Ingham (Western)
Ingham-lineage hand charts place hip and lower back on the ulnar border of the hand, below the little finger and toward the wrist.
Some charts in the same lineage add a knee area just distal to it on the same border.
Foot reflexology · zone 5
Hip and lower back — Left hand
Placement
Location: On the ulnar (little-finger) border of the left hand below the hypothenar muscle, toward the wrist; pinned here at the outer border of the palmar chart, the aspect the chart actually names.
Longitudinal zone(s): 5 of 5
Side: left hand
Tradition: Ingham (Western)
How other schools place it
Chinese reflexology
Chinese hand charts place the hip joint on the DORSUM of the hand near the ulnar side of the wrist, and add separate shoulder-, elbow- and knee-joint areas along the ulnar border.
Three different placements for the hip are therefore in circulation - palmar border, ulnar border and dorsum.
Traditional use
Traditionally worked in lower-limb and postural sequences with the supporting hand holding the wrist.
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.
Care and caution
Conventionally avoided over recent injury, a joint replacement, swelling or unexplained pain in the corresponding joint.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the hip and lower back reflex area on the hand?
On the ulnar (little-finger) border of the left hand below the hypothenar muscle, toward the wrist; pinned here at the outer border of the palmar chart, the aspect the chart actually names.
Which tradition does this placement come from?
Ingham (Western). 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.
Is there anything to be careful about?
Conventionally avoided over recent injury, a joint replacement, swelling or unexplained pain in the corresponding joint.
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