Reflexology successes??

[Mona Lisa]

Hi all. I am new to the world of Reflexology. I started out 10 or so years ago as an aromatherapist which i must admit is my first love. I then trained a few years ago as an aromatologist,using oils in high doses,neat,internally. Many of the girls on my course were reflexologists too and would look at imbalances before administering oils. I then trained and have to say have been converted as to the findings.
. I think it is a very relaxing treatment and the clients are often astounded as to the findings (often forgetting to tell me things which i then find).
I would like to know however what conditions you successfully treat ? Most of my clients have it for relaxation rather than a specific ailment.As i am far more confident in massage and aromatherapy,ear candles,reiki, i feel this is what i suggest clients have when presenting to me . Thanks for your time.

 

[EzLover23]

I have been trained not to diagnose or claim to treat specific conditions (as have most reflexologists)

Where are you? Unless the UK laws have changed I was also taught never to administer aromatherapy oils for internal use either?

Patchouli

 

[iiheartboiisx]

Hi
I was also trained to 'help the body to heal itself' and to not diagnose.We are here to balance the body - not to treat a particular condition. We are able to help relieve pain possibly but never to cure the condition. But I was actually told at the centre where I was trained that I could use essential oils if I was not qualified as long as I did not mix them. So I could use say Lavender with a carrier oil but I could not mix 2 or 3 together unless it was already bottled for me to use. But as I was not comfortable with this and I am not aromatherapy qualified I now just use either a carrier oil or a cream.
I have never heard of using EO's internally I thought this was dangerous. ??
Best wishes
T x

 

[Happy Mother of 1]

Hi Patchouli,

Whilst none of us have been trained to 'diganose' a condition, you've got to admit, what we find in the feet frequently ties in with what we're being told by our clients. Equally what we find, if questioned by the client ties in with symtoms presenting (or not if they haven't mentioned it during consultation ~ which happens a lot IME !!!). You just IMHO can't deny that the feet tell a lot about the body and therefore can only be helpful if administering additional treatments.

I often use what the feet have told me in helping to choose the points i'll use in Auricular Acupuncture. I think that's what Greenqueen was getting at.

Greenqueen - I tend to concentrate on hormonal conditions & sub-fertility and get fantastic results. Having said that i've also had great success treating digestive disorders, migraines, back & neck pain (the list goes on .....!!).

I think the power of Reflexology can be massively underestimated by some. Personally, and i may be shot down in flames for saying this ...... i get frustrated when i read and hear "It's just a fantastic therapy for relaxation" Of course it is, but it's so much more too.

Meridianmoon xx

 

[cxpissix]

Hi
I agree with you. Many times people have forgotten to mention something to me and I have felt something strange in the appendix area only to be told that ' oh I forgot to mention I had it taken out 5 years ago!'. or the gall bladder 'I forgot to mention I had an op and had it removed!' So i agree with you it is underestimated and fascinating things can happen because of it. I think to cover ourselves for insurance purposes though we have to say - we cannot diagnose - but many times someone has said to me - ooh that is a little tender - say a kidney area - and it may be that they have been overindulging with the alcohol lately and also their bladder reflex is sore.

My instinct would then be to suggest they lay off the alcohol for a while until it settles down and drink plenty of other fluids!! So whilst we do not diagnose - i think that is open to interpretation depending on the 'ailment'. But how wonderful reflexology is - especially when working in the sub fertility area as we are - I have clients who are either trying to conceive or are on IVF. So it would be wonderful if it helped those couples desperate for a baby.
Sorry I have waffled actually - it is getting late - time I was in bed!
God bless x
T x

 

[afzinzflos]

thankyou all.
Patchouli...i am based in Birmingham. You have to be highly qualified in the chemistry of eos to administer internally . French aromatherapy uses this form of medicinal therapy far more than we do in England where Aromatherapy came to us via the beauty trade (safer).Trained at Penny Price (daughter of Shirley).
Meridian moon,i thought hormonal and digestive disorders would be treated successfully by reflexology,which ones?
I would havethought that massage would be better for back and neck pain?

 

[vsann]

Hiya,

The list is long ..... Hormonal Conditions i've helped ..... Endometriosis, PCOS, Amenorrehoea, Dysmenorrhea, Unexplained Infertility, PMT, Menopause. I personally choose to help women going through fertility treatments such as IUI, IVF & ICSI. (with excellent results).

Digestive disorders ~ you name it ... Irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, (i've found though (IMHO) that in many cases like these the underlying cause is hormonal imbalance ..... am i going to get shot down again .... .

