Feel Good Feet and Foot Fetishes
Summary of Chapter 28
A naked woman in heels is a beautiful thing. A naked man in shoes looks like a fool.– Christian Louboutin
Feel Good Feet and Foot Fetishes
We’ve all had those days when you want to kick off your shoes because of all of the aches and pains. The days when all you want to do is go home, and soak your soles. The truth is that you need to do a little more than soak your feet to make them feel good. Here is what you need to know about foot massage, reflexology, pedicures, the weather and the sex life of the foot (yes, sex life!).
Massage is, first and foremost, a great relaxer. It stimulates circulation while relaxing muscles, thereby giving instant relief to tired, sweaty, swollen, or itchy feet. Massage can also offer temporary relief for foot cramps caused by ill-fitting shoes or over activity. Cold, numb feet will quickly warm up after a brisk massage, too.
Reflexology
Reflexology is the art and practice of applying pressure to specific reflex points on the feet, hands, face, and ears, which are believed to correspond to different organs, glands, muscles, bones, and systems. Working these reflex points may keep the whole body in a good state of health. It is believed that conditions like asthma, anxiety, diabetes, headaches, PMS, kidney function, and sinusitis, among others, can be helped with reflexology treatment. On the feet, reflexology points exist on the bottom, sides and top. Reflexologist claim that, for example, a point on the outer edge of the sole of the foot is linked to the colon and points on the balls of the feet are linked to the lungs. The left foot is said to be linked to areas on the left side of the body and that the right foot is linked to areas on the right. William H. Fitzgerald, a medical doctor who introduced reflexology to the United States in the early 1900s, divided the body longitudinally into 10 zones with each zone ending in one of the 10 toes. He theorized that all organs lying in the same zone affected one another. For example, since the kidneys and eyes share zones, working the reflex points of one could help the other. Dr. Fitzgerald coined the term “zone therapy,” and from this, reflexology was born. Talk about feel good feet!
In this chapter of My Feet Are Killing Me Dr. Levine explains it all for you:
- DIY Massage
- Beginning the Massage
- Do-it-Yourself Foot Pampering
- Foot Softening Treatment
- Foot-Softening Maintenance Treatment
- Reflexology
- What to expect from reflexology
- The Sex Life of the Foot
- Feet and the Weather
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