is a family - mother, father, grandmother and a boy of about three years old. The boy in a Panama hat and without panties really wanted to run barefoot on the beach. And his restless family kept dragging the child onto the blanket. “You’ll scratch your legs,” my mother warned. “You’ll cut yourself,” dad assured. “You’ll catch a cold,” the grandmother persuaded. The child did not want to listen to anyone. He didn't do anything wrong - he just wanted to run around barefoot. But the adults said with one voice: it’s impossible! The baby was capricious, waving his fists, screaming at the top of his lungs from powerlessness. In the end, he was loaded into sneakers and released into the wild. But all his interest in understanding the world faded away. He sat down on the mat and sat there for two hours, looking bored.

Stupid adults! Why did they deprive him of such pleasure - walking barefoot on stones?

And do we ourselves always take advantage of the wonderful opportunity to get a wonderful, very pleasant and, undoubtedly, healthy massage for free?

That's it.

But summer is over. What do you order - barefoot through puddles? Or - in the snow?

If your health allows it, of course. Or you can create a wonderful pebble beach at home. True, he is far from the present, but... Something is better than nothing.

Prepare a box 50–60 centimeters wide and 80–100 centimeters long. If you can do more, please. Pour into it a washed mixture of coarse sand and pebbles of various sizes. Be sure to include some rocks with sharp edges. They are useful for massaging rougher areas of the foot.

And stomp around in this box for your health. You will understand how useful this is. After some time, your legs will become “lighter”, back pain will disappear, and a migraine attack will ease. Not even pleasant sensations when the heart “freezes” will disappear. And you will completely forget what it is like when your feet are cold.

As we have already said, all internal organs have access to the feet. The front of the body corresponds to the rear of the foot, the back to the sole. Imagine that both your legs are pressed tightly together on the floor. Try to draw mental lines demarcating the zones:

The inner boundaries of the feet correspond to the middle of the body and the spinal column;

The outer surface of the arch of the dorsum of the foot corresponds to the front of the body, with the toes corresponding to the face, the tips of the fingers to the skull;

The soles of the legs tightly pressed to each other correspond to the back side of the body, the spinal column and long back muscles fall on the inner arch of the leg, therefore the zones corresponding to the internal organs of a person are located in the same order;

The two heels along the edge of the sole correspond to the buttocks;

The bottom of the heels and the ankle joint area - to the genitals;

The area corresponding to the thigh is relatively small on the foot; the reflex correspondence to the thigh is located in the area of ​​the Achilles tendon;

The leg area is located where the instep of the foot begins;

the “hands” on the legs - the shoulder and forearm - are located transverse to the instep of the foot, and here is the reflex zone of the lower edge of the ribs;

The head area covers all ten fingers, with the face on the side of the nails, and the back of the fingers corresponding to the back of the head.

Rice. 1. Correlation of spinal zones

1 – first cervical vertebra; 2 – spine, segments; 3 – 7th cervical vertebra; 4 – spinal cord; 5 – back muscles, spinous processes; 6 – nerve exits, nerve endings; 7 – 12th vertebra, thoracic; 8 – spinal canal; 9 – endings of the pelvic nerves; 10 – 5th lumbar vertebra; 11 – ilium, pelvic bones; 12 – bones of the sacrum; 13 – sacrum; 14 – coccyx.

Rice. 2. Ratio of head zones

1 – frontal sinus; 2 – sense of smell; 3 – nose; 4 - upper jaw; 5 – maxillary cavity; 6 – lips; 7 – chin; 8 - lower jaw; 9 – upper lymphatic pathways; 10 – skull; 11 – left eye; 12 – corner of the mouth; 13 - left ear; 14 – jaw joint, parotid salivary gland, wisdom teeth; 15 – shoulder joint; 16 – right ear; 17 – right eye.

Rice. 3. Ratio of head zones

1 – brain; 2 – larynx; 3 – spinal cord; 4 – segments of the thoracic vertebrae; 5 – esophagus, trachea; 6 – upper lymphatic pathways; 7 – skull bones, scalp, hair, inner shell skulls; 8 – eye (nerves); 9 – ear (nerves); 10 – tongue; 11 – oral cavity, pharynx; 12 – shoulder joint.

