29/04/2026
We often talk about how reflexology feels - calming, grounding, restorative.
But what’s happening underneath that?
A double-blind randomised controlled trial (the gold standard in research) looked at what happens in the body during a reflexology session.
Researchers measured real-time cardiovascular responses in healthy volunteers and found:
✔️ Immediate changes in haemodynamics (how blood flows through the body)
✔️ A measurable effect on cardiac function, specifically the cardiac index
✔️ Effects observed during targeted reflexology on foot areas linked to the heart
In simple terms?
This wasn’t just “feeling relaxed” — the body showed objective, physiological changes in real time.
It’s a powerful reminder that touch therapies like reflexology can have measurable impacts beyond relaxation alone.
📚 Source: Jones et al. (2012) – Reflexology has an acute (immediate) haemodynamic effect in healthy volunteers: A double-blind randomised controlled trial
