Reflexology mat walks line between 'om' and 'ouch'
Posted: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 9:12 PM
By Diane Mapes, contributing writer
What it is: Foot Chi Cobblestone Foot Path ($49.90, includes shipping)
What it claims to do: According to the manufacturer, the Foot Chi (pronounced “foot chee”) Cobblestone Foot Path is designed to emulate the “ancient stone reflexology pathways found throughout Asia” in order to “stimulate and regulate acupoints located on the soles of the feet.” Common benefits of reflexology, the literature states, are relaxation, improved circulation, and help with insomnia, sinusitis, allergies, fatigue, stress, anxiety and digestion.
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| footchi.com |
My experience: I decided to break out my Foot Chi on the day after Thanksgiving, when most of us are searching for something – anything! -- to help with that age-old holiday trifecta of stress, fatigue and digestive woes. Unfurling the bumpy strip of 16 x 57-inch green on my living room floor in front of the TV, I wondered if this qualified as the “peaceful space” the manufacturer suggested. Most likely not, but it did give me something to do while I paced back and forth across the cobbled surface.
As for that, unless you are accustomed to walking along riverbeds without shoes (or feel you’ve been very, very naughty and need punishing), do not try the Foot Chi barefoot. I did and lasted all of 30 seconds; it’s like walking around with lumps of coal in your shoes. After that, I gladly embraced the manufacturer’s suggestion that I wear socks if “lighter stimulation” was desired. One, two and finally three pairs seemed to do the trick for me (you may need less). Swathed in these protective layers of cotton, I was then able to trod upon what I came to call the Pebbled Path of Pain for the 5-10 minutes they advised for first-time users (the idea is work up to 10-40 minutes a week, although I could never get past 12-15).
None of which is to say that I did not like the whole Foot Chi experience. Perhaps it was just the relief of getting off the thing, but I definitely felt like I had a little more spring in my step after using it. In fact, I found it stimulating both for my feet – and my mind. The reflexology illustrations on the back of the box were especially entertaining. Who knew that the bottom tip of the little toe was directly linked to the frontal sinuses or that the area right in the middle of your heel stimulates the genital glands? Of course, this knowledge proved a bit discomfiting later on, when a few of my Foot Chi’s green plastic pebbles came off. Would I somehow be shortchanging my shoulder? Circumventing my spleen? Luckily, the Foot Chi folks had me covered. Their Web site offered tips on how to snap the pieces back into place should they fall off and extra stones are said to be included, although I couldn’t find mine. (This may have been due to a certain pre-holiday enthusiasm while opening the box as opposed to any kind of packing error.)
What the expert says: Dr. Howard Dinowitz, a Brooklyn podiatrist and spokesperson for New York State Podiatric Medical Association, says most of the evidence regarding the various benefits of reflexology is anecdotal rather than scientific. “Reflexology has been around for centuries and some people swear by it and some people swear at it,” he says. “Some say it’s cured their insomnia and their sciatica and that they breathe better and have wonderful erections because of it.” A study conducted at the Oregon Research Institute does seem to offer more empirical proof, however. Researchers had 108 adults age 60 to 92 use a cobblestone mat for 16 consecutive weeks and found that it “improved physical function and reduced blood pressure to a greater extent than conventional walking in older adults.”
Dinowitz says he never “debates success,” but does advise moderation when using the Foot Chi, especially for people with diabetes who may suffer from neuropathy (i.e., the lack of peripheral sensation or feeling in the feet). “You might not feel if you’re bruising yourself or exacerbating an ulcer,” he says. “Otherwise, the only other people I would caution about using this product would be anybody with sensory nerve deprivation, anybody who has hypersensitive skin. And anybody who’s very ticklish.”
Bottom line: I primarily used my Foot Chi in the evening while watching TV, walking back and forth like the world’s loneliest picketer. Those looking for something less monotonous can purchase multiple paths in order to create some of the “new and exciting” arrangements touted on the Web site (otherwise known as a small rectangle, a large rectangle or a plus sign). Or they can just peel off a pair of socks for the full Princess and the Pea experience. Again, do not underestimate the power of hard plastic pebbles on the bottom of a soft, citified foot.
While I found walking back and forth on my Foot Chi a bit too stimulating at times and was annoyed by the number of pebbles that came off, I did enjoy using it while sitting at my computer, “walking” back and forth with only part of my weight as opposed to the full monty (the Web site also recommends using your Foot Chi at the spa, the park, the gym, the airport and the Ashram). This quick and easy DIY foot massage definitely put me on the path to true happiness – and kept me alert even during those post-lunch afternoon lulls. I don’t know that it did all that much for my sinuses or my circulation, but I haven’t had any bouts of insomnia since I started using it (quite the feat during the holiday season). This may just be the perfect thing – for those who’ve been naughty and nice.
