pseudoscience or not?

[carpenterslavemoney]

Hi all,
Just wondering if Reflexology is still considered as a pseudoscience or if indeed there is any 'scientific' proof to it? Where is the defining line between pseudoscience and science. As a reflexologist I see the proof all the time.
I ask this as I have a family member who is a biochemist and down cries all alternative/complimentary therapies at every given chance. Mind you he has been known ot use homepathic remedies on his children for teething. Although he denies they are homeeopathic and says they are different as they are regulated and tested and cna be bolught in a pharmacy. lol

So back to the question? Where is the documented proof if any?

 

[WCCanuck]

..Heyyyyyyy... Jungdreamer;
... It's just one o' those things you put down to experience

soz



.

 

[neutreno 3000]

oooh waaah waaah oooh waaah waaah oooh!

(i'm sorry too - he made me do it!)

ask him why the pharmaceuticals company wont sponsor some "scientific" testing...

or

just tell him to push off!

 

[Pompal 09.]

Well to be honest I make sure never to get inot conversation with him about it and if I do I just let him waffle on and argue with himself as I believe I have nothing to prove. My great line with him is to the effect that her attends church and is educating his children to believe in God as it feels right for him and he believes in it yet, we have no scientific proof regarding the existance of God.

However, I am interested to know how much scientific research has been carried out.
I am just curious myself and I do believe that it is one on the reason that there is no research inot these areas as it would have a negative result for the pharmacutical companies.

 

[chmacqueen]

Here is a sample of Reflexology studies, links to abstacts:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19740047?dopt=AbstractPlus

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18370580?dopt=AbstractPlus

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18772659?dopt=Abstract

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18489444?dopt=Abstract

HTH
Myarka.

 

[Just Some Girl]

Sorry Jungdreamer, I was just being a bit silly - it was a play on the lyrics of a very old song (FYI here's a link-> Sad_Sweet_Dreamer ) and Rosie rather humourously carried it on.

But yes (as Myarka has demonstrated) there's lots and lots of research out there, I know that I found a huge amount of good research when I was compiling my portfolio for my Reflexology qualification (apologies for the childishness), I think though as you get older you get to a point where you just can't be a*sed to argue the issue... innit?


.

 

[Teefthini]

Apology accepted. I am glad that my confussion to your post has been clarified. I thought I was losing it for a momnet!

 

[Stee]

Im not a Reflexologist but this it what I would say to the Biochemist (with lots sarcastic 'as you knows':

"As you know, for the nervous system to work well it is all about the 'flight or fight' mechanism. Someone with chronic back pain will constantly be in 'fight' mode. As you know, there has never been a drug invented which can switch a person from 'fight' to 'flight' mode which is why drugs dont work and actually do people more harm. Reflexology on the other can, over time, easily switch this mechanism, which is why more and more people get success going to Reflexologists and give up with harming themselves with drugs that Biochemists give them."

You can, if they have bad posture, point out and ask them why they have been standing on the front part of their feet the whole time (for example, they wont know they are doing it- say their feet are too tense causing bad posture)!

I wouldnt bother mentioning as an argument for reflexology:
god,
energy,
chakras
etc.

best arguments are mentioning: nervous system, 'fight or flight', 'cured my bad back' etc.
thats my opinion anyway

 

[AssLoraiaa]

Excellent Matty, I just might take some of your tips during trh next conversation we have. Tbh, reflexology did go up in his estimation recently when he saw the depth of anatomy and physiology covered in the Diploma.

Shallow, I know!

I have mentioned 'blockages of energy' and 'detoxifying' before, but wont again. I can still hear him laugh.

Ah well maybe some day I will give him a treatment and change his mind forever.

 

[aloha]

In contradiction to the glowing reports on this board the refs provided by Myarka (thanks M) do not show Reflexology to be a particularly effective treatment. There may be many reasons for this, one being biased educational establishments which rely, for some of their funding at least, on big Pharm company funding.

Jungdreamer, in reply to your Biochemist friend, why not ask him if he knows the meaning of the word iatrogenic.

David

 

[arcticpuppet.]

looking it up myself. lol

 

[Southern Baptist]

I am a practising reflexologist, and I have found reflexology as a massage therapy to be a very effective treatment for stress, anxiety related disorders, poor circulation, pain relief etc.

I think explanations of reflexology that use ideas of "zone theory" or "crystal deposits" are unproven and contradict current knowledge of anatomy. I am not sure if this meets the definition of psuedoscience

"Reflexology" is really a vague concept - different people practice a therapy that they label as "reflexology", but they may have completely different explanations of what they are doing.

 

[Amy Lee rules!]

Essentially it means disease caused by conventional medicine. Look it up in a decent dictionary (ie Chambers or New Oxford) or Google it.

Cheers,

David

 

[/\//\//\]

Fab idea - offer him treatments, I'm sure he'll be amazed by what you can read in his feat.