reflexologyboardSignals, the catalog that supports public television in the US, has let us down again. This time, they're pushing the Reflexology board:

A centuries-old healing art, reflexology reduces stress, boosts energy, and benefits your whole body from head to toe. The reflexology board is an important tool of Eastern acupressure medicine. Wooden nodes stimulate pressure points and enhance circulation.

Let's take this one at a time.

 

  1. Reflexology is centuries old. It was "rediscovered" by Dr. William Fitzgerald in 1913. His speciality: ear, nose and throat. By my count, that's less than a century. Also popular at that time: the belief that newsprint was an antiseptic.

  2. Reflexology reduces stress. Maybe, but so does any type of massage.

  3. Reflexology boots energy. There's the "e" word again. What "energy" does it boost?

  4. Reflexology benefits your whole body from head to toe. How? For example, if I use this thing, how will my eyebrows "benefit"? My toes might get a work out.. that I can see.

  5. The board is important to Eastern acupressure medicine. Is it? Dr. Fitzgerald was from Connecticut. And how is acupressure "medicine"?

  6. Wooden nodes stimulate pressure points and enhance circulation. Yes, I imagine they do.


Score of accuracy? 1.55. That's one whole point for item 6, half a point for item 2, and .05 for item 4.

There is good news though! As of this writing, they're on sale for $19.95. The bad news? They're on backorder. And really, I think that's very bad news.