18/11/2025
Thank you Mosh for this share, as vital info that people need to read 📚 & learn about 🙏
WHEN "STRENGHTENING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM" IS THE WRONG ADVICE:
Reflexology and Autoimmune Diseases
Every so often, a well-intentioned question in the Reflexology community reminds us of the importance of revisiting fundamental concepts. One of the most persistent misunderstandings in complementary therapies concerns autoimmune diseases. Conditions such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Crohn's, Ulcerative Colitis or Multiple sclerosis, just to name a few.
The misconception is simple but consequential: the idea that a Reflexologist should stimulate or strengthen the immune system in these patients. It sounds intuitive, even caring, but physiologically, it is the opposite of what the body needs.
In autoimmune diseases, the immune system is not weak!
It is overactive, misguided, and firing against the very tissues it should protect. This is why, during flares, conventional medicine relies on corticosteroids to quiet the inflammatory attack. and why immunomodulators are prescribed in remission to reduce immune aggression. Strengthening an already aggressive system makes as little sense as pouring fuel onto a fire in the hope of extinguishing it.
This is where Reflexology offers a unique and valuable perspective. Instead of trying to “boost” immunity, our role is to support the body in returning to a state of balance. Modern psychoneuroimmunology reveals that the immune system is intricately linked with the autonomic nervous system. When the sympathetic branch (fight-or-flight) remains chronically activated, which is often the case in autoimmune patients, it amplifies inflammation, dysregulates cytokine release, and keeps the immune system in a constant state of alarm.
The therapeutic doorway is therefore not through stimulating immunity, but through calming the system that drives the inflammation. Reflexology techniques that enhance parasympathetic tone, particularly those that support vagal activation, help reduce systemic tension, modulate immune overactivity, and create more favorable physiological conditions for tissue repair.
Through this lens, Reflexology becomes a tool for restoring dialogue, not for pushing a system already in overdrive.
Autoimmune diseases DO NOT REQUIRE EMPOWERMENT of the immune system; they require discernment, balance, and the softening of internal vigilance. As Reflexologists, our work is not to encourage the body to “fight” harder, but to help it remember how to stop fighting itself.
