An article titled “Foot Health 11 Tips” has recently gone viral online: “Press the heel, you can make the back upright to cure the hunchback”, “rub the toes to improve memory”, “sun on the soles of the feet can strengthen the body to prevent colds. “The soles of the feet can be sunburned to strengthen the body and prevent colds.” Because the method is simple and easy to operate, many people are eager to try. But is it really effective? Experts say that there is little basis for these claims, but the stimulation of specific foot acupuncture points or reflex zones, can achieve health care, disease prevention, sleep effects.
More than 70 reflex zones in the foot usually walking stimulation can not
The first affiliated hospital of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture and moxibustion, said Zhuang Lixing, director of the foot and the whole body organs are closely linked, the foot health is indeed based. The foot has more than 70 reflex zones projected by the whole body, the head, feet, internal organs, muscles and so on in the left and right feet have reflective parts. In terms of meridians, there are six meridians, such as the foot three Yang meridian, foot three Yin meridian from the foot, and run the whole body, all the organs of the body and the foot have a close connection, massage, tap to stimulate the reflex zones and meridian points, can regulate the function of the internal organs of the body, can prevent and cure diseases, self-care.
But daily walking will not stimulate these reflex zones, unless walking massage gravel road or massage mats, reflex zones need to specifically stimulate a particular part, through the pressure, kneading, pinching, rubbing, pressing, knocking and other ways to act on specific areas to work. Stimulating the foot reflex zone is good for a variety of conditions such as frozen shoulder, low back pain, headache, high blood pressure, neurological disorders, liver disease and spleen disease.
Leg shaking has a relieving effect on relieving leg aches and pains
”Men shake poor, women shake bitch”, habitual leg shaking is not welcome, there is a disease called restless leg syndrome, patients can not control shaking legs, accompanied by strong pain, burning sensation, but also leg cramps, but most people shaking legs is just a habitual action.
In fact, the targeted shaking of the legs or some benefits. Zhuang Lixing said, if a long ride on the plane, office sedentary, you can shake the legs, can relieve leg pain and numbness, dissipate leg blood, promote local circulation, maintain and enhance muscle and joint vitality. In addition, appropriate leg shaking, shaking feet, can also relieve mental tension. Of course, if you shake your legs frequently, it is a hindrance to social etiquette and needs to be controlled.
Winter bubble feet, do foot exercises can sleep and health
Zhuang Lixing said that the winter foot soak, can warm the Yang to disperse cold, run the blood, adjust the function of the internal organs. If you add drugs, warmth stimulation plus drug stimulation, prevention and control of disease more obvious effect.
Many Yang deficiency physique people have cold hands and feet in winter, cold body, sleepless at night, by pressing the rub or acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping and other methods, have the effect of improving cold hands and feet, sleep well.
Rubbing the toes can not improve memory Brush rubbing the soles of the feet does have a beauty effect Dysfunction of the internal organs can lead to bad skin, stimulate the reflex zones on the soles of the feet can regulate blood, knocking on the soles of the feet can also improve blood circulation to eliminate fatigue
”Foot health 11 moves” can be said to be the recent more popular post, improve memory, skin, improve the hunchback, prevent colds …… has a press to cure a hundred diseases of the momentum. Experts say that improving memory and correcting hunchback can not be achieved through foot massage, foot health care can indeed stimulate foot reflex zones, acupuncture points to health care and prevention of disease, but need to have the right theory to guide to be effective. Sayings@Truth
Say: Tapping on the soles of the feet can eliminate fatigue
Evidence: It makes sense, but it doesn’t have to be limited to the soles of the feet
By tapping on the soles of the feet to give proper stimulation and improve blood circulation throughout the body, the internal organs can be strengthened and the spirit can be restored as soon as possible. The exact method of tapping is to the palm of the foot as the center, rhythmically radiating around, to a slight pain as degree.
Expert comment: by tapping the soles of the feet and the role of specific points and reflex zones, can promote blood circulation, adjust the function of the internal organs, improve the body’s fatigue, the role is certain, but do not have to be limited to tapping the soles of the feet, along the inner leg of the foot three Yin meridian from bottom to top, the outer leg of the foot three Yang meridian from top to bottom, combined with the meridian theory in the foot, calf to thigh the whole leg tapping massage, fatigue effect It will be better. The specific posture of tapping to facilitate tapping, force to the body to tolerate the degree, do not have to pay special attention to.
