Massage & Bodywork

NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2018

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SPLEEN ▲ The spleen is a secondary lymphoid organ that acts as a blood filter and regulates the amount of B cells used during immune responses. Because the spleen is located on the left side of the body, the spleen reflex is located on the left foot only. Specifically, the spleen reflex is located in the fifth zone proximal to the head of the fifth metatarsal and proximal to the diaphragm reflex at the lateral plantar fascia and abductor digiti minimi muscle (Image 7). Massage this reflex using circular or back-and-forth friction motions. STOMACH ▲ The stomach reflex is located in the first zone along the first metatarsal proximal to the diaphragm reflex along the digital slip of the plantar aponeurosis and flexor hallucis brevis muscle (Image 8). The stomach begins at the cardiac sphincter on the left side of the body. The fundus and body of the stomach stretch across the left side of the body to the pylorus, which crosses the midline to the right side of the body. When you stimulate the stomach reflex on the left foot, you are working on the upper stomach. When you stimulate the stomach reflex on the right foot, you are working on the lower stomach. Massage the stomach reflex using circular effleurage motions in a proximal direction. Massage the right foot using a "C" motion and massage the left foot using a reverse "C" motion. PANCREAS ▲ The pancreas is both an endocrine gland that releases hormones to regulate blood glucose levels and an exocrine gland that secretes digestive enzymes. In the body, it is located behind and just inferior to the stomach. The pancreas reflex is located deep to the stomach reflex, proximal to the head of the first metatarsal in the central area of the stomach reflex at the flexor hallucis brevis muscle (Image 9). Massage this reflex using back-and-forth friction and deep press-and-release motions. COLON ▲ The colon reflex consists of five parts. On the right foot, the ascending colon reflex begins in the fifth zone just distal to the heel along the lateral band of the plantar aponeurosis and abductor digiti minimi muscle. The reflex stretches across these muscles until the level of the tuberosity of the fifth metatarsal, at which point the reflex is the hepatic flexure of the colon where the ascending colon becomes the transverse colon (Image 10A). 62 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 8 7 9 8 10A

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