Reflexologist massaging a patient's foot. Reflexology is a method of healing that arose from the zone theory", developed in the USA in the early 1900's. The theory stated that the body is divided into 10 meridians running down the body from head to toe, each one passing through various organs and terminating in the toes, soles or sides of the feet. Discomfort in a particular area of the foot is said to be related to a malfunctioning body structure or organ and is treated by sustained, local compression-massage. Here the area being massaged corresponds to the patient's solar plexus, a network of nerves and ganglia high in the back of the abdomen."