As a Reflexologist, it's my job to help bring clients back into balance. Although Reflexology is the application of finger pressure on the feet, it has an effect in balancing mind, body and emotion: because an imbalance in any one of the aspect will create a corresponding imbalance in the others. For example, imagine you're really angry (doesn't matter whether it's righteous anger or not), you will be out of balance on an emotional level. But that emotional imbalance will create a physical imbalance - your blood pressure will increase; your breathing will become shallower; your adrenal gland will pump your body full of adrenaline and cortisol; your body temperature will rise and your brain will move blood away from the gut and towards the muscles, in preparation for physical exertion. Also, your anger will take you away from a spiritual balance in which you can be detached enough to choose your response to external events and exist in a flow. All too often clients will come in the hope that Reflexology can help resolve physical problems without realising that the added power of a session is in the holistic benefits it can bring. For example, many years ago, one lady reported back after a treatment that she had been really angry. When I asked her about it, she recognised that prior to the treatment she had been "biting her tongue" about things that had been irritating her. After the Reflexology session, the anger was a way of her letting go of those niggles. The relaxing effects of reflexology can help some clients to tap into a more spiritual side of themselves. The act of stopping and listening to your body can help some people to access a more intuitive side of themselves. It can help quieten the noise of the brain and calm and centre body and emotions. For example, I had one client who was in the habit of solving problems while having her Reflexology session. Her head would clear, her body would become relaxed during the treatment and the solution to the problem she had been struggling with would just pop into her mind. Honestly! (And this happened on more than one occasion!) And of course, Reflexology is wonderful for helping bring the body back into balance. Our physical bodies are in a constant state of flux as temperature, hormones, blood pressure, breathing and all other systems change for minute to minute. And the body is constantly trying to balance all the systems to create a whole that is much more powerful that any of its parts: trying to get the perfect balance for the job in hand, but also for the good of the body. After all, marathon runners need rest and equally meditators need activity! Reflexology is a wonderful support for the body in this regard because it is designed to bring the body (mind and spirit) into balance. So, certainly as far as I am concerned, and I'm sure most of my colleagues would agree, Reflexology is not just about fixing the bits that aren't working that well. Reflexology is about supporting an individual in being the best they can be in body, mind and spirit. And that's why I love Reflexology so much.
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I am so grateful to my professional association, the Association of Reflexologists, for it's constant effort in keeping it's members up to date in all areas of Reflexology. I would never have the time, energy or patience to seek out what little research there is in support of the benefits of Relexology, but when it's handed to me on a platter, I just have to share...... The research abstract below, on a randomised controlled trial of pregnant women receiving reflexology, compared to foot bath or usual care, showed those that received reflexology had a clinically important reduction in pain and its associated stress in labour. "Reflexology: A randomised controlled trial investigating the effects on beta-endorphin, cortisol and pregnancy related stress Abstract Reflexology is used for various pregnancy related complaints. A three-armed, pilot randomised controlled trial was conducted to test changes in physiological and biochemical stress parameters. Ninety primiparous volunteers experiencing low back and/or pelvic girdle pain (LBPGP) were recruited to receive either six reflexology or footbath treatments or usual care. Primary outcome data included pain intensity and frequency measured on a visual analog scale (VAS), and salivary beta-endorphin and cortisol levels. 61 (68%) women completed the intervention. A clinically important reduction of 1.63 cm occurred for VAS pain frequency following reflexology. Beta-endorphin levels increased by 8.8% and 10.10% in the footbath and usual care groups respectively and decreased by 15.18% for the reflexology group. Cortisol increased by 31.78% for footbath participants, 31.42% in usual care and 18.82% in the reflexology group. Reflexology during pregnancy may help reduce LBPGP, and associated stress. However, antenatal reflexology is under researched and requires further investigation. Julie E.M.McCullough, Sarah Dianne Liddle, Ciara Close, Marlene Sinclair, Ciara M.Hughes Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice Volume 31, May 2018, Pages 76-84. And if you want to know more, here's the link:" https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1744388117303614 The recent good weather is bringing feet into fashion, after all who doesn't want to wear cooling sandals in the summer sun. So, if you're feet are not yet fit for summer, here are a few tips to get you there: 1. Everyone will wash their feet daily, but remember to dry well, especially between the toes. Only soak your feet occasionally or you may destroy the skin's natural oils. 2. Cut toe nails straight across with a nail clipper - cutting at an angle or down the edge of the nail can cause ingrown toenails. Smooth rough edges with a light file using an emery board. 3. Buy good fitting shoes - shop for shoes in the afternoon when your feet are at their largest to get the best fit. Restrict your time in flipflops or pumps with no instep support as this can can foot damage: good quality sandals with instep support are best for regular use. 4. Moisturise regularly (but not between the toes) and remove hard skin with a file or pumice stone, but don't overdo it or the hard skin will grow back harder than ever. 5. Treat thick toenails by applying a light coat of Vaseline at night. 6. Give your cuticles a treat by applying cuticle oil every 2 weeks: rub the oil on the cuticle and immerse feet in warm water for 10 minutes to loosen the skin. Then push back the skin with an orangewood stick. 7. Treat calluses by exfoliating daily using a foot file or pumice stone (ideally on wet feet). Go gently because the callus is there as protection. 