Here's the rub: toe-curling foot-massage tips to try at home - bodycare - Brief Article

Better Nutrition, May, 2002 by Marshall Norton, Jr.

Returning home after a long day, would anyone refuse the offer of a foot massage? Of course not. Brimming with job-related tension or, at the very least, foot fatigue, your special someone will probably head for the nearest sofa in hopes you can bring some relief to his or her aching feet.

Professional massage therapists go through extensive training in massage techniques, anatomy and physiology. Even though you don't have to be a professional to relieve what ails that special person in your life, it helps to know some basics. Here are some surefire techniques you can try in the comfort of your own home.

First, set the mood. Professionals recommend soft, indirect lighting and soothing music. Skip the hard rock and try some Enya or Bach instead.

Incense and scented candles also can enhance the atmosphere. Baltimore-based massage therapist Brian Thompson says the scents of eucalyptus and peppermint have an energizing effect. Chamomile and bergamot have a calming effect, and lavender can act as an aphrodisiac.

Now that you've set the mood, the next step is to apply massage oil. In The Theory and Practice of Therapeutic Massage (Milady, 1990), therapist Mark Beck advises that when you are ready to apply massage oil, "lay the back of your hand lightly against the part of the body to be massaged. Put enough oil in the palm of your hand to apply a thin film over the body part on which you are to work. Do not apply oil directly from the container to the body because it will feel cold to the client and cause discomfort."

Before actually massaging your partner's weary feet, take some deep breaths to relax yourself, Thompson says. Your own routine may vary according to your partner's tastes, but Thompson suggests the following steps:

* Apply pressure to your partner's foot, holding it with both hands along the sides and squeezing. Now rub the top of the foot and around the ankles.

* Next, rub along the sides of your partner's foot, applying pressure with the heel of your hand.

* Rub each toe between your thumb and first two fingers, "like you're rubbing a coin," Thompson says.

* Stand to one side. Now massage your partner's foot and work your way up the leg, using a motion that will rock the leg from side to side.

* Finally, lift your partner's leg six to eight inches and hold it in the air. Pull the leg toward you to stretch it.

* Repeat all steps for the other foot.

How long the process takes is up to you and your partner, but it's important to remember not to rush through it. "You could spend as much as 20 minutes on each foot, if you wanted," Thompson says. If done properly, be assured that your partner will relish every one of those minutes.

Diagnosing ailments by the foot

In Reflexology: A Step-by-Step Guide (Element, 1997), Nicola Hall says the pressure therapies practiced by the Chinese 5,000 years ago included techniques similar to present-day reflexology--the practice of stimulating points on the feet to enhance health and vitality. Reflexology in its present form developed from the zone therapy work of Boston physician William Fitzgerald in 1917.

Reflexologists claim to know which parts of the body are working well and which are not by interpreting the reactions of the patient as pressure is applied to different points on the foot.

Head and neck stimulus points--reflexes--are in the toes; chest reflexes are over the balls of the feet; abdominal reflexes are under the balls of the feet; and pelvic reflexes are on the heel.

In treatment, a reflexologist will apply firm pressure to the reflexes with the tip of the thumb or the fingers. This pressure stimulates the nerve endings in the foot--of which there are 70,000 in the sole of the foot alone.

If pressure to a reflex causes discomfort, this indicates the corresponding part of the body is out of balance with the rest of the body.