A more rough division of the legs into zones is as follows: toes - head, metatarsus - chest, tarsus - stomach, heel - pelvis. What are organ zones?

These are small, precisely marked areas on the feet that correspond to organs and parts of organs. More precisely, these areas are indicated in the specialized literature. We will limit ourselves here to only an approximate division of the feet into organ zones (see pictures).

Check the pictures and check yourself again using Table 3:

Bottom view of feet

Rice. 4. Ratio of chest zones

1 – upper lymphatic pathways; 2 – larynx; 3 – bronchi, thymus; 4 - thyroid; 5 – heart; 6 – esophagus; 7 – solar plexus; 8 – lung; 9 – diaphragm; 10 – aorta; 11 – lung; 12 – gallbladder; 13 – liver; 14 – exit from the stomach; 15 – papillaries; 16 – entrance to the stomach; 17 – spleen; 18 – apex of the heart; 19 – coronary vessels of the heart; 20 – heart valves.

Rice. 5. The relationship between the abdominal and pelvic areas

1 – esophagus; 2 – solar plexus; 3 – stomach; 4 – nerves of the stomach; 5 – pancreas; 6 – large intestine; 7 – kidney; 8 - small intestine; 9 – ureter; 10 – shin; 11 – pelvic organs; 12 – anus; 13 – ischial tubercle; 14 – liver; 15 – gallbladder; 16 – exit from the stomach; 17 – papillaries; 18 – 122 duodenum; 19 – ascending colon; 20 – cecum; 21 – pelvic nerves; 22 – knee-joint; 23 – genital point; 24 – buttocks; 25 – sigmoid colon; 26 – descending colon; 27 – free ribs; 28 – bend of the colon; 29 – spleen; 30 – entrance to the stomach; 31 – heart.

Table 3

Correspondence of anatomical structures to reflex zones on the foot

Experienced specialists recommend doing a foot massage for no longer than ten minutes in one session. Often even a shorter massage gives good results. Reflex zones of the feet can be massaged several times a day. Sometimes, to get rid of an attack acute pain, just press a certain point on the foot with your thumb and do not release for two minutes. But with one condition, Dr. Birach warns: the patient must feel a pleasant feeling.

Each person's reaction to massage is so individual that general rules can't be here. But it is important to remember the basic principle of massage: the patient should not feel pain!

To carry out massage, including self-massage, you need to create favorable conditions. A pleasant, comfortable room temperature, a calm environment, the ability to comfortably sit or lie down, so that the patient has the opportunity to completely relax - all this contributes to complete disconnection from various everyday problems. But we just need to focus on ourselves, our feelings, our health!

Foot massage is usually performed thumbs hands and fingertips. Here are the movements to do it with.

Light intermittent touches- that is, strokes following one another. They are done at the very beginning of the procedure in order to “establish contact” with the patient’s body; to gain trust; and at the end - to relax and enhance the impact. During these movements, you need to gently work with the back of your hand and fingers. Apply soft stroking strokes (5 cm, no more) in one direction, moving away from the starting point, then returning to it.

Light long touches, blows tone, excite, improve blood circulation. We work with our fingertips or our whole hand. Long touches, almost blows, are always made first in one direction, then in the other.

Rubbing with tissue displacement done with the tips of the thumbs. This is a broad superficial effect without movement, but without losing contact with the skin.

Fixed, that is, not moving, exposure to weak force– this is an impact directly on the energy of reflex zones, and therefore on organs. This is done with the pads of all fingers, on a large surface at once, with the thumb pressing a little harder.

Medium static pressure It has a liberating effect and relieves tension. The tips of all fingers are involved, sometimes the bones of the fingers. The pressure is targeted, on small surfaces, and quite deep.

Strong stationary impact relieves tension and convulsive phenomena; calms, relaxes. This is quite a strong pressure with one finger, most often with a bent thumb.

Movable pressure– this is soft pressure almost in place, in a circle, deep down. Do not rub the skin. It is both stimulating and relaxing.

Strong moving pressure– the most powerful effect in this massage technique. The previous movements are performed with redoubled force.

Touches. These rich touches awaken the body's defenses, calming the nervous system.

Lightning-fast clicks are purposeful and strictly limited in application. Press with the tip of your finger or even your nail.

This is the combination of these movements (we present here a slightly simplified version of it) proposed by F. Soder-Feichtenschlager and M. Weiglhover.

