Posts Tagged ‘Reflexology’

Reflexology for High Blood Pressure

Sep 18, 2010 High Blood Pressure, Reflexology Treatments

High blood pressure, often called the silent killer, can go undetected and lead to very serious cardiovascular problems. Most high blood pressure can be diagnosed and treated through common, natural solutions like weight loss and dietary restrictions like cutting salt intake or limiting alcoholic drinks.

However most high blood pressure is addressed through patient medication prescriptions. Because of the seriousness of the condition, it is always recommended to take and stick to your physician’s advice – but you can supplement your blood pressure treatment with some reflexology.

Reflexology helps overall circulation in the body, and when your reflexologist targets your heart and related organs for cardiovascular health, it helps reduce your blood pressure.

A study was completed by Dr. Jesus Manzanares, M.D. at the University Hospital Vall DʼHebron and Sagrado Corazon Hospital in Barcelona, Spain. Dr. Manzanares study looked at 54 patients with high blood pressure, and split them into two groups. One group would have a general reflexology treatment done on a regular basis, while the second group would have a specific targeted reflexology session. The target sessions would focus on the heart, predominant frontal cortex, sympathetic thoracic ganglions, and kidneys. When the testing was complete the doctor found that 50% (27 people) were able to achieve lower blood pressure levels, even while reducing their regular medication.

Which Areas of the Feet Will Help High Blood Pressure?

Your heart reflex is located directly under the big toes on both feet, and your kidneys are located almost directly in the middle of each foot. Your reflexologist will be able to target these areas and more to help you with a high blood pressure condition.

You can read the full reflexology and high blood pressure study document here (PDF).

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Reflexology Used to Stop Sneezes?

Jul 11, 2010 Reflexology, Sneezing

This is a great do it yourself reflexology trick – we had to try it to see for ourselves.

Allergy season, dust or just an old fashioned tickle in your nose, sneezes can come on at the worst of times. Now you can use a little reflexology to help stop them from interrupting a conversation or creating an awkward moment. Follow these instructions to stop a sneeze with a reflexology squeeze:

  • When you feel a sneeze coming on, take your right hand and push firmly in the middle of your thumbnail
  • Hold the pressure until the sneeze feeling goes away (when we tried we applied pressure, let up and re-applied for better results)

When you try this reflexology technique, leave us a comment and let us know how it’s worked and saved you from a sneeze. Special thanks to Helen Fowler (M.A.R.) for pointing out this brilliant bit of reflexology!

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How to Use a Reflexology Foot Chart

May 12, 2010 Foot Reflexology Chart, Reflexology, Reflexology Charts, Reflexology Treatments

Looking at a reflexology foot chart can be very overwhelming. Your whole body is mapped out on your foot and many of you may ask, “where do I begin”?

Every organ, body part and gland are treated during a session and it would only make sense to start from the head and end at the feet. Gravity works by pulling everything down and out of the body and reflexology is a way of facilitating this by getting the blood flowing and breaking up all the “grit” to be eliminated through our bodies systems. Elimination is always stressed in reflexology.  The more the body cleanses itself, the better you will feel and the energy will increase.

If you look at a foot chart and put the feet together, that is how the body looks on the inside. For example, lungs and kidneys are on both sides, spleen is on the left as it is on the body and liver an gall bladder are on the right, just the same location on the body. All points of the foot chart relate directly to how every persons body is made up. The points that reflexologists stimulate in a full reflexology session all correspond to the whole body. All nerve ending end at the feet and by putting pressure on the nerve endings that relate to the specific body part or gland, you are actually sending signals through the nervous system to the area and giving it a jump start. Increasing all body fluids to move more freely is only going to make your body feel better and more energized.

There is a general path that certified reflexologists follow when administering a session. This can depend on the client and why they are there to see you. We always start with a massage and try to get the client to relax and ready for the treatment. Getting the blood flow to increase before starting a session will only benefit the client later. Most of the time the left foot is a good starting place. This can change due to injury or possible problems on the right side of the body that needs to be addressed before the full session begins. Often when people come with back issues, running your finger up and down the spine will increase the blood flow and when it is time to treat the ares it won’t be as painful for the client and healing will begin once the client is relaxed.

