Attending plantar reflexology courses and becoming reflexologists means deciding to treat as a profession that mirror of the body that rests right on the foot arch .

Practiced by the Egyptians and already widespread in China 5000 years ago , foot reflexology was introduced in the West by an American otolaryngologist, Dr. William Fitzgerald, around the first decade of the 1900s.

Since that period reflexology has made great strides and constitutes a professionalizing training course in all respects.

How are the reflexology courses structured

Foot reflexology courses in Italy are usually structured in three modules , each lasting one year.

Schools that organize foot reflexology courses issue a diploma which is valid as a certificate of attendance .

Among the topics covered during the three-year course there is undoubtedly the history of massage, the evolution of zonal massage in the West, as well as notes and lecture notes on traditional Chinese medicine and elements of physiology and energy diagnosis.

The toolbox of the aspiring reflexologist 

Obviously, the instrument that acts as king in the aspiring reflexologist’s “toolbox” is the foot reflexology map , through which the student becomes familiar with the ancient Shu points , before proceeding with the manipulation techniques of the reflex zones of the endocrine system, locomotor, dierent, urinary, cardiovascular, lymphatic, respiratory. 

The ancient Shu points (Wu Shu) are 5 in number for each of the 12 main meridians  and correspond to 5 of the needle-points of each meridian. 

They are found in the terminal part of the 12 meridians between the extremities of the hands or feet and the elbow or knee joints, that is, in the most superficial part of the meridian path, where the energy changes polarity (from a Yin sense to Yang or vice versa ). 

Each Shu point corresponds to an Element and for this reason they are known in the West as “points of the Elements” or “command points”. 

Why become a reflexologist

Those who have attended foot reflexology courses know how to treat both the ancient Shu points and the more modern Shu points of the back and through the analysis conducted with pressure they are able to have a perception of the state of the internal organs : the points therefore reveal the symptoms and the more the reflexologist studies and practices, the more he acquires a certain sensitivity, which is what makes the difference in the profession. 

A professional in the field of foot reflexology, also called zonal massage , is an expert in a technique that is very different today from that which was practiced in its early days.

Research by neurologists and scientists from related disciplines supports anyone who wants to pursue such a career: it has in fact been demonstrated how the pathways in the neural fibers and in the brain are stimulated by therapies based on physical contact , a fundamental component of reflexology massage. . 

To anyone wishing to undertake this career, we remind you that at present, the professional figure of the reflexologist is not regulated by any law, therefore it is not a professional figure whose activity can be exercised in the health field under the supervision of the NHS, unless have the professional requirements of the law (degree in medicine, degree in physiotherapy, diploma in massophysiokinesiapia, and in any case always under medical supervision and in facilities in accordance with the law in the field of physical therapies). 

Gradually, over time, perhaps even in Italy there will also be recognition from the health point of view. We’ll see.