First you need to relieve tension from your legs and whole body. To do this, the upper and lower parts of the leg are stroked in the direction of the toes. They move to the foot - now they stroke the tarsus and metatarsus in the direction of the ankle joint. You need to stroke carefully, softly, purposefully, with long shifting movements. Massage the entire spine area well from top to bottom. The movements follow each other along one line, then in the opposite direction, with soft rubbing, then with medium force. Finish with stroking from bottom to top.

Then they move on to the fingers. Massage all fingers well, one after another, starting with the pads. Medium to strong impact. You should try to avoid pain. Applying steady pressure on the fingertips, linger on each for several seconds. Then they are vigorously straightened one at a time, stroking in the direction of the nail. From time to time, lightly press on the base of the fingers from the side of the sole; here you can apply pressure with your fingernail. Now massage around the joint of the little finger with directed, moving forward movements. This is a profound impact!

Massage the outer side of the instep with wide rubbing movements, thereby increasing the mobility of the knee and hip joints. Along the outer edge of the foot and on the sole, the “elbows” area is massaged with stationary deep pressure, after which this area is stroked.

General outer surface The ankles are massaged with light moving pressure. This area is very sensitive! Light moving touches upward, towards the shin, will relieve tension in the hips.

After this, they move on to stroking the area between the outer side of the ankle and the heel (knee area). Movements are directed downwards. Apply light moving pressure.

And they finish the first part of the massage, which should normalize processes in the musculoskeletal system, with a series of deep, quick impacts in the area of ​​the inner edge of the heel.

Now we begin to massage the areas of the chest organs.

The sole and top of the foot are massaged step by step with strong finger movements. Iron the areas: on the outside of the foot; along the entire outer side to the fingers; with force - between the fingers.

Between the 1st and 2nd joints of the fingers, they are gently worked with medium-strong, stationary impacts. And move on to the back of the foot.

Several deep, strong and moving pressures are used to massage the heart area and the entire chest area.

They return to the fingers again, now from the outside. Apply moderate to strong forward pressure to this area; each finger separately.

Intensively, with moving pressure, the heel area, around the ankle joint, and the lower part of the lower leg are treated. Treat the heel with strong, stationary pressure using your knuckles. Then they gently stroke the sole, capturing the Achilles tendon area.

Massage the reflex zone Bladder- along the inner edge of the foot - use strong moving influences point by point, then draw an oblique line to the reflex zone of the kidney with strong influences directed forward. This area is treated with strong, stationary pressure.

Now we move on to areas where massage has a beneficial effect on digestion and waste elimination, metabolism and the activity of the endocrine glands.

Strong consistent shearing forces are used to massage the intestinal area on both legs. Then the force of impact is weakened and the entire foot, both the sole and the back of the foot, is massaged with wide movements.

Using wide movements (3–4 fingers are involved) from the side of the sole, under the tarsal bones, the stomach is affected, duodenum, liver, pancreas, spleen. These areas are treated point by point with strong, stationary pressure. Repeat the massage of these areas, first with deep pressure with displacement, then with light stroking, spreading to the back of the foot.

After which they stroke several times from the heel along the inner arch of the foot to the toes. Massage the finger area with soothing movements. The area of ​​the metatarsus and tarsus is soothed with light touches. And ends with the ankle joint. One hand strokes outwards, the other - inwards.

Reflexologists say that those who are flexible enough to reach their feet with their hands can and should practice foot massage. There is nothing complicated about this. Explore your body, evaluate your health. Find areas of organs that are sick or simply need support. Make your own – individual! – program.

Every chronic health disorder, every not entirely cured disease, even if it was many years ago, leaves its traces on the soles of the feet, reflexologists believe.

For example, yellow keratinized skin with thickenings indicates poor digestion, stomach problems and metabolic disorders. A disruption of this metabolism and often a lack of vitamins and minerals are indicated by cracked heels and brittle “dry” nails.

Skin thickening, appearing in organ areas can inform about problems in these organs. Thus, smokers very often develop yellowish lumps in the area of ​​the lungs and pleura. When washing your feet, it is not recommended to scrub these seals too hard. These, of course, could just be calluses caused by wearing uncomfortable shoes. Or it may be that the diseased organ, as it were, independently “protects itself” from increased reflex effects when walking. Listen more carefully to your body!

