Reflexology in GILMORTON, Lutterworth, Leicestershire

There are links to 2 studies below, both utilising FMRI imaging to observe cortical activity whilst reflex areas (used in reflexology) were stimulated.

Somatotopical relationships between cortical activity and reflex areas in reflexology: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Nakamaru, Tomomi; Miura, Naoki; Fukushima, Ai; Kawashima, Ryuta

Neurosci. Lett. 2008 1 448 45906

The second link is to an article showing what happened when this study was repeated, but this time, as an extra control measure, half of the participants were given pseudo information about which reflex areas were being stimulated:

Activity in the primary somatosensory cortex induced by reflexological stimulation is unaffected by pseudo-information: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Miura, Naoki; Akitsuki, Yuko; Sekiguchi, Atsushi; Kawashima, Ryuta

BMC Complement Altern Med 2013 13 114

 

Links accessed 28 November 2025