3 Massages For Pressure Points On Feet - Healthline

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HealthlineSubscribe3 Reflexology Massages for Pressure Points on Feet

Medically reviewed by Gregory Minnis, DPT — Written by Elea Carey — Updated on September 30, 2024

Research
For anxiety
For low back pain
For general pain
Takeaway

Ancient Chinese practices and a growing body of medical research suggest that massaging specific pressure points on your feet can benefit entirely different parts of the body.

Reflexology is the belief that putting pressure on specific areas of your feet can heal ailments elsewhere in the body. It stems from traditional Chinese medicine.

“The idea is that energy, called ‘chi,’ flows through the body along particular pathways, or meridians,” says Denis Merkas, an acupuncturist and massage therapist who co-founded Melt: Massage for Couples with his wife. “When there’s a problem in the body, we’re usually talking about blockages of chi.”

Does research support reflexology?

Reflexology may help with certain health conditions, including:

Sleep disturbances: A 2021 meta-analysis suggests reflexology may reduce sleep disturbances and improve sleep quality in adults.
Anxiety: Multiple studies suggest reflexology can help reduce anxiety, including one from 2020 that determined reflexology massage helped reduce anxiety in people about to have a Caesarean section compared to people who received a non-reflexology foot massage or no intervention.
Low back pain: A 2024 study in intensive care unit nurses suggests reflexology may help reduce low back pain, compared to no intervention, though more research is needed.
Cancer-related pain: A small 2021 study on hospitalized people undergoing cancer treatment found that reflexology combined with traditional nursing care was more effective than traditional nursing care alone at reducing pain and nausea. The authors noted that larger studies are needed to confirm these benefits.
Constipation: A 2020 review of research suggests that reflexology may improve symptoms of constipation and reduce the likelihood of recurrence of constipation in people with functional constipation disorders.

Additional research is currently underway to determine reflexology’s effects on other health conditions.

Foot massage for anxiety

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Here are Merkas’s instructions for a foot massage that can lower anxiety.

Curl your toes. You should see a small depression just below the ball of your foot.
Place the pad of your thumb on this depression.
Hold on to the top of your foot with your other hand.
Massage the area in small circles.
Alternate this with holding the area firmly and pressing down.

Foot massage for low back pain

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If you want to treat your back to some reflexology, focus the massage on the arches of your feet and follow these steps:

Concentrate on the pressure points in your arches. Merkas suggests using a few drops of oil or lotion for lubrication.
Moving from the heel to the toes, alternate moving your thumbs in a series of short strokes.

“You can also use your thumbs to press in and ‘cat walk’ along the arch, like a cat making its bed,” says Merkas.

Foot massage for general pain

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Myofascial release therapy targets the thin tissue called fascia that covers your muscles, bones, and organs. A 2022 article exploring how reflexology might work suggests that stimulating the fascia may result in a wide range of effects on the body.

The pain in these tissues originates at trigger points that may be hard to find.

“Self-treatment is something I encourage all my clients to do,” says Rachel Gottesman, OTR/L, owner of Body Ease Therapy. “I use myofascial release therapy and it works by gentle, sustained pressure on areas of restrictions.” Gottesman suggests thinking of the myofascial tissues as a three-dimensional, interconnected web. Tightness in one place, like your feet, can pull the web out of place in other spots.

To perform myofascial release, follow these steps:

Sit in a comfortable chair or on a sofa.
Place a golf or tennis ball on the floor, just under your foot.
Roll the ball around with your foot until you find a sensitive spot, or pressure point.
Press down with your foot just enough to feel the point soften.
Hold for 3 to 5 minutes.

Don’t continue to roll the ball. That doesn’t allow the pressure to go deep enough.

The takeaway

Some evidence suggests massaging your feet’s pressure points may benefit your health. Scientific opinion aside, it certainly feels good! Enjoy exploring your pressure points and learning which angles and how much pressure suits you.

A special note for people with diabetes: Check with a doctor before massaging, since pressure can affect diabetic nerve damage.

One thing is certain, our feet do take a beating, and deep massage can make them feel so good that you forget about other aches and pains.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Anderson KD, et al. (2021). Foot Reflexology: An intervention for pain and nausea among inpatients with cancer.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9246290/
Cai D-C, et al. (2023). Foot reflexology: Recent research trends and prospects.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9819031/
Huang H-C, et al. (2021). Can foot reflexology be a complementary therapy for sleep disturbances? Evidence appraisal through a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33615535/
Jing J, et al. (2022). The effects of foot reflexology on vital signs: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9489354/
Navaee M, et al. (2020). Effect of pre-cesarean foot reflexology massage on anxiety of primiparous women.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32284448/
Parlak AG, et al. (2024). The effect of foot reflexology on stress, fatigue, and low back pain in intensive care unit nurses: A randomized controlled trial.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38897824/
Reflexology. (2020).https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/reflexology
Whatley J, et al. (2022). Reflexology: Exploring the mechanism of action.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1744388122000743
Yaqi H, et al. (2020). Foot reflexology in the management of functional constipation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32891277/

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Medically reviewed by Gregory Minnis, DPT — Written by Elea Carey — Updated on September 30, 2024

3 Massages For Pressure Points On Feet - Healthline

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Does research support reflexology?

Foot massage for anxiety

Foot massage for low back pain

Foot massage for general pain

The takeaway

How we reviewed this article:

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