8. Tackle yellowing nails by buffing. If the staining is from dark coloured polish, then use a base coat before applying the colour to protect the nails. Persistent yellowing of nails could be a sign of health problems, so make an appointment with your GP to get it checked out. And if all that sounds too much like hard work, take advantage of this month's special offer and book a Reflexology treatment and get a Pedicure for £10. You can book online at BOOKING I hope the sun shines enough this summer for us all to wear our sandals and show off our beautifully manicured feet! 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. 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 doriswylie@btinternet.com 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. 've just been doing some continuous professional development by catching up on some research studies related to Reflexology and it appears that Reflexology can be even more beneficial as we get older. Here's what I found: A small study from Indonesia showed that hypertension (high blood pressure) in the elderly could be reduced by Reflexology. "ABSTRACT Elderly in the age of 60 or above is a natural process that can not be avoided where the life of man as a human being is limited by a rule of nature. As a result of the ageing process, the blood vessels become stiff and affect the left ventricular wall reduce its elasticity, resulting in a progressive increase of blood pressure. The treatment of hypertension in addition to pharmacological therapy could also use non-pharmacological therapies such as reflexology massage. Method: The research design used in this study was pre-experimental using one group pretest-posttest approach. In this research, the researchers measured blood pressure before and after the treatment (reflexology massage). The sample of this study was 20 respondents using purposive sampling. This research used statistical t-test analysis test, because it had a scale ratio data. Result : The result of t-test showed that p <0.0001, means that there was significantly different result before and after treatment with reflexology massage on the feet with a medium timber. Discussion : It is expected that people with hypertension do the feet reflexology massage in order to taking medication because can lower systolic blood pressure. Vol 1, No 3 (2014) Journal of Nurse and midwifery THE EFFECTIVENESS OF REFLEXOLOGY MASSAGE IN LOWERING THE BLOOD PRESSURE IN ELDERLY WITH HYPERTENSION Levi Tina Sari, Nevy Norma Renityas, Wahyu Wibisono" Reflexology is great at any age - at least in my view - but it does seem that for stress related conditions, hormone related issues and in helping to counteract some of the negative effects of ageing, Reflexology can be particularly supportive. Give Reflexology a try yourself, or offer the treat of a Reflexology session to someone you love with a Gift Voucher. For more information, contact Doris Wylie 07724 197627 or email doriswylie@btinternet.com The next Fertility Support Group will take place on Monday 5th March 5.30-6.30pm at Soul Retreat, 2 Biggar Road, Edinburgh. If you live in Midlothian, South Edinburgh, or anywhere with easy access to the bypass, please join us. Next time we'll be looking at how to manage the frustration over the constant waiting that seems to be part of everyone's fertility journey. Want more information? Contact Doris Wylie on 07724 197627. I've been reading a couple of things recently which have deepened my understanding about Reflexology and complementary therapies and I’ve come up with my own view about the real reason why Reflexology works. One of the problems for many people about Reflexology is the lack of visible link between the feet and the rest of the body. How can Reflexology work when there is no visible or defined pathway between the feet and the various parts of the body? There are many theories about how Reflexology works but no definitive answer and acupuncture meridian pathways are often used as a solution – working on the feet access energy pathways throughout the body and that balances the body. I’m quite happy to accept that explanation, but I’ve also got a theory of my own. My theory is based on a few suppositions: 1. Homeostasis is a prime function of the body: the maintenance of a constant internal environment allows the body to function effectively. Thus, homeostasis (balance) is to be desired. And balance is one of the main aims of Reflexology – go figure! 2. We can’t be stressed and relaxed at the same time. And when we’re relaxed, we allow our body to progress the repair and renewal function. Relaxation literally supports the ability for us to heal ourselves. And relaxation is one of the main aims of Reflexology – go figure! Are you beginning to see a theme develop here? 3. Making a decision has a powerful effect on outcomes. From my personal experience and also from my NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) training, the very act of deciding that something will be so (rather than wishing it will be so) gives it an energy and direction that makes it more likely to be created. Ever had a sore tooth and once you’ve made your appointment with the Dentist the pain disappears? That’s the effect of decisions! Of course it doesn’t mean you don’t go to the Dentist - because the tooth still needs work - but the power of that decision gave (maybe temporary) relief from the pain of toothache. So, imagine you’ve got a health condition (which may well be stress related), or that you decide you’d like to be as healthy as possible. You then want to take action to support that decision. You think that Reflexology might be nice and you book an appointment. What’s just happened - you’ve already made a decision to improve your condition AND you’ve taken action to make that decision become a reality, so before you even turn up for your appointment, you’ve indicated to your unconscious mind (which runs your body) that you want to be better. Then, you turn up for your appointment and find yourself experiencing a relaxing and balancing treatment. Most people find Reflexology relaxing (and remember, you can’t be stressed and relaxed at the same time): and that relaxed state moves your body towards a state of homeostatis (the maintenance of a constant internal environment) where the body can function more effectively. And you enjoy the treatment because, what’s not to like about lying back and being pampered? I think the power of “relaxing” and “balancing” is often underestimated: they sound such soft, nebulous, ineffective words. Relaxing and balancing doesn’t really seem to DO anything powerful or dynamic: they seem passive and inactive things to aim for. But the power of doing nothing can be profound:
So the next time you see Reflexology (or any other therapy) described and relaxing and balancing, or you wonder if your reflexology treatments are really doing any good, consider that sometimes, not doing (ie BEING) can be just as powerful and doing. And if you have spent too much time recently doing rather than being, you can book a Reflexology or Indian Head Massage treatment by contacting: Doris Wylie 07724197627 |
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