Sometimes less is more. Ask Amy Petersen, who owns The Foot Bridge in Blue Grass, Iowa, and works throughout the Quad-Cities area. Petersen practices integrative reflexology, a type of body work that applies pressure to areas of the feet and hands to bring balance to all of the body’s organs and systems. There are many misconceptions about reflexology – that it is no different from a foot massage, that it can be used to diagnose disorders — but one of the most needless is that it has to be painful in order to work.

“It’s not about the more pressure, the better it is,” says Petersen. “It’s about working to the level that is comfortable for your body.”