Say: shaking feet can improve blood circulation
Identification: shaking feet can improve leg discomfort
Poor blood circulation throughout the body, will produce the phenomenon of internal disorders, such as headaches, loss of appetite and other sub-health symptoms, simple foot stimulation can improve blood circulation. Lie on your back, first let your feet shake in the air, and then let your feet rotate like a bicycle, as long as 5 to 6 minutes in a row, the whole body blood circulation will be improved, this method can also make the belly of the leg and the inner knee muscles to stretch.
Expert comment: Poor blood circulation throughout the body will not only make the internal organs dysfunction, but also affect the whole body, dizziness and headache, poor appetite, poor gastrointestinal function and a series of symptoms, but if you just shake your feet, you can only promote blood flow back to the lower extremities, improve the soreness and fatigue of the legs, and can not solve the problem of dizziness and loss of appetite. The “air bicycle” is also like stepping on a bicycle shaking feet in the air, can exercise the whole body, promote blood circulation throughout the body, improve the blood supply to the brain, relieve physical fatigue, and also help sleep in the winter when it is cold.
Saying: Foot rubbing cures insomnia
Evidence: can improve the sleeplessness caused by cold feet
As the soles of the feet are farthest from the heart, the peripheral blood circulation is not good, the feet are cold and prone to insomnia. You can let the feet together to rub each other, so that the blood circulation is smooth, and when the feet feel warm, you can sleep soundly in a short time. As long as the friction 20 times, the feet will feel warm, sleep will come.
Expert comment: Yang deficiency in the cold winter because of cold feet difficult to sleep, at this time, rub the feet, so that the feet feel warm, can improve sleep, but insomnia caused by a number of factors, can not therefore be concluded that rubbing the soles of the feet can cure insomnia. Generally speaking, overexcitement or tension, something in the heart, stress, heart disease, lack of blood supply to the brain is easy to cause insomnia, cold feet is not the main cause of insomnia, but if it is really difficult to sleep, the method of rubbing the feet to be effective.
Say: Rubbing the toes can improve memory
Identification: no basis
Grab the big toe of the feet with your hands to do circular rubbing exercise, rub a few times a day, 2 to 3 minutes each time. You can also use your hands to do circular activities to rub the outside of the little toe, as long as you rub it for 5 minutes between classes or before going to bed. As the ability to calculate is related to the cerebellum, and the little toe is the reflex area of the cerebellum, so rubbing the little toe also helps to enhance the ability to calculate.
The expert review: there are many errors in the statement. Memory belongs to the brain function, and the cerebellum is completely unrelated, even if the cerebellum function will not improve memory, rubbing and can not play any role in improving the function of the cerebellum, rubbing the toes on the brain also has little effect.
Say: Pressing the heel can improve the hunchback
Identification: hunchback cannot be corrected without surgery
Long-term ambulatory work or sitting in the office is easy to form a hunchback, this posture can be corrected by stimulating the heel. The reason why the back is bent is that the muscles on both sides of the spine, which support the body weight, become weak. The muscles on both sides of the spine are connected to the heel through the bladder meridian, and stimulating the heel can correct the hunchback posture.
Expert comment: The muscles on both sides of the spine are connected to the heel through the bladder meridian, through the role of meridian connection, massage of the heel has a certain therapeutic effect on lumbago, lumbago, straight back, but if the hunchback is a back deformity, it cannot be corrected by means other than surgery, if the poor posture of the back caused by long-term ambulatory work can be corrected, it cannot be called hunchback. You can make your back stand up by pressing your heels.
Saying: rubbing the soles of the feet with a brush to improve the skin
Evidence: Foot toning of Qi and blood can improve the skin condition
How to make the skin white and tender, is the most important concern of women, as long as the stimulation of the soles of the feet, you can make the skin beautiful. The specific method is to rub the soles of the feet with a brush in the shower, which can promote the secretion of relevant hormones in the body, and in the long run, you will be able to make the skin white and tender. Choose the brush made of natural fibers can be, will not damage the soles of the feet.
Expert comment: human internal organs dysfunction or disease can lead to bad skin, through the brush or other stimulation methods to stimulate the foot acupuncture points and the corresponding reflex zones, can regulate the blood, improve the skin condition, but to promote the body’s secretion of relevant hormones is not based on the claim. It’s true that regulating qi and blood requires long-term persistence, and it doesn’t work well once or twice.
