Foot Reflexology
Foot Reflexology is a therapy based on applying pressure to specific points on the feet. At SFCT it is offered as a complementary, relaxation-focused therapy, alongside — never in place of — medical or psychiatric care.
Quick facts
- What it is
- A pressure-point technique applied to the feet, offered as a relaxation-focused complementary therapy.
- Common applications
- General relaxation and stress relief.
- Who may benefit
- Adults looking for a relaxation-focused complementary therapy, working with an SFCT reflexologist.
- Typical approach
- A hands-on session with an SFCT reflexologist, applying pressure to specific points on the feet.
- Evidence / research status
- The underlying idea behind reflexology — that specific points on the feet correspond to other parts of the body — has not been scientifically proven. Research on its effects is limited: a small amount of research suggests it may help with breathlessness in some people with advanced breast cancer, and with a burning or prickling sensation in some people with multiple sclerosis, but evidence for most other claimed uses is too limited to draw conclusions from.
Overview
Foot Reflexology is offered at SFCT as a relaxation-focused complementary therapy. The research base behind it is limited, and this page is written to reflect that honestly rather than to oversell what reflexology can do. Where the evidence does point to a possible benefit — for example, some easing of breathlessness in a study of women with advanced breast cancer — it is specific, modest, and based on small studies, not a general claim that reflexology can address any particular condition.
How it works
A reflexologist applies varying pressure to specific points on the feet. The traditional explanation — that these points correspond to organs and systems elsewhere in the body — is the basis of the practice, but is not something current research has established as fact.
Who may benefit
Adults looking for a relaxation-focused complementary therapy, as a general wellbeing measure rather than as treatment for a specific medical condition.
What it may help with
General relaxation and stress relief. Some limited, specific research points to possible benefit for breathlessness in advanced breast cancer and certain MS-related sensations — mentioned here in the interest of completeness, not as something SFCT claims to reliably deliver.
Important considerations
Foot Reflexology is a relaxation-focused complementary therapy, not a medical treatment. It should never be used as a reason to delay, reduce, or replace any prescribed medical treatment or medication. The mechanism traditionally claimed for reflexology has not been scientifically established.
Evidence & references
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), National Institutes of Health, "Reflexology," accessed 2026-08-29.
Frequently asked questions
Can Foot Reflexology treat a medical condition?
Is there scientific evidence behind Foot Reflexology?
Last reviewed 31 August 2026
Enquire about Foot Reflexology
Send SFCT an enquiry about this therapy and SFCT will get back to you directly.
Society for Complementary Therapies
Mental Health and Healing Center
Flat No. D302, Adarsh Palm Retreat Tower-4, Bougainvillea
Bellandur, Outer Ring Road, Bangalore, Karnataka 560103
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