Acupressure is an excellent preventative form of medicine, making us stronger so that we can avoid disease and correct imbalances. These points are areas that energetically align with certain other areas of the body via ‘meridians’ or ‘channels’. By pressing on a specific point you can remove energy blockages in that channel that may be causing you discomfort.
The best way to learn about foot tension points is to learn all about the pressure points on feet and what they mean exactly. You can do this by learning how to decipher a foot reflexology chart- along with learning what foot tension points are, how to massage them, and some of the benefits of foot massages in general!
The Foot Tension Points
Foot tension points are the places where our feet carry the most tension. These points can actually affect not just the foot, but different parts of the body as well
According to reflexology, these areas contain ‘meridian points’ that connect to various parts of our body.
Let’s find out What the Different Pressure Points mean
As this chart is a little hard to read, so here’s a broken-down version:
- Right Foot: Associated with the right side of the body.
- Left Foot: Associated with the left side of the body. In our bodies, some organs are on different sides of our body (for example, your stomach is on the left side, so it’s affected by the left foot)
- Bottom of the Foot: Related to our pelvic area, knees, and appendix.
- Center of the Foot (“the waistline”): Correlates to the stomach and organs above the waistline. The lower center correlates to the intestines.
- Inside of the Foot: Correlates to the spine.
- The area underneath the Toes: Corresponds to the chest.
- Toes and Feet: Correlate to your head and neck.
You should have a better idea of pressure points on feet and where to find them now! But what’s even more interesting is that the benefits aren’t limited to these areas.
According to the therapist, finding and massaging the pressure points in your feet can help with the following:
- Eye Strain Issues
- Relaxation & Less Stress
- Improved Sleep Cycles
- Digestion & Stomach Health
How to Massage Foot Pressure Points
There are different ways to massage our foot pressure points for quick and easy pain relief.
Warm-up Twisting
For this exercise, you’ll want to warm up your feet by placing your palms on either side of the foot, gently pulling the ride side forward and the left side back, and switching. Repeat for about a minute on each foot.
Heel Squeezing
This is basically for those who put a lot of pressure on the back of their feet. This type of massage is a little challenging to do, so you may want someone willing to help you.
To complete this massage, you’ll want to hold the top of your foot in one hand and hold the heel with the other. After that, you’ll want to continuously squeeze and release the heel with your thumb.
Foot Spreading
Expand your foot’s width (and release some tension from your foot pressure points) with this exercise!
First, hold each side of the foot with your hands. Pull each side outward repeatedly for a couple of minutes.
Arch Rubbing
This is one of the most satisfying foot massages and is great for those with flat arches or arch discomfort.
Hold the top of your foot with one hand, and rub the length of the arch with your thumb on the other hand. Move from the heel to the ball of the foot, and vice versa.
Instep Rubbing
Try this for fast top-of-the-foot relief.
You’ll want to use one hand to support the top of your foot, and the thumb on your other hand to put pressure on the top of your instep. Slowly move down to the back of the heel, and repeat.
Toe Bends
Don’t forget the toes! They don’t move too much, so this is a good way to wake them up.
Hold your heel with one hand, and bend all the toes back with the other. Move them back and forth, gently increasing pressure each time.
The goal of acupressure massage is to restore health and balance to the body’s channels of energy and to regulate opposing forces of yin (negative energy) and yang (positive energy). Acupressure not only treats the energy fields and body but also the mind, emotions, and spirit.
When to Avoid Acupressure
Deep tissue work such as acupressure may need to be avoided if any of the following conditions apply:
• Any treatment that is in the area of a cancerous tumor or if cancer has spread to bones
• You have rheumatoid arthritis, a spinal injury, or a bone disease that could be made worse by physical manipulation
• You have varicose veins
• You are pregnant (because certain points may induce contractions)