Hardened skin under the 2nd metatarsal bone may be evidence of severe, not completely cured bronchitis.

Rough skin: its appearance on the feet may be associated with diseases of the mucous membranes. Most often, such skin appears on the back of the thumb, in the reflex zones frontal sinuses and maxillary cavity. On the contrary, smooth, dried skin, similar to the effects of burns, appears in patients with gout and rheumatism.

Take a good look color of the skin. Changes in skin color often occur due to impaired blood supply lower limbs. In this case Blue colour indicates a tendency to cramps and spasms; The blue-red color is observed in people suffering from gout and accompanies high blood pressure.

Changes in the skin on the legs and arms are possible due to exposure to various chemicals or pharmaceuticals, due to the systematic consumption of poor canned food or the intake of harmful substances.

Beer drinkers almost always have bright red feet. Daily stress causes icy, damp feet with reddish and whitish spots.

Now let's study it well nails.

White spots indicate a lack of silicic acid in the body. Abnormal fragility is determined by disorders of mineral metabolism, with a lack of vitamins. Longitudinal folds-stripes signal general deterioration health status. Transverse folds on the nails usually appear after serious illnesses or traumatic brain injuries. Deformed nails (curled, claw-shaped, bent) may indicate chronic problems cerebral circulation and lesions of the spinal column.

The foot of a healthy person is dry and warm. The normal temperature of our feet can also tell a lot.

Wet and cold feet– stomach problems, mineral imbalances, thyroid dysfunction.

Dry and cold indicate weakness of cardio-vascular system, on various pathologies brain and spinal cord.

If your feet are wet and hot, this may indicate inflammatory processes in organism. Such legs occur with a general increase in body temperature.

Dry and hot feet– possibly an imbalance in mineral metabolism; for gout; various hormonal disorders.

If your legs have different temperatures, this almost always indicates a lack of cardiac activity or persistent pathologies of the vascular system.

Of course, what we have now learned about the reflex zones on our feet is far from complete information on this topic. Reflex zones exist on the back, on the ears, on the arms... We only talked about the legs. But if you are interested in a new and little-explored area traditional medicine– reflexology, find special books, contact specialists.

The main thing we must remember: our health is in our hands.

It would be nice if it were in... legs.

According to the experience and knowledge of Chinese healers, the foot is not only a part of the human body necessary for walking, but also a kind of map of internal organs. Using this “map” you can diagnose the condition the most important organs and, by acting on certain active points, help your body cope with ailments.

There are more than 70,000 nerve endings on the foot, which form clearly defined reflexogenic zones associated with the body's systems. This is why a person enjoys foot massage and walking barefoot on grass or smooth small pebbles. By massaging your feet, you can get rid of nervous and physical tension, as well as cure chronic diseases. In this case, you just need to know which part of the foot is responsible for this or that organ and correctly influence the active points.

Foot zones

To understand the principle by which the internal organs are projected on the foot, it is enough to imagine a person in the fetal position. The spine will be the inside of the foot. The fingers are responsible for the head: the thumb is the brain, the next two are the eyes, and the ring finger and little finger are the ears. Below the fingers are the thyroid and lung areas. The heart zone is located on the left foot, below the little toe. On the outer side of the right foot there are areas of the liver and gall bladder. There are stomach and intestinal zones on both feet, they are located in the depression area. The heels are responsible for the sciatic nerve.

By palpating the foot, you can identify points that react painfully to touch and pressure. They need to be given special attention and, using a diagram of the location of active points, find out which organs they are responsible for. As a rule, such a reaction is a signal that something is wrong with a certain organ. High or low temperature feet can indicate health problems; excessive dryness and sweating also indicate malfunctions in the body.

Impact on active points

An experienced acupressure practitioner can most effectively influence the active points of the foot and help get rid of chronic diseases. However, even healthy people It is recommended to do self-massage of the feet as a preventative procedure. Before the massage, it is advisable to relieve tension from the feet by stretching them a little - you can walk on your toes, take a warm foot bath using aromatic salts or essential oils. Then you need to take a comfortable position that eliminates tension in your legs and feel your foot, listening to your sensations.

