In our fast-paced, always-on world, stress isn’t just a nuisance—it’s a serious drain on our health. Between juggling roles as mum, wife, therapist, workshop-organiser, Nordic walking & QiGong teacher, marketing, non-profit work … I know first-hand how quickly energy becomes depleted. When demands are high and rest is scarce, our immune system, nervous system and endocrine system pay the price: higher cortisol, more inflammation, poorer sleep, and increased vulnerability to illness, mental burnout and even accelerated ageing.

Reflexology has been my anchor through all this. As a qualified foot, facial and cranial reflexologist, I practise what I teach—I receive regular monthly treatments (facial or foot) not only because it feels wonderful, but because it works. This week, during World Reflexology Week (22nd–28th September), I want to share why it works, what the evidence says, and offer something special to help you access those benefits too.

Here are some of the ways reflexology supports health, especially under the weight of modern living:

• Deep relaxation, nervous system calm & lowering of stress hormones
  Reflexology helps shift the body out of the fight-or-flight state. By activating rest states (parasympathetic nervous system), reflexology reduces heart rate, lowers blood pressure, decreases respiratory rate, and helps ease anxiety. This isn’t just anecdotal: in various trials and meta-analyses, foot reflexology has been shown to produce significant drops in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate. PMC

• Reduced anxiety & emotional stress
  Several trials have looked specifically at patients undergoing anxious situations (e.g. before cardiovascular procedures) and shown that reflexology significantly lowers anxiety as measured by validated scales. PubMed+1 In a pilot study of healthy volunteers, reflexology produced a powerful short-term effect on state anxiety, and reductions in cardiovascular parameters. PubMed

• Improved sleep, fatigue management & mood
  Fatigue, sleep disturbance, feelings of overwhelm are common in busy lives. Self-administered foot reflexology has been shown in small studies to decrease perceived fatigue, reduce depression scores, and improve subjective stress and well-being. In a study of female undergraduates, for example, self-foot reflexology reduced perceived stress, fatigue, and improved skin temperature (a proxy for relaxation) though it did not change cortisol or immune markers in that short term design. PubMed

• Support for immune health (more indirect or emerging)
  While evidence is mixed on direct changes in immune cell counts or specific immune markers, there are promising signals:

  • One study in middle-aged women doing self-foot reflexology found statistically significant changes in natural killer cell activity and IgG (an antibody marker), along with reductions in depression, perceived stress and blood pressure. PubMed

  • Another recent study in people living with HIV showed that reflexology therapy had a statistically significant positive impact on immune parameters, though more research is needed to understand the durability and clinical meaning of these effects. Liebert Publications

• Helping the body restore, rebalance & repair at a deeper level
  When reflexology is done with regularity—in a membership or package model—it helps train the body & mind to more easily reach deep states of rest (theta states, similar to deep meditation), where restorative processes like cellular repair, hormone regulation, and immune recalibration are more efficient. This can mean quicker recovery from stress, less wear on the body, and more resilience.

It’s also honest and important to note that, despite the many promising findings, the scientific evidence is not yet conclusive in several areas:

• Many of the RCTs (randomised controlled trials) have small sample sizes, short follow-ups, and methodological issues (e.g. blinding, controlling for placebo or non-specific touch/massage effects). Wiley Online Library+2PubMed+2

• Objective biomarkers (like cortisol, immune cell counts) often do not change significantly in many studies, or the changes are inconsistent. For example, studies where participants used self-foot reflexology sometimes show improvements in subjective stress/fatigue but not in cortisol levels. PubMed+1

• Specific claims (e.g. reflexology curing or preventing medical disease) are not supported by current evidence. It is best seen as a complementary therapy—supportive, preventive, enhancing well‐being—not a replacement for medical care when needed. Verywell Health+1

To mark World Reflexology Week (22nd–28th Sept), I’m delighted to offer £15 off all reflexology treatments at MindBody Oasis: foot reflexology, facial reflexology, cranial reflexology, Zone Face Lift, and reflexology for menopause.

• Use code REFLEXJOY when booking via Fresha app.

• Promotion applies to appointments between 25th September 2025 and 31 October 2025.

• Offer valid for advance bookings; redeemable at point of sale or via the code.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, chronically tired, or just disconnected from your sense of well-being, this is a moment to gift yourself some deeper support.