Foot Massage vs. Foot Reflexology: What's the Difference?

4. Techniques and Pressure Points

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Reflexology and foot massage have somewhat different application methods and execution. Using more expansive, flowing motions covering greater areas of the foot, traditional foot massages apply techniques including effleurage, petrissage, and friction. These motions progressively release tension patterns in the muscles and fascia and are meant to warm the tissues, boost blood flow. Depending on the client's inclination and the particular ailment being treated, the pressure used in a foot massage could range from light to deep. Reflexology, on the other hand, employs more exact, targeted procedures aiming at particular reflex spots with different degrees of pressure. These methods call for a strong awareness of the reflex map as well as accurate location and stimulation of particular spots. Usually following particular patterns and sequences that match the body's energy pathways, reflexology's pressure administered is more intense and methodical.