🌿 Folk Prescriptions

With winter arriving, foot soaks and foot reflexology have become increasingly popular. Soaking feet in hot water during cold weather warms the entire body and relaxes muscles and tendons. However, recent news reports highlight cases where people, lacking professional medical guidance, were massaged by unlicensed “massage therapists,” resulting in injuries such as ligament damage instead of therapeutic benefits. Dr. Qu Yi from Beijing Massage Hospital warns that while massage effectively relieves muscle tension, improper techniques can cause harm. She urges people seeking massage to visit reputable institutions and ensure practitioners possess proper medical knowledge to achieve genuine health and wellness benefits.
Caution with Foot Reflexology
Dr. Qu explains that soaking feet in hot water and performing foot reflexology in winter greatly benefits the body. Cold weather often causes blood and qi stagnation, cold-induced muscle soreness, poor nerve circulation leading to cold hands and feet, and cold-related stomach pain. Regular hot foot soaks can significantly improve these issues by promoting blood flow, relieving cold extremities, dilating capillaries, and enhancing cerebral perfusion. If possible, soak feet in hot water for 20 minutes before bedtime for optimal effect. She also advises warming the feet with hot water before reflexology to speed up blood circulation, relax muscles and tendons, and prevent injury during massage.
Moreover, Dr. Qu emphasizes caution with foot reflexology. Each foot contains over 60 reflex zones corresponding to major organs such as the heart, liver, kidneys, stomach, spleen, eyes, ears, and nose. Properly applied massage stimulates these zones to alleviate organ discomfort, but incorrect techniques may harm organ health. Trained professionals can assess organ status through visual inspection and palpation of the foot, adjusting massage accordingly. For example, they judge reflex zone health by observing foot color, feeling tissue firmness, and assessing pain during pressure. Without formal medical training in anatomy, physiology, pathology, and clinical experience, it's nearly impossible to accurately interpret foot changes and identify underlying health issues, making targeted adjustments during massage impossible.
Heavier Pressure Isn't Always Better
Many people mistakenly believe stronger pressure yields better results. In reality, the ideal pressure causes slight soreness but remains tolerable, without inducing dizziness, nausea, or palpitations. Too light pressure fails to produce therapeutic effects; too heavy pressure risks injury to ligaments, muscles, and fascia. Individuals with heart disease or hypertension may even trigger recurrence of their conditions. Many people, when feeling tense or sore, ask family members to massage them. Dr. Qu advises gentle pressure—light enough to relax muscles and improve circulation. However, caution is essential: without professional knowledge, it's hard to locate correct reflex zones accurately. Excessive force may cause adverse reactions such as fascia inflammation, dizziness, nausea, palpitations, or arrhythmias. Light pressure has minimal impact on reflex zones. This principle applies universally—gentle massage, even if acupoints aren't perfectly located, still promotes relaxation and blood circulation. But excessive force may damage nerves in the waist and neck, causing numbness in hands or feet. Neck injury may result in dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, shoulder discomfort, or even spinal cord damage leading to paralysis. Waist injury may cause lower limb pain, numbness, or even paralysis. Dr. Qu reminds us that mild massage offers some health benefits, but if you aim to treat diseases via massage, scraping, or cupping, always consult a qualified physician.
Some Conditions Are Unsuitable for Massage
Dr. Qu notes that although massage treats many conditions across internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, etc., certain situations prohibit massage. Patients with acute injuries, local edema, inflammation, open wounds such as fractures or skin breaks, severe heart disease, hypertension, or renal failure should avoid massage.