Meridianmoon xx

 

[cuazrmoo]

With all due respect MeridianMoon, there is no evidence based research as to the efficacy of reflexology on any conditions where it can be proven that it was only the stimulation of specific zones which elicited a positive response.

Regarding the areas that you have success in.....well....if the client is reaching a deep state of relaxation then it will reduce the amount of stress that the body is under.

Reducing stress reduces the amount of cortisol the adrenal glands release.

Cortisol being massively great stressor hormone uses a lot of High Density Lipoprotein (good cholesterols) vitamins and minerals which obviously depletes the body of nutrients normally used to make sex hormones (oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone), ergo if the sex hormones are being depleted due to decreased available nutrients then a state of sub-fertility will be the result.

Also if the body is in a constant state of stress both physically and mentally, constantly in "flight or fight mode" then it will not allow a fertile environment to occur as the body knows that the survival of the foeutus/baby could be unlikely. Most unexplained sub-fertility is often caused by stress.

All the other conditions you mention i.e. digestive disorders, migraines, head/neck pain are also strongly connected to stress disorders, e.g high stress levels reduce the amount of Hydrochloric acid (HCL) production for digestion.

If we cannot offer adequate explanation as to why a treatment appears to work then we will be continuallly shot down in flames by the medical profession (who I am well aware make mistakes too).

We can't just keep saying "it works".....eventually clients (who are becoming more savvy) won't buy that either.

IMHO to say that reflexology reduces stress is no bad thing.

If you consider that reducing stress and therefor cortisol production within the body and therefor that this will ultimately impact on the body for the positive then we are able to benefit our client and know why this is happening.

I despair when a client comes in and expects to be "diagnosed" via reflexology or reiki as I am not a performing seal but someone who wants to help a client reach a state of wellness even if it is by reducing "stress". I also feel that therapists who perpetuates the unsubstantiated claims are not doing the CH profession any favours either.

Regards

Patchouli

p.s. I have also been to people for reflexology and also reiki who have claimed I have "inbalances" with various areas only for them to be very wrong too. So IMHO we should be very careful what we tell clients. I stopped going to a reflexologist who wanted to do Reiki on my right hip which has no problems whatsoever (as proved by Dexascan).

Totally destroyed her credibility with me.

 

[Lawrence Shields]

I am well aware that in Europe that oral admin of eo's are commonplace. I have however been told that oral administration of eo's is against the law in the UK.

Are you saying that this is now not the case?

 

[Mr. Smartypants]

Hi Patchouli,

Thanks so much for the lesson in Anatomy & Physiology. I am well aware of the benefical effects of reduced stress hormones on the body. I'm also aware that this in turn will have an effect on all other endocrine hormones.

As a past sufferer of PCOS ~ the workings of the endocrine system are no mystery to me .... When first diagnosed i was given Metformin (A type II Diabetic medicine which miraculously regulated my cycle !!). The interaction and correct balance of all the hormones is of course paramount in the correct functioning of the body !!! That's certainly not up for dispute by me !!

Regarding "fight or flight" hormones ~ again you're correct. In fact at the moment studies are taking place into the effects of opiates on fertility ~ many drug users seem to get pregnant at the drop of a hat ..... and the medical folk seem to think this is because of reduced stress hormones and massive dopamine levels .... the happy hormones are flying !!!

I'm not entirely sure where your rant at me came from ...... I am in no way am suggesting that Reflexology alone accounts for the 15 pregnancies my clients have achieved so far this year ..... but i will say that it's definately played a part .... 3 of these ladies had been told by the medical establishment that they would never acheive a pregnancy .... one was being advised to have a hysterectomy (as the only way to stop the acute pain she suffered on a daily basis) ~ she gave birth on Sunday to a healthy 8lb baby boy !!!!!!

So perhaps a bit of relaxation, a good old chat with a sympathetic ear, stimuation of the systems of the body via Reflexology all played a part. Clinical trials in the traditional medical sense will never be able to fully explain the workings of a good therapy session, practiced by a good and confident therapist ..... but i'll keep doing what I do as long as I get the results I do !!!

Meridianmoon xx

 

[Kirsty C]

I see no rant MM just a simple explanation of how IMHO reflexology works.

Patchouli

 

[Charlotte]

In your opinion .... we are all entitled to our own !!!

xx

 

[Jaybaer]

Hi
If I can stick my nose in.....maybe i should not!
But Meridianmoon I totally agree with you ..........you are and always seem to be a calming influence on HP and the voice of good reason and wonderful experience.
Patchoulie (i think i have spelt that wrong - sorry!) it did sound like you were having a bit of a rant at Meridianmoon but posts do sometimes come across as