Remedies@Identification
Prescription: barefoot walking on pebbles helps health
Identification: occasionally walk health effects, can not always walk
The palms of the feet is the main part of the body to support the balance, walking as far as possible to let the heart of the feet to get stimulated, help the body’s health. You can also try walking on pebbles, so that the 5 toes do not stick together, especially in the big toe and the second toe between the gap, can make the gait easy. You should walk barefoot at home whenever possible.
Comment: barefoot walking or walking cobblestone road can stimulate the reflex zones of the plantar, there is some truth to plantar health care, but not for a long time, otherwise it will affect the normal physiological function of the waist and legs and feet, may cause diseases such as foot and ankle, knee or waist and other joint muscles, the best way is once in a while, once a half hour to an hour, long-term barefoot work life is not recommended. As for walking the cobblestone road to open the toes of the statement, do not have to force.
Prescription: foot soles sunbathing to prevent colds
Identification: nothing to base on
Sunbathing is a natural treatment to promote health, so that the “second heart” known as the soles of the feet to receive sunbathing, you can get unexpected health effects, the sun’s ultraviolet rays stimulate the soles of the feet, can promote the whole body metabolism, adjust the function of the internal organs, so that the body hardened up. If you receive sunbathing on the soles of your feet, you will not catch a cold throughout the year. When the weather is fine, you can let the sun directly irradiate the soles of your feet for 20-30 minutes every day outdoors.
Comment: sunbathing is indeed a natural treatment to promote health, the soles of the feet also have a “second heart”, but the sun’s ultraviolet rays can not directly stimulate the soles of the feet, can not therefore play a role in promoting metabolism or adjusting the function of the internal organs, but also to prevent sunburn, foot soles sunbathing is not recommended.
Prescription: foot on the tennis ball to treat constipation
Identification: no role, but can relieve fatigue
In the chair, turn the tennis ball with the foot, can stimulate the soles of the feet, so that foot fatigue is relieved. The painful feeling when you start to turn the tennis ball will gradually change to comfort, and the fatigue of your feet will be eliminated without you realizing it. This way is also good for the treatment of constipation.
Comment: By stimulating the foot acupuncture points and reflex zones, the foot on the tennis ball can play a health role and relieve fatigue, but the treatment of constipation is not based. Because the sphere is more difficult to control, a better way is to step on the bamboo tube, in addition to relieving fatigue can also exercise the flexibility of the legs.
Prescription: Golden chicken independent exercise foot
Identification: useless, but can improve the nervous system
Standing on one foot can exercise the soles of the feet. When standing on one foot, stand on your right toe for 1 to 2 minutes, then stand on your left toe for 1 to 2 minutes, taking turns, it is best to hold the wall with both hands or grip the railing when standing on your feet, remember to pay attention to safety.
Comment: The role of the golden chicken is not to exercise the soles of the feet, but to balance the body, taijiquan, yoga have such a posture, often practice is good for the body. Golden chicken independence through a foot on the ground, a foot suspended, adhere to a period of time after the gradual transition to stand on tiptoe, can exercise the body’s functional balance, training the brain into the quiet, so that the cure for insomnia, inattentive effect.
Health @ technical work
Foot soak has a “formula”
Adding specific prescription drugs to the water can be targeted to treat insomnia, headaches, menstrual disorders and other diseases. However, it should be noted that in order to ensure the effectiveness of the medicine, the time to boil the herbs is generally controlled between half an hour to an hour, and each person’s constitution is different, so that the foot soak to play a good effect, the prescription drugs are best used under the guidance of a doctor.
Cure insomnia
Remedy: 60g of Acacia, 30g of Phellodendron, 30g of Yuan Zhi, 30g of Angelica, 30g of Sour Jujube.
Method: Take the above five herbs, add 5000m l of water and soak for 3-4 h. Every night before going to bed, boil the herbal soup for 30-40 minutes, pour the soup into a bucket, soak the feet to the calves for 30-40 minutes, then press and rub the bilateral Sanyinjiao point for 2 minutes, Taixi point for 2 minutes, and insomnia point (the center of the heel) for 2 minutes. Press and rub for about l0 minutes each time, once a day, for 10 days as a course of treatment.
Treatment of headache
Remedies: 15g of asparagus, 15g of nightshade, 12g of Chuan Niu Knee, 30g of hooked vine (later), 15g of Chuanxiong, 30g of green tea leaves
Method: Decoct 2 times to extract 300 ml of juice, add 3000m l of boiling water to the foot bath when the water temperature is suitable, once a day, for a month as a course of treatment.
