Chinese reflexology
Chinese charts read the eye and ear areas crosswise: the area at the base of those fingers on the LEFT hand is worked for the RIGHT eye or ear and the other way round.
Same crossover reasoning as for the eye area.
Foot reflexology · zone 4, 5
Ear reflex area — Right hand
Placement
Location: On the palm of the right hand at the base of the ring and little fingers, just below the webs; the same same-side / opposite-side disagreement applies as for the eye.
Longitudinal zone(s): 4, 5 of 5
Side: right hand
Tradition: Shared across schools
How other schools place it
Ingham (Western)
Ingham-lineage hand charts keep the ear reflex on the same side as the ear, at the base of the ring and little fingers of that hand.
Charts also disagree over where the eustachian-tube area sits between the eye and ear areas.
Traditional use
Traditionally included in head-and-neck sequences, often together with a rotation of the small fingers.
Reflexology is a traditional practice, not an evidence-based medical treatment. Systematic reviews have not shown it to be effective for any medical condition. These maps document what practitioners traditionally use — they are not claims about how the body works.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the ear reflex area on the hand?
On the palm of the right hand at the base of the ring and little fingers, just below the webs; the same same-side / opposite-side disagreement applies as for the eye.
Which tradition does this placement come from?
Shared across schools. Other schools place this area differently; the variants are documented on this page.
Does pressing this area treat the organ it is named after?
No. Reflexology maps are traditional diagrams, not descriptions of anatomy or physiology. Systematic reviews have not found reflexology to be an effective treatment for any medical condition.
Sources
References displayed on this page were recorded with the point dataset.
- Dwight C. Byers, "Better Health with Foot Reflexology: The Original Ingham Method" International Institute of Reflexology charts, hand reflex chart section
- Barbara and Kevin Kunz, "Complete Reflexology for Life" Hand reflex charts, palmar and dorsal views
- Chinese hand reflex-zone charts (手部反射区) as taught in the Chinese hand-massage tradition Standard Chinese palmar and dorsal hand reflex-zone chart
- Wikipedia, "Reflexology" Zone-therapy framework; documents that published reflexology maps are not consistent with one another