Effect of reflexology on EEG - A nonlinear approach

Abstract

Reflexology is a 4000-year-old art of healing practiced in ancient India, China and Egypt. In the beginning of the 20th century, it spread to the Western world. Reflexologic clinics and massage centers can be found all around the world. In spite of the widespread popularity, to the best of our knowledge, no serious research work has been done in this area, although much scientific research work has been carried out in other Eastern techniques like meditation and yoga. This is why a humble attempt is done in this work to quantitatively assess the effect of reflexological stimulation from a systems point of view. In this work, nonlinear techniques have been used to assess the complexity of EEG with and without reflexological stimulation. We prefer the nonlinear approach, as we believe that the effects are taking place in a subtle way, since there is no direct correlation between reflexological points and modern neuroanatomy. © 2004 World Scientific Publishing Company.