Foot massage should begin with the fingers - each of them is warmed up separately. Then, using moderately strong pressure, the upper part of the foot, the inner and outer sides, the ankle and heel areas are massaged. The painful points need to be affected with circular movements, and it will not be enough to massage just one point; it is necessary to stimulate the neighboring zones. Just 5 minutes of this massage daily will make you feel much better, relieve tension, and strengthen your immune system.

What can harm the body

It is known that after getting wet feet or becoming hypothermic, a person gets a cold. The reason is that the areas responsible for certain organs were exposed to negative factors. Guessing this intuitively, people try to keep their feet warm. But not everyone knows that excessive physical exercise on the foot and wearing uncomfortable shoes also negatively affect a person’s overall health because they incorrectly stimulate active points. Walking exposes your nerve endings to health benefits, but walking too much can be detrimental. In any case, regular stimulation of the active points of the foot will avoid many problems and significantly increase the overall tone of the body.

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Thanks to Chinese medicine, treatment by massaging a specific point on the organs on the foot has become widely known. It is known that the human foot is a kind of control panel for the body, on which biologically active points associated with internal organs. No wonder walking barefoot on freshly cut grass or small pebbles brings a pleasant sensation. During this process, a mechanical effect occurs on the points of the foot, which stimulates the corresponding organs, improving blood flow and increasing the overall tone of the body.

Acupressure is a simple and affordable method of healing

The acupressure technique is the younger sister of acupuncture; it involves all the same points into which acupuncture needles are inserted. However, acupressure does not accept the use of piercing objects, which guarantees a softer and safer, but at the same time effective treatment. In this case, metal needles are replaced by your own fingers or the hands of a massage therapist.

Biological points on the foot

Based on theoretical knowledge extracted from traditional Chinese medicine, we note that on the soles of the feet there is a peculiar scheme of biologically active points and zones of influence on each of the existing organs. Over time, waste and toxins accumulate in the human body, interfering with normal blood circulation and thereby causing various diseases. In this way, you can influence active points on the foot, stimulating work and creating a balance in the general condition of the body as a whole.

By massaging the feet, you can relieve nervous stress, fatigue and psycho-emotional arousal, strengthen defense mechanisms the whole body, improve metabolism, normalize the functioning of the nervous system, cure gynecological diseases and much more.

Reflexology as a method of non-drug treatment

Reflexology is a non-drug therapy method that is firmly established in Western medicine. Foot massage will help not only sick people, but also healthy people who want to strengthen their immunity and nervous system. By influencing the points on the foot that are responsible for the organs, you can effectively influence the functioning of the body: to reduce coughing attacks, you just need to massage the trachea point; to normalize the digestive process, you can gently massage the points of the stomach and intestines. A narrow strip of the entire inner surface of the foot is connected to the spine. By systematically influencing these points, you can alleviate the condition of osteochondrosis, radiculitis, myositis, lumbago.

By pressing on the points of the corresponding organ, you can relieve, for example, a rapid heartbeat, influence the urinary system and even cure chronic diseases.

Varieties of biological points

The points on the foot that are responsible for the organs have their exact location. Their location is determined on 14 lines, also called meridians. Each meridian has its own name: “Master of the Heart”, “Governor” or “Three-Step Heater”.

There are three types of points on each meridian:

• The point is exciting (one on each meridian), its activation stimulates the performance of organs associated with a specific meridian.
• Harmonizing points. The impact on these zones, located at both ends of the meridian, relaxes and creates harmonious functioning of the organs related to this type meridian.
• Calming point (one for each meridian). Creates a feeling of the most pleasant and painless massage, calms the nerves, relaxes the body.

Projection of internal organs on the feet

Every organ of the human body can be reflected on the “canvas” of the feet. To get the clearest picture of the projection of each organ, you can imagine the feet located next to each other, and the person depicted on them facing forward.

• Thus, the toes will reflect the head area, while massaging the pads of the fingers affects the back of the head, and the upper surface from the side of the nail affects the face.
• The inner edges of the sole will reflect the middle of the body and the spine, outer vault the feet will correspond to the face, and the tips of the fingers will correspond to the back of the skull.
• Both heels correspond to the buttocks.
• The ankle joint reflects the genitals.
• The shoulder points are located on the outside of the heel in the area of ​​the little toes.