Treatment of vertigo
Remedies: Luo Bu Ma Ye 30g, Hooked Vine 30g, Wu Zhu Wu 15g, Cao Zhu Ming 30g, Chuan Xiong 15g
Method: Add the above herbs to water and boil it for half a clock until about 1000 ml is left, then add an appropriate amount of hot water to make a medicinal soup, keeping the water temperature at 40-50℃. Add 2 tbsp of white wine before soaking your feet. Just once a day.
Treating gastrointestinal diseases
Remedy: Gui Zhi 30g, Gan Jiang 30g, Ai Ye 50g, Perilla 30g, Yuan Hu 30g, Angelica Sinensis 30g
Method: Add the above herbs to water and boil for half an hour until 1000 ml is left, then add an appropriate amount of hot water to make a medicinal soup, keeping the water temperature at 40-50 degrees.
Treating dysmenorrhea
Remedy: 30g of motherwort, 20g each of aromatic herb, frankincense, chuanxiong and myrrh, 15g of cumin and 15g of ginger.
Preparation: Decoct in water, remove the dregs, mix with warm water and soak both feet in a footbath for 30 minutes to invigorate blood and disperse cold, warm menstruation and relieve pain.
Treatment of menstrual disorders
Remedy: Rose 30g, Safflower 30g, Angelica 50g, Chuanxiong 30g, Gui Zhi 30g, Ai Ye 50g
Method: Add the above herbs to water and boil for half a bell until 1000 ml is left, then add an appropriate amount of hot water to make a medicinal soup, keeping the water temperature at 40-50°C. Add 2 spoons of white wine before soaking the feet.
Yongquan, Yinbai and Zhiyin points have magical functions
[Yongquan point]
The first point in the circulation of the kidney meridian, massage this point to tonify the liver and kidneys, calm the liver and quench the wind, lower blood pressure, treat headache and dizziness, kidney deficiency and lumbago.
[Yin Bai Acupoint]
Located on the big toe, moxibustion here can effectively stop bleeding, treating hemorrhage, functional uterine bleeding, excessive menstruation, etc.
[Zhiyin point]
Located on the little toe, moxibustion here can correct fetal malposition of pregnant women.
Expert@Tip
Foot soaking for hypertensive patients to be careful of blood pressure fluctuations
Foot health is relatively safe, contraindications are also less, but need to pay attention to such as diabetes and hypertension patients in the foot soak to strictly control the temperature, diabetes-induced peripheral neuropathy will lead to sensory impairment of the patient’s hands and feet, foot soak easy to burn, and burns are difficult to cure; hypertensive patients with weak vascular regulation, foot soak easily cause blood pressure fluctuations, once you feel dizzy discomfort, you should immediately stop. Weak people should also pay attention to the way and method, to avoid improper operation caused by fainting. In addition, the application of moxibustion, acupuncture and other traditional Chinese medicine methods to identify the appropriate people first, to prevent accidents.
Foot soak time 20 to 30 minutes is appropriate
The length of foot soak: foot soak time should not be too long, to about 20 to 30 minutes is appropriate. The popular saying that foot soak to soak until the body sweats to be effective is right, but not as the standard of foot soak time.
The depth of the foot soak: the depth of the water should be dipped to the calf to fully dilate the blood vessels and effectively play the role of drugs.
The temperature of the foot soak water: the water temperature is not the higher the better, it is best to control at about 45 ℃.
Health care @ case
Garlic mashed on the soles of the feet to stabilize high blood pressure
Mr. Liu, 80 years old, has been suffering from high blood pressure for more than 30 years and has been taking three different kinds of anti-pressure drugs, but his high blood pressure has been uncontrollable. Once Mr. Liu’s blood pressure soared to 200/120mm H g. He sought medical help from the Acupuncture Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Director Zhuang Lixing came up with his unique “secret formula”: he pounded garlic into puree and gently applied it to the Yongquan point on the bottom of Mr. Liu’s foot. Blood pressure dropped to 160/95mm H g. Through this method, together with taking hypertension medication, Mr. Liu’s hypertension was well controlled.
Director Zhuang Lixing explained that the Yongquan point is a well point of the kidney meridian, which has the effect of nourishing the kidney, calming the liver and submerging the yang; garlic puree is pungent and warm, which can open the meridians and adjust the function of blood vessels. Hypertension (hyperactive liver yang type) is hyperactive yang on the top and deficient yin on the bottom, through this method of treatment can lead the fire back to the yuan, so it can play an immediate effect. However, it is important not to give up the use of antihypertensive drugs in order to maintain the stability of blood pressure in the long term.