A small study on patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis comparing aromatherapy and reflexology, showed that both decreased pain and fatigue but that reflexology achieved the result faster. Non-pharmacologic interventions for symptom management in patients with rheumatoid arthritis are under investigated. Limited data suggest that aromatherapy massage and reflexology may help to reduce pain and fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The aim of this study was to examine and compare the effects of aromatherapy massage and reflexology on pain and fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The study sample was randomly assigned to either an aromatherapy massage (n = 17), reflexology (n = 17) or the control group (n = 17). Aromatherapy massage was applied to both knees of subjects in the first intervention group for 30 minutes. Reflexology was administered to both feet of subjects in the second intervention group for 40 minutes during weekly home visits. Control group subjects received no intervention. Fifty-one subjects with rheumatoid arthritis were recruited from a university hospital rheumatology clinic in Turkey between July 2014 and January 2015 for this randomized controlled trial. Data were collected by personal information form, DAS28 index, Visual Analog Scale and Fatigue Severity Scale. Pain and fatigue scores were measured at baseline and within an hour after each intervention for 6 weeks. Pain and fatigue scores significantly decreased in the aromatherapy massage and reflexology groups compared with the control group (p < .05). The reflexology intervention started to decrease mean pain and fatigue scores earlier than aromatherapy massage (week 1 vs week 2 for pain, week 1 vs week 4 for fatigue) (p < .05). Aromatherapy massage and reflexology are simple and effective non-pharmacologic nursing interventions that can be used to help manage pain and fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Pain Manag Nurs. 2016 Apr;17(2):140-9. Epub 2016 Apr 16. The Effects of Aromatherapy Massage and Reflexology on Pain and Fatigue in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Gok Metin Z, Ozdemir L.
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 I just want to say a big "Thank You" to everyone at Registers of Scotland MBH for attending the therapy taster sessions organised by the WellBeing staff.
I enjoyed meeting everyone and introducing new people to the delights of Indian Head Massage. I've been going into the organisation now for 14 years, offering Reflexology, Indian Head Massage, Rejuvenating Facial Massage & Passive Chakra Balance. And many of my "regulars" from MBH have been coming to me for treatments (mostly Reflexology I have to say) for a large part of those 14 years. I've attended other organisations over that same time offering on-site treatments, but mostly it has fizzled out, not I have to say because of lack of interest from the employees, but rather lack of commitment from the management. I'm going to have a little rant here: I really don't understand why, even in companies who value the bottom line over all else, they can't see the benefits of on-site treatments. The way I organise things, it costs the company NOTHING - they only have to find a space for the therapist to work from, provide a monthly email/ad to staff and offer an annual promo of taster sessions so that staff can try out the treatments. The way I work is that employees book directly with me and pay me at the time, so there's no company admin - it really couldn't be simpler. And let me tell you, in my experience, it might be the only time that busy employees get some "me-time". Rant over. If your organisation doesn't have on-site treatments available and you'd like me to approach them with my easy to implement service, just email me at [email protected] with details of the decision-maker to approach and I'll send them a letter asking if they'd be interested and explaining how easy it is to get off the ground. Reflexology and Indian Head Massage are both perfect for the workplace because they don't involve stripping off (apart from sox and shoes) and it's easy for me to bring the equipment I need for the treatments. They're both very relaxing and can help in quite different ways. Indian Head Massage Indian Head Massage is really relaxing, so it's perfect for employees with high stress levels and because it works on shoulders and neck as well as head and face, it's great for reducing neck and shoulder tension. Reflexology Reflexology is just a great all round tonic and because it is designed to create balance in all parts of the body, it can often alleviate stress related conditions and conditions such as migraine, digestive problems and hormonal problems. And it's great in a workplace situation because it promotes relaxation and wellbeing, so you don't need to be unwell or out of par to get the benefit. So, if you think your organisation might be interested, please let me know. I'm available for on-site work in organisations in Edinburgh, Midlothian and East Lothian. |