So when looking at a foot chart and you are interested in doing a session on yourself or someone else, start at the head (toes) and work your way down. Always end with a relaxing massage or some gentle breathing techniques. This is always a good tip for people that seek you out for stress relief and will leave your client  in that parasympathetic state of resting and relaxation. Healing begins when the body is ready to accept it emotionally, physically and spiritually.

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Energy and Reflexology

May 5, 2010 Reflexology, Reflexology Treatments

There is no question that energy exists in this world and we all need it to survive. The energy field around you can be felt at a arms length of everyone and it is important to remember this all the time in our profession.

As natural therapists, reflexology is a touch therapy and energy is a huge part of the healing process. We are trained to clear the mind before the session starts so we can give all of our attention to the client and listen to the reason why they chose reflexology and help the healing process move forward.

As caregivers, reflexologist or not, the importance of touch therapy and the energy that comes from this has endless amounts of benefits. If you are in a situation  of caring for a sick/terminal or elderly person just by stroking their hand or arm can give them great comfort and keep the nervous system relaxed and ready for what the future will bring. By massaging their hands or feet will release the feel good hormone seritonin and give them a calm state of mind. Massaging a baby when they are fussy will give them a relaxed mental state and hopefully be able to work out what has been bothering them.

Energy is all around us and as reflexologists, we are very aware of the benefits of a clear mind when going into a session with a client. The best advice anyone can give is to make sure you have a therapist that is right for you and feel very comfortable about talking about the reasons for starting reflexology. This way the energy will be good between the client and therapist and that all expectations will be met during the session.

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Better Bowel Movements with Reflexology

Jan 19, 2010 Bowel Movements, Reflexology, Reflexology Treatments

There is nothing better than to have a “clean” internal system and the comfort knowing that bowel movements come several times a day without a thought to a lot of us.

Unfortunately most of us from time to time have issues with our colon and proves to be very difficult to avoid for many. Whether you are a new born or a senior, reflexology will help get the digestive system working at the best of it’s ability for your specific body.

A healthy individual should have bowel movements about 2-4 hours after each meal, three times a day is best. When this happens the bowels are clean and has little to no parasites or bad bacteria and yeast to complicate the whole digestive system. Headaches will start to decrease and back pain will minimize. The whole body is connected and when an organ, body part or gland is not working at it’s best, systems start to slowly fail and one problem starts to become a chain of many more.

There are special techniques that a reflexologist can do to increase bowel movements that will help many other areas of the body function at its best and in a whole make you feel relaxed and energized. The colon in reflexology is spread across both hands or feet and needs to be firmly stimulated by specific direct pressure.

There are also areas in the lower back and spine that will relax the nerve ending that directly relate to the digestive system. This will free up any blocked energy and get your system “flowing” by means of voiding or detoxifying the body as a whole.

Contact a local reflexologist today to learn more about how reflexology can help bowel movements.

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Reflexology and Bowel Movements

Feb 25, 2009 Bowel Movements, Gall Bladder Cleanse, Headaches, Reflexology Treatments

After a reflexology treatment, there may be some side effects that are not the most pleasant but needed to start the process of healing.

A reflexology session helps improve your bodily functions and may result in flatulence or burping. A backed up or clogged colon will cause many stresses on the body that may not be as easy to relate the problems to each other. Some of these symptoms are:

  • feeling sluggish / no energy
  • nausea / vomiting
  • abdominal swelling
  • loss of appetite/weight loss
  • headaches / migraines
  • back pain

Specific parts of the plantar or “bottom” of the feet are worked when a client comes with a issue like constipation. This should be relieved in a short amount of sessions when done close together. This is likely to be set up so there are 3 sessions in a week to 10 day time frame. Many people have a bowel movement or movements after their first session.

Along with reflexology, your client may want to do a flush of the colon or a gall bladder cleanse. This actually cleans your liver, stomach,small / large intestines,kidneys, urinary tract,basically your whole digestive system. A great way to do an internal clean that is not too time consuming, inexpensive and easy to accomplish. You will finish this feeling less bloated, easier bowel movements and be more regular.

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