A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Wolverhampton for the degree of Doctorate in Health and Wellbeing.Background: Reflexology has suffered a troubled and tumultuous journey travelling a long
and winding road, experiencing times of interest and intrigue alongside suspicion and doubt.
This study explores the topic through a post-structural lens to discover new possibilities for
the discipline.
Methodology: The research design used a narrative inquiry and emerged a Derridean
theoretical approach encompassing some of the key concepts of Jacques Derrida’s writings
(Derrida, 2016, 1993, 1982, 1978). It concerns poetical notions of text, context and
intertextuality as a backdrop to re-explore traditional stories told by five prominent
reflexologists accompanied by an autobiographical story. Using narrative inquiry, it explored
how narratives allow reflexologists to perform and make heard the whispered voices in order
to let reflexology stories (the reflexstories) breathe (Frank, 2012).
Findings: This study firstly, at a textual level, uncovered the literature surrounding
reflexology (the reflexliterature) proffering an evolution of the therapy and secondly, for
context, embraced the methodology of narrative inquiry, eliciting synchronic narratives.
Beatles song titles have been used as headings, bringing into focus my own intertextuality to
capture the spirit of Derridean thought which emerged during the era reflexology was
presenting as a popular practice. The study contributes to furthering the body of knowledge
of reflexology by providing personal narratives and poems for pedagogic application and
explores emerging cultural and dialogical accounts of the modality in order to find
possibilities for practice rather than affording truth claims on its efficacy and effectiveness.
Moreover, it offers a theoretical model for the application of a schema of critical questioning
so as to expose the metaphysical assumptions of the subject in question which revealed
reflexology as a spectre in healthcare.
Recommendations: A standardised data collection tool could be developed to replace the
use of many varied questionnaires within the research on reflexology and the numerous
reflexology associations could try again, to converge and adopt one collective organisation.
Reflexology could be utilised in other areas of healthcare identified in the literature rather
than only the current provision. Finally, the theoretical model could be exploited for other
subjects in order to interrogate the hierarchies, dichotomies and binary oppositions which
are present within the topic of inquiry