The principle of massage

During the massage, pain points may be detected that signal the weakening of a particular organ; more attention should be paid to these areas. It is important to understand that pressing on the acupuncture points on the foot alone will not help your health; it is necessary to touch the neighboring areas with massage, even if they do not produce painful sensations. During the massage, you should alternate pressing on pain points and pauses between them. The result correct processing pain zone should be the disappearance of any discomfort. Each such point is warmed up for at least a minute.

Emotional and spiritual connection

The points on a person’s feet are connected to almost all internal organs, glands and limbs in his body. In addition to fulfilling their physiological purpose, the organs are responsible for the emotional and spiritual development person.

For example, the spleen, projected on the left foot, contains traits traditionally attributed to women - grumpiness and anger. The heart area is located on both feet, and yet it is reflected more on the left foot, which is a confirmation of the emotional feminine essence. Similarly, livers are present on both feet, but the projection of the organ predominates on the right foot, which is associated with rough masculine qualities, a lively disposition, anger and perseverance. The same applies to other organs, so for physical health and spiritual purity you need to monitor the health of each organ.

Where to start with foot massage?

To improve the health of the entire body and prevent diseases, it is necessary to carry out a full comprehensive foot massage. It is advisable to carry out the procedures every evening immediately before bedtime.

Before performing a massage, you should stretch your feet for a few minutes by walking barefoot, rising on your toes, or alternating the transfer of body weight from the outer ribs of the feet to the inner ones. To complete the warm-up, you can take a warm foot bath.

For self-massage, you should take a comfortable position in order to most completely relax your legs:

• Push your foot so that your foot is comfortably positioned on the chair.
• Bend your leg so that your foot rests comfortably on the thigh of your other leg.
• While lying on your back, lift and bend your leg.

A few simple rules for self-massage

The massage should be carried out with warm hands, having previously warmed up the massage oil in them, so that the points on the foot responsible for the organs are gently but effectively kneaded. You need to work on your feet with both hands, using all your fingers, alternating massaging them with your knuckles and fists, moving from the tips of your toes to the heel.

• During this time, the sole should be treated most thoroughly, while the fingers can be gently and gently kneaded, moving from the nail to the base.
• Each finger needs to be massaged separately.
• Don't forget about your ankle and ankle, gently massaging them in a circular motion.
• You can alternate different techniques: pinching, light blows, rubbing, stroking, intermittent touching.

At the end of the procedure, it will be useful to walk on a massage lumpy mat, shifting from foot to foot and alternating the transfer of the body on each leg.

Contraindications for acupressure

• Severe diseases of the cardiovascular system.
• Pregnancy and lactation period.
• Severe fatigue.
• Skin diseases on the feet in the form of suppuration and lichen.

Massaged points on the foot that are responsible for the organs may not give a positive effect in case of serious illnesses requiring immediate medical care. The use of acupressure techniques can be useful as an additional treatment, pain relief and strengthening of the body as a whole.

How to get the greatest effect from the procedure?

• First, you should take the most comfortable position in a chair, on a bed or on the floor.
• You can turn on relaxing music, distract yourself from external irritating sounds, and turn off your phone for a while.
• Determine the desired point to begin with. If massage is performed for the first time, a diagram of points on the foot can help with this.
• Lightly pressing on the desired point, you should make circular movements, while not moving your finger from the biological point.
• The duration of manipulations should be no more than 5 minutes. The result of such a massage usually occurs quickly and has a long-lasting effect.

Foot: points, organs that are directly connected to them - additional useful techniques

1. In a small box measuring 50*50 cm filled with pebbles or legumes, you can do barefoot walking in place for 10-15 minutes. In summer, walk barefoot on grass, sand, and pebbles as often as possible.
2. A contrast shower for feet is an excellent addition to acupressure, and it also hardens the body well.
3. Figurative breathing. In a sitting position, relaxing the body, with free and easy breathing You should shift your attention to your feet, imagining that breathing is carried out by them. This kind of meditation can be continued for 4-5 minutes.
4. Compresses with honey have a beneficial effect on blood vessels and skin, preparing massage points for further action. After treating your feet with honey, you should put plastic bags on them and cotton socks on top. It is advisable to carry out such applications in the evening: overnight the skin of the feet will absorb the beneficial elements of honey, and by the morning the feet will become silky, calluses will disappear, and good health will increase.