The schools

Why Reflexology Charts Disagree

The main lineages

Ingham / Western

Eunice Ingham, a physiotherapist, charted the feet in the 1930s building on zone therapy. Most North American and European training follows this lineage, which makes it the most widely reproduced base map — not the most validated one.

Chinese reflexology

Developed alongside Chinese medicine, with a partly different layout — several organ areas sit in different zones, and some charts cross sides for paired sense organs.

Other schools

Morrell, Vacuflex, the metamorphic technique and others each publish their own variations. Where their placement differs materially it is recorded on the individual area page.

Areas where the schools disagree (50)

Every area below is placed differently by at least two traditions. Open one to see each placement.

Head and brain right · base map: Shared across schools 1 alternative placement Cerebellum and brain stem right · base map: Chinese reflexology 1 alternative placement Pineal right · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Teeth, jaw and gums right · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Eye right · base map: Shared across schools 2 alternative placements Ear right · base map: Shared across schools 2 alternative placements Thyroid and parathyroid right · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Pancreas right · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Kidney right · base map: Shared across schools 1 alternative placement Hip and knee right · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Sciatic right · base map: Shared across schools 1 alternative placement Head and brain left · base map: Shared across schools 1 alternative placement Cerebellum and brain stem left · base map: Chinese reflexology 1 alternative placement Pineal left · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Teeth, jaw and gums left · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Eye left · base map: Shared across schools 2 alternative placements Ear left · base map: Shared across schools 2 alternative placements Thyroid and parathyroid left · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Pancreas left · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Kidney left · base map: Shared across schools 1 alternative placement Hip and knee left · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Sciatic left · base map: Shared across schools 1 alternative placement Heart left · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Rectum and anus left · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Head and brain right · base map: Shared across schools 1 alternative placement Eye right · base map: Shared across schools 2 alternative placements Ear right · base map: Shared across schools 2 alternative placements Thyroid and parathyroid right · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Stomach right · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Pancreas right · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Spine - lumbar, sacrum and coccyx right · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Hip and lower back right · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Sciatic right · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Head and brain left · base map: Shared across schools 1 alternative placement Eye left · base map: Shared across schools 2 alternative placements Ear left · base map: Shared across schools 2 alternative placements Thyroid and parathyroid left · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Stomach left · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Pancreas left · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Spine - lumbar, sacrum and coccyx left · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Hip and lower back left · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Sciatic left · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Heart left · base map: Ingham (Western) 2 alternative placements Helix 5 right · base map: WHO auricular nomenclature 1 alternative placement Helix 6 right · base map: WHO auricular nomenclature 1 alternative placement Point Zero right · base map: Chinese reflexology 1 alternative placement Anterior helix root point (Nogier) right · base map: Shared across schools 2 alternative placements Ovary / testis right · base map: Chinese reflexology 3 alternative placements Tragus midpoint (appetite point of the Chinese charts) right · base map: Chinese reflexology 2 alternative placements Upper tragus point (thirst point of the Chinese charts) right · base map: Chinese reflexology 2 alternative placements

Frequently asked questions

Is there an official reflexology chart?

No. There is no WHO standard and no international consensus map for the foot or hand. More than a hundred charts have been published since the 1930s and they do not all agree.

Which chart does this site follow?

The Ingham/Western lineage is used as the base map because it is the most widely reproduced. Wherever another school places an area differently, that placement is recorded alongside it rather than discarded.

Is one school more correct than another?

There is no evidence base that can settle it. Since no map has been validated against anatomy or outcomes, this site treats the schools as parallel traditions rather than ranking them.

Is the ear the same situation?

No — the ear is the exception. Auricular point naming was standardised by a WHO working group and by the Chinese national standard GB/T 13734, so ear points can be sourced to an actual standard.

What the evidence says How this chart was built Foot reflexology chart