The pagination of this electronic edition does not match the edition from which it was created. To locate a specific passage, please use the search feature of your e-book reader.
Acupressure A non-invasive treatment of healing and relieving pains using differing forms of pressure with fingers or thumbs on strategic points, which originated in China.
Acupuncture A traditional Chinese system of healing and inducing anaesthesia by inserting needles at strategic points.
Allergen Any type of substance that can cause an allergy, for example: pollen, animal fur or feathers, dust, house mites, moulds and fungi, some foods. Some additives used in processed foods can cause gastrointestinal discomforts. Chemicals in household products and in cosmetics can cause skin allergies.
Anterior The front of.
Antibodies Proteins produced in the body to destroy foreign invading bacteria or toxins (antigens).
Anticonvulsant A medication that can be used to prevent epileptic fits.
Antigens Any substance that may cause an antibody reaction by the immune system.
Anti-inflammatory Any substance that can reduce inflammation (often refers to a type of medication).
Autonomic nervous system The branch of the nervous system that usually works totally independently of our will and consciousness and is responsible for the vital functioning of some of our internal organs.
Beta blocker Medication that is used to calm the sympathetic nervous system down, thus slowing the heart rate and reducing blood pressure; often used in heart conditions.
Biomechanics The structure and movement of the locomotor system.
Borborygmus The noises made by the intestines; this is caused by the movement of gas and fluids, and this often increases during reflexology treatment.
Brachial plexus The complex array of nerves that arise from the cervical spine and supply everything from the fingers, hands, forearms and certain parts of the shoulder girdle.
Bronchodilator Any substance or force that causes widening of the airways, achieved by relaxing the smooth muscle of the bronchi and their principal branches.
Cancers Tumours that are malignant.
Chorionic gonadotrophin A hormone produced in the placenta during pregnancy and excreted in urine.
Contraindication An indication that a particular treatment may be unsuitable because of specific factors in a patient’s condition.
Diabetes mellitus A disorder with complex causation, in which there is a disruption of carbohydrate metabolism because of a lack of, or resistance to, the pancreatic hormone insulin. There are two types: insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent.
Differential diagnosis In reflexology, a diagnosis in which the aim is not to ascertain the nature of the disease, but to diagnose an imbalance that may be caused by many other factors. In orthodox medicine, a diagnosis that distinguishes between two or more conditions with similar signs/symptoms.
Dorsal The back surface.
Dorsiflexion Moving the foot or toes so that they are flexed towards the body.
Dorsum The back of the hand or the top surface of the foot.
Dyspnoea Any laboured breathing, often evident in asthma, emphysema, and other lung or heart disease.
Eminence A rounded protuberance.
Emollients A substance that has a softening or soothing effect on the skin.
Epilepsy A disorder characterized by an abrupt loss of consciousness and possible convulsions.
Evert To turn outwards.
Fungus Microorganism producing spores. Some types feed on the protein keratin, which is found in the skin, the hair and the nails.
Gamete The mature sex cells: the ovum in the female, and the spermatozoon of the male.
Gastrocnemius A large double muscle forming the bulk of the calf, ending below; in the Achilles tendon.
Gonadotrophins Hormones synthesized and released by the pituitary gland, and acting on the gonads.
Gonads The testes or ovaries of the male and female reproductive tract; they produce the gametes.
Hallux rigidus Stiffness or rigidity of the great toe; this can be due to trauma.
Hallux valgus An outward displacement of the great toe; a bunion is the swelling of the joint between the first metatarsal bone and the toe.
Hammer toe A condition usually affecting the middle joint of the second toe, which becomes bent. It is often due to incorrect footwear. If all the toes are so affected then it is referred to as ‘claw foot’.
Homeostasis The maintenance of physiological stability (e.g. blood pressure, blood glucose, body temperature, and the acid-base balance) in the body.
Hormones Substances released into the blood that have an influence on the performance of other organs and tissues.
Hyper An excess of something.
Hypo A deficiency of something.
Hypothenar The padded tissue or protuberance at the base of the little finger.
Intrinsic muscles Those muscles situated within an organ.
Invert To turn inwards.
IVF (in-vitro fertilization) Fertilization of the ovum outside the body.
Kinetics The study of all aspects of motion and the forces affecting motion.
Ligament Bands of connective tissue that join bones together.
Lisfranc’s joint line Line of amputation of the foot through the tarsometatarsal joint, discovered by Jacques Lisfranc, a surgeon in Paris, France (1790–1847). In reflexology it is used as a guide line from the distal edge of the medial cuneiform bone to the proximal end of the fifth metatarsal notch, as it follows the representation on the foot of the base of the rib cage.
Lumbago Severe pain or restriction in the lower back.
Mallet toe A condition where the distal phalanx of the toe cannot be extended.
Meissner’s corpuscles Corpuscles sensitive to touch that are abundant in the fingertips and the pads of the toes.
Menopause Cessation of the menstrual cycle and release of egg cells from the ovaries. This occurs in women aged between their mid thirties to their mid fifties.
Meridian In TCM theory a channel through which Qi flows in the body; an imaginary line connecting the acupoints of an organ system.
Metacarpals The five bones of the hand that form the metacarpus.
Metatarsal The five bones of the foot that form the metatarsus.
Metatarsophalangeal The metatarsals and the phalanges, the toe bones.
Musculature The muscles of a region.
Musculoskeletal Both the muscular and skeletal systems together.
Mycosis Any disorder caused by a fungi.
Myelogram An X-ray of the central canal of the spinal cord, involving the injection of a dye into it.
Occiput The area at the back of the head joining it to the neck.
Oedema Any excess accumulation of fluid beneath the skin or in any body part.
Pacinian corpuscles Pressure receptors found in the skin, consisting of minute sensory nerve endings. They are very responsive to pressure.
Palmar The anterior surface of the hand, extending from the base of the fingers to the wrist.
Palpitations An irregular or more forceful beat of the heart, often felt in times of stress.
Paraesthesia Sensations of burning or pricking, usually of the areas served by the peripheral nerves.
Pes cavus A condition of claw foot, in which the instep of the foot is extremely arched.
Pes planus An abnormality of the arch, in which it drops almost to touch the ground.
Pes valgus A condition in which the foot is displaced and twisted outwards (see talipes).
Pes varus A condition in which the foot is displaced and twisted inwards.
Phlebitis General inflammation of a vein.
Phobias Any unreasonable fear of objects or certain situations.
Placenta The temporary organ that grows with the embryo and supplies it with nutrients and oxygen; it is expelled in the latter stages of labour as the afterbirth.
Plantar The sole of the foot.
Plantarflexion A downward movement away from the body.
Posterior The back of.
Proprioceptors Sensory nerve endings that respond to internal stimuli.
Psoriasis A skin disorder that sometimes has a hereditary link, in which there are red raised eruptions, usually appearing on the elbows and knees.
Pulmonary Pertaining to the lungs.
Qi or Chi A Chinese term, often translated as life energy, or vital force; a basic principle of TCM theory and Chinese thought; within the body it flows through meridians, and imbalances in it eventually manifest as illness (see Yin and Yang).
Sanjiao The Triple Burner/Heater/Warmer meridian in TCM, so named as it regulates the balance between the upper, middle and lower portions of the body.
Schizophrenia A mental disorder in which there is a progressive disintegration of normal mental functioning.
Seminal vesicles Paired organs secreting the liquid element of semen; they are usually referred to as male accessory sex glands.
Systemic Pertaining to the circulation of the body, as opposed to the circulation of the lungs.
Talipes A condition also called club foot; there are several forms.
Tarsal Relating to any one of the seven bones that form the tarsus (the bones of the ankle).
Tendon Tough cords composed of fibrous tissue attaching the end of a muscle to a bone.
Thenar The palm of the hand; the thenar eminence is the padded tissue or protuberance at the base of the thumb.
Thrombosis A blood clot formed within the blood vessels or the heart.
Tinea pedis A condition, sometimes referred to as athlete’s foot, which is a very contagious infection often predominant in the webs of the third to fifth toes.
Tinnitus Any noise within the ear; it may be caused by some structural damage to the auditory pathway, or by some drugs, but usually the cause is unknown.
Vascular Pertaining to blood vessels, or supplied with blood vessels.
Vasoconstriction Narrowing of blood vessels.
Vasodilation Dilation and relaxation of blood vessels.
Venous system The system of veins in the body.
Verruca A highly infectious benign growth, usually on the plantar aspect of the foot, but sometimes on the hands.
Vulva The fleshy areas of tissue in the female sex organs surrounding the entrance to the vagina and urethra.
Yang The male, strong, positive, and active principle in TCM.
Yin The female, soft, negative, inactive principle in TCM.