History of Reflexology

 

 

Reflexology dates back to ancient civilizations such as Egypt, India and

China, but this therapy was only introduced to the West in the early

20th Century. The oldest documentation of Reflexology comes from a

pictograph in the tomb of an Egyptian Physician Ankhmahor

(2500-2330 B.C.) at Saqquar near Cairo.

 

Dr William Fitzgerald USA 1872-1942 was an Ear Nose and Throat Surgeon.

He practiced in the USA, briefly in London and Vienna for 2 years. He was the founder of“Zone Therapy”,

an early form of reflexology.

 

The next important person that played a major role in developing Reflexology was

EUNICE INGHAM (1889 -1974) USA “The Mother of Modern Reflexology”

 

She was a Physiotherapist who worked in a Doctors practice and she used

Dr Fitzgerald’s Zone Therapy method.

However, she felt that the therapy could be more effective on the feet than the hands.

After extensive research she evolved a map of the entire body on the feet.

Hence the saying ‘The feet are a mirror of the body’ In true pioneer style, Eunice Ingham travelled

around America for 30 years teaching Reflexology first to Doctors and Nurses and then to

non-medical practitioners. She wrote 2 well known books “Stories the Feet Can Tell”(1938) and

“Stories the Feet Have Told”(1951)Eunice Ingham continued to work up to the age of 80. She died at 85 in 1974.

 

In the late 50's Dwight Byers started helping Eunice Ingham at her workshops. In 1961 Dwight Byers and his sister Eusebia Messenger, RN joined their Aunt Eunice teaching at workshops on a full time basis. Seven years later they became responsible for the continued teaching of Reflexology

under the banner of The National Institute of Reflexology. In the mid 70's Eusebia retired and Dwight Byers formed

The International Institute of Reflexology®,

where the theories and techniques

of Reflexology were further refined..