REFLEXOLOGY foot massage is becoming increasingly popular in Myanmar as more people discover its health benefits.

“The number of foot reflexology centres here has increased as more people come to understand, gradually, the advantages of this therapy for their health and well-being,” Ko Zaw Win of the Cosy Foot Reflexology Centre, told the Myanmar Times.

Foot reflexology is an ancient form of ‘pressure treatment’ and involves applying focused pressure to certain known ‘reflex’ points located in the foot, which correspond to certain organs or glands in the body.

No one really knows how old reflexology is, although there is substantial information to suggest it may have been used as long ago as 5,000 years, both in China and Egypt.

It has been popular in the West for at least two decades, but it has only recently started to gain mass appeal in Myanmar.

There are many different styles of foot reflexology depending on whether the technique used originates from China, Korea, Thailand or Egypt, but traditional Chinese foot massage is the most common in Myanmar.

Foot reflexology, done properly, can boost the immune system helping the body to fight disease, assist with detoxification, improve circulation to nourish the internal organs and relieve stress, Ko Zaw Win said.

“Foot reflexology is also good for the eyes, and it lessens stress. You’ll feel refreshed after having a foot massage,” he said.

Ma Tin Thuzar Win, a foot reflexology practitioner at Level 6 Foot Reflexology, agreed that foot and body massage is always appropriate, regardless of whether you are suffering from a complaint or not. It is always beneficial for your health, she said. Level 6 combines different styles of reflexology both east and west.

“Your stress will disappear while you take the massage,” she said.
While senior beauty experts suggest that you should not have a facial massage more than twice a week, you can have foot massages as often as you like, without any adverse affects.

“You can have foot massages daily. It won’t do any damage. No amount of foot massage is too much,” Ko Zaw Win said.

He especially stressed the benefits of regular foot reflexology treatments for people who spend the whole day sitting down as part of their job.

“Foot massage can relieve pressure and tiredness and boost circulation. It also takes away the pressure that builds up in your eyes, if you spend the whole day sitting at a desk, doing office-type work,” he said.

When you visit a reflexology centre, the practitioner will usually submerge your feet in a bowl of warm medicated water for about 20 minutes. Then they will dry your feet of and massage them, pressing on special pressure points on the feet to stimulate different organs and centres of your body. The treatment usually ends with a moisturising lotion being rubbed into your feet.

A reflexology treatment on your feet will roughly set you back between K2500 and K5000, depending on the salon. The treatment takes between half-an-hour and an hour. Many foot reflexology centres also offer back and shoulder massages.