Facial reflexology is a technique that is based on an ancient, yet simple, principle: The human body has its own natural healing energies, which are referred to as “reflexes.” The effectiveness and success of “Facial Reflexology” lies primarily in its capability to pinpoint the core cause of ailments and its capacity to stimulate a natural healing process inside the patient. It does this by stimulating the natural function of the facial nerves through stimulation of the facial skin and muscle tissue. It does not utilize electrical or mechanical stimulation as is common in conventional medical practices. Instead, its treatment relies on the positive effect that it has on the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for a person’s physiological responses and the generation of stress responses.
A facial reflexologist diagnoses a patient’s condition by first determining the location, extent, and intensity of a person’s problem. Next, the practitioner studies the facial expressions of the person as well as the person’s surrounding environment to ascertain where exactly the person is experiencing discomfort or pain. From there, the reflexologist can then pinpoint the exact areas in the skin and muscles that are experiencing symptoms.
This technique also allows the facial reflexologist to determine the nature of the pain and how intense it is. Once the treatment is conducted, the practitioner then ensures that the patient maintains good facial posture. While this type of non-invasive method of healing is non-invasive, people who experience adverse effects from other forms of traditional medicine should always consult their regular doctor before trying facial reflexology. This is because some of the possible adverse effects include allergic reactions, such as rashes, hives, dizziness, tightness of the chest, and nausea.
The Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine describes the study as a systematic review that evaluates the efficacy and safety of facial reflexology for the relief of chronic pain, joint pain, migraines, tension, anxiety, stress, and tics. It also examines the effect of reflexology on age-related macular degeneration, asthma, stroke, diabetes, and impotence. The paper includes the results of five studies involving more than 250 individuals. One of the five investigations compared the effectiveness and safety of a Swedish massage, a deep tissue massage, and a reflexology treatment in the relief of chronic pain, mood disorders, and anxiety.
The study found that both Swedish and deep tissue massage were effective in the relief of chronic pain, but the massage was found to be significantly more effective in patients with depression. It also indicated that the use of facial reflexology treatment was associated with an increase in satisfaction. Both massage therapies led to improvements in sleep quality and increased muscle flexibility.
“There was a general consensus among the reviewers that manual stimulation of the head and neck is helpful in tension management and pain relief and neck stiffness,” says Dr. Thomas G. DeJarnette, senior staff scientist at the American Society for Nutrition, the co-chair of the committee on pain and health. “However, further research is needed to determine the safety and effectiveness of facial reflexology for the management of tension, migraine, and insomnia.” He cautions, however, that “facial massage should not be used for tension or migraine headaches, as it may lead to increased rates of headaches.” This study is a good example of how consulting a professional massage therapist is more beneficial than going to a facial reflexology spa.
