Foot reflexology · zone 1, 2

Stomach — Right hand

Stomach on the right hand · 29 areas · ringed markers are placed differently by different schools

Placement

Location: On the palm of the right hand just below the diaphragm line, on the thumb side in zones 1-2. Ingham-lineage charts show only the smaller right-hand part of the stomach area on this hand; the larger part is on the left.

Longitudinal zone(s): 1, 2 of 5

Side: right hand

Tradition: Ingham (Western)

How other schools place it

Ingham (Western)

Ingham-lineage hand charts split the stomach between the hands as they split it between the feet: a small part on the right hand, the larger part on the left.

Charts in the same lineage disagree over how far the area is allowed to reach toward the little-finger side.

Chinese reflexology

Chinese hand charts show stomach, duodenum and pancreas as a short column running down the thenar eminence of BOTH hands, below the base of the thumb, rather than splitting the stomach between the two hands.

This is a difference of layout, not only of size: on the Chinese chart the digestive column is on the thumb side of each palm.

Traditional use

Traditionally worked as part of a digestive sequence, from the thumb side outward.

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 stomach reflex area on the hand?

On the palm of the right hand just below the diaphragm line, on the thumb side in zones 1-2. Ingham-lineage charts show only the smaller right-hand part of the stomach area on this hand; the larger part is on the left.

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.

Sources

References displayed on this page were recorded with the point dataset.

  1. Dwight C. Byers, "Better Health with Foot Reflexology: The Original Ingham Method" International Institute of Reflexology charts, hand reflex chart section
  2. Barbara and Kevin Kunz, "Complete Reflexology for Life" Hand reflex charts, palmar and dorsal views
  3. 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
  4. Wikipedia, "Reflexology" Zone-therapy framework; documents that published reflexology maps are not consistent with one another