Georges Tron, former Secretary of State for the Public Service, is on trial today before the Bobigny Assize Court. He is accused of having raped two municipal employees under the guise of doing plantar reflexology.
The trial of Georges Tron and Brigitte Gruel, his former cultural assistant, opens today. They are accused of having raped two municipal employees between 2006 and 2010. The mayor of Draveil, in Essonne, allegedly trapped his victims by claiming to want to do plantar reflexology.
Reflexology is a practice derived from traditional Chinese medicine. It has been around for over 5,000 years. It is an alternative medicine, which consists in exerting pressure on certain parts of the body, called “reflex zones”. In fact, this practice starts from the principle that by exerting these pressures on the level of the foot, one can act on the whole body. Pressure on a specific area will act on a particular muscle, organ or blood vessel. Reflexology helps fight headaches, backaches, stress, insomnia or painful periods.
Different schools, different practices
Reflexology has evolved over the centuries. Today, some practitioners are very close to ancestral Chinese medicine, others are inspired by more recent research, such as that of the American physiotherapist Eunice Ingham. It was she who created the first training school for this practice. She also wrote a treatise on modern reflexology, where the entire body is mapped onto the feet and hands to understand where the reflex zones are.
Reflexology is not just about the feet. This practice is also used on the hands, face and skull but also on the ears. At present, it is part of the health care system only in a few countries such as Denmark, China and the United Kingdom. In France, federations and independent organizations issue certifications for schools and practitioners.
.
