Holland Reflexology Institute

Digital Dorsal Flexion requires you to get a firm hold with the correct holding hand underneath the right ankle. Take a firm hold of the bottom of the foot, as if you were going to perform an extension movement. Now with the left hand, drive the toes back (dorsal flex) until strong resistance is felt. Take care not to overly squeeze the toes during the reflexology treatment, rather use the palm of your left hand to grab hold of the digital pads. The metatarsophalangeal joints should protrude noticeably and the skin along that transverse area should be white or slightly mottled from the squeezing out of blood. This feels wonderful to the client because this stretches the phalangeal joints, the flexor hallicus longus tendon, plantar fascia as well as other tendons and muscles. Hold for 8 seconds then let the foot relax. Make sure when performing this stretch to grab hold of ALL the toes.

Achilles Stretching

Achilles Stretching is similar to digital dorsal flexing with one exception: the idea is not to stretch the toes, rather to slide the palm of the hand onto the metatarsal heads and push against those bones while pulling with the holding hand. The client should feel the stretch in the gastrocnemius and NOT in the toes.

With new clients, be careful of the amount of pressure applied to this reflex as it is a commonly sensitive area of the foot. This particular reflexology technique is to be used both on the hypothalamus and pituitary reflexes. What distinguishes the two separate reflexes is simply placing the thumb a little bit higher for the hypothalamus and a little bit lower for the pituitary. We’re talking about less than 1/8 of an inch.

Performing the Trapezius Shoulders Reflex Technique: This reflexology technique is the most comprehensive one to learn. It involves a large area of the foot (both anterior and posterior aspects) as well as properly holding the foot while the working hand works in and around the digits (medially and laterally). It requires knowledge of when to work the reflexes up in a superior, longitudinal motion or when to simply work down the inferior aspects of the reflex area.

I do not I recommend working up the anterior trapezius on new clients. Start all techniques from the most distal aspects and work down on the digits. As they advance, move to the medial and lateral (interior) aspects of the digits. Save the superior maneuvers (upward motion to the distal part) for established clients because this is commonly a highly-sensitive directional reflex to work.

It amazes me that a client may feel less pain in the downward motion of the thumb-walking pressure but as soon as you change the direction and head back up the digits the pain can be excruciating.

Reflexology thumb-driving must always be in the forward motion in order to stretch each section of the skin into the flattest plane possible (one exemption of this rule would be – unless you’re doing a circular pressure point such as the hypothalamus or hip / sciatic around the base of the heel).

Here is a tip from my book: The skin has three layers: (1) epidermis attached by a thin membrane to the (2) dermis, which lies over the (3) subcutis (sub-kyoo-tis) or hypodermis. These layers are not formed together like three sheets of paper ready for a binder. Under a microscope the three different layers of skin are not attached by smooth surfaces but rather hills, valleys, nooks and crannies, square modules, round modules, etc. There seems to be no discernible pattern to skin so it cannot loosen itself and form tears. This is why thumb pressure and elongation of the skin is needed to perform a reflex. How is this to be understood?

In order to create and reach a reflex these layers need to be penetrated and elongated over a specified area. The thumb and fingers travel in multiple directions over the planar surfaces of the foot. The depth in which the most distal aspect of the thumb’s / finger’s penetration into the dermis, epidermis and subcutis layers charges the reflex.
Imagine taking a wrinkled sheet of paper and doing your utmost to straighten and flatten it out. We’re doing the same thing at the subcutaneous level of the skin. We want to remove the hills, valleys, nooks and crannies (to the best of our ability) for a brief moment in a rapid, purposeful motion.

Here’s what I don’t want to see: as the working thumb walks in a forward motion, the practitioner relaxes and flattens the interphalangeal joint of the thumb (straightening it) – thus pulling the skin backwards (the ‘inchworm effect’).

The inchworm effect loses the charge…