To a certain extent the quality of our work literally lies “in our own hands.” “Touch” conveys, besides the mere physical connection, additional information on a subtle level. Our own awareness of what we do, and our attitude when working has an effect on the whole treatment. Further, our hands should be warm or warmed up first. Rubbing the palms together vigorously, for example, not only actively generates warmth, but also increases their tactile qualities.

First we attune ourselves to the patient by placing our hands gently on their feet for a few seconds. The attentiveness of our hands allows us to perceive subtle initial information about the patient in general, as well as about his or her particular condition at that moment.

If the patient is embarrassed, shy, or very ticklish, the feet should remain covered during this first contact. If established gently, it can promote trust and must not feel oppressive or distressing under any circumstances.

During the first assessment we differentiate between visual inspection of the feet and palpation of the zones.

It is advisable to examine the patient’s feet without initially drawing any therapeutic or diagnostic conclusions. Only after acquiring some practical knowledge can correlations with possible disorders be derived from visual inspection. In principle, however, only subsequent palpation can determine whether a zone really has an abnormal reaction or not.

As visual inspections alone fail to provide an adequate objective basis for treatment, we should not relay any concrete observations to patients concerning these findings since it may unsettle them and undermine our credibility unnecessarily.

For example, some disorders can already be construed in the zones at a time when no abnormalities of any kind are discernible (prodromal stage); some only indicate general weakness without their manifesting as an illness. Some tissue findings simply have external causes too, such as extreme sports, ill-fitting shoes, etc.

Sometimes visible symptoms persist after a disorder or illness has abated, perhaps because their causes are still latent and the abnormality of the zone is to be interpreted as a secondary symptom.

The normal tissue tone of the muscles of sportsmen should be examined in order to avoid interpreting well-trained, well-developed muscle groups as afflicted zones.

When inspecting the feet visually the following sequence has proved helpful:

• Structural analysis of the foot: longitudinal arches, shape and position of the toes

• Tissue characteristics: venous and lymphatic congestion and swelling in the tissue, changes in the subcutaneous tissue, and slackening or shortening of the tendons and muscles

• Conspicuous features of skin and nails: calluses, rhagades, verrucas, blisters, injuries, mycosis of nails or in the interdigital tissue, moles, scars, etc.

The significance of the foot as a weight-bearing arched base for the whole person is recognized in orthopaedics, physiotherapy, and numerous other manual treatments in which the foot is principally seen from the perspective of structural interrelationships. Such viewpoints are not contradictory to RTF as there is often an interactive correlation between malposition of the skeletal structure of the feet and malfunction of organs, joints, and bones that manifests itself in painful zones.

Examples

• As the zones of the spine are related to the longitudinal arch, distinct fallen arches and flat feet will influence these zones and with them the spine in situ.

• Weakness in the metatarsophalangeal joints can have a disturbing effect on the zones of the shoulder girdle, respiratory organs, and heart.

• Retraction and weak tone at the level of the first cuneiform bone in the direction of the navicular bone, corresponding to the zone of the lumbar spine, can often be observed as a consequence of the pathologically stressed longitudinal arch.

• Hammer toes and other malformations of the toes can influence the zones of the head. Sometimes visual inspection of the toes leads to the presumption that there might be disorders in the dental region and sinuses. I have observed more than once that after holistic treatment of teeth (e.g., removal of silver amalgam, decayed, or devitalized teeth) it became easier to mobilize the toes and they became less congested.

• Footwear fashion should also be considered in this respect; ultimately, however, the interaction between the toes and the head area exists regardless of whether the abnormality was triggered by the wrong kind of shoes or due to complaints in the head region (e.g., chronic sinusitis, severe dental strain, migraine, etc.).

• Collapsed cuneiform bones can affect the zones of the colon and the lower spine. These connections became obvious to me when a doctor was sending his patients to me for treatment after they had undergone chiropractic and manual repositioning of the tarsal bones. Many reported that after the repositioning of the cuneiform bones (which partly represent the zones of the digestive tract) not only had their whole posture up to the neck improved, but even chronic digestive problems had noticeably improved.

• Injuries to the malleoli and the calcaneus are related to the pelvic organs and hip joints via the zones and can cause problems and diseases there.

Lymphatic and venous congestion and edema are found especially in the region of the ankles, the Achilles tendon, and on the dorsal part of the feet near the five metatarsophalangeal joints, particularly in women. Retraction or sluggishness of the tissue can be observed both on the plantar and medial sides of the feet, often clearly circumscribed.

Examples

• Many patients with digestive problems have cushionlike raised tissue on both feet, located in the zones of the intestinal tract (cuboid bones, navicular bone, and parts of the calcaneus in both feet). During a series of treatments and/or through a change in eating habits and improvement of the intestinal flora, we observe that these “swellings” often decrease, at least partially, in line with the patient’s improved bowel function.

• Women with serious complaints in the urogenital organs (e.g., prolapse of uterus and bladder) often undergo changes in the tissue quality and color of the region around and beneath the inner ankle toward the heel.

• In children suffering from pseudocroup and asthma, as well as cystic fibrosis, swollen, congested areas in the dorsal area of the metatarsal bones, as zones related to the thorax, are not uncommon.

• Tissue congestion around the Achilles tendon as far as the medial and lateral parts of the calcaneus often occurs in women with impaired fluid excretion and/or lymphatic flow. The intensive, but not necessarily vigorous, treatment of these areas alone can initiate good diuresis.

• Often women who are familiar with the relationships of the zones report in the final stage of their pregnancy that the tissue tone, shape, and color of the medial sides of their heels, which are related to the pelvic organs, change from day to day.

Skin of the Feet

On the one hand, unsuitable footwear and restrictive, synthetic socks or stockings are hard on the feet and, on the other hand, the feet are often neglected. Therefore, observations of the skin can be very informative.

When noticing changes in the skin, the type of change is not of primary importance, but rather the site at which the change is apparent. Thus, a corn near the fifth metatarsophalangeal joint could be related to shoulder problems; a corn between the second and third toes could be indicative of eye disorders.

It is of secondary importance whether there is a corn, mycosis, or rhagade in the zones of the shoulder or eyes. The visible abnormalities only draw attention to the fact that there may be a disturbance in that particular zone.

The following changes in the skin on the foot as far as the lower leg are important in a visual inspection:

• Verrucas (warts), cracked skin in the interdigital spaces, Athlete’s foot sore spots, corns, blisters, unusual pigmentation, reddening, pallor, scabby skin, rhagades, perspiration, ulcers (e.g., ulcus cruris), calluses, changes in color, scars.

• Particular attention should be paid to any changes in size, color, and tissue composition in moles and nevi (birthmarks) (possibility of malignancy).

Examples

• In women who have experienced a difficult delivery (a very large baby or other complications) changes are often observed in their skin around the zones of the pelvic organs on the medial sides of the calcanei, such as venous or lymphatic congestion and/or telangiectasis (bluish-colored superficial veins with a broomlike appearance).

• Calluses around the medial part of the first metatarsophalangeal joint can be observed in patients suffering from neck, thyroid, and/or heart problems.

• Tourists who have eaten food and drink with which their digestive organs are unfamiliar while abroad may suffer from small blisters filled with lymphatic fluid in the center of the plantar part of the feet (the zones of the gastrointestinal tract) weeks later. The blisters empty themselves after some time, causing irritating itching while healing. As long as there is a toxic load on the digestive tract—although often without recognizable symptoms—new blisters may develop and consequently heal during the course of improvement.

• Athlete’s foot, usually occurring as inter digital mycosis, is a special phenomenon because although both feet are exposed to the source of the infection (swimming pool, sauna), the mycosis hardly ever spreads across the whole foot, not even across all interdigital spaces. It can be observed on typical areas that are often connected with a disorder or weakness in the related area of the head/neck. The interdigital space between the fourth and fifth toes is exposed to fungal infections remarkably often. In this area we find the lateral areas of the head and neck, zones of the tonsils, lymphatics of the sides of the neck, middle and inner ear, maxillary sinus, molars, and wisdom teeth. Diseases or weaknesses of these groups of organs and tissues create a correspondingly weakened environment on the skin in the related areas of the foot, which is particularly susceptible to Athlete’s foot infection.

For the above reasons, externally natural substances should be used for Athlete’s foot, for example, tea tree oil, coffee charcoal (prescription: Carbo Königsfeld, Müller/Göppingen), oak bark footbaths, one’s own urine. However, what is more important is the internal improvement of the acid to alkaline-base balance in the digestive tract through a change in diet and herbal or homeopathic remedies because Athlete’s foot is only a symptom of overall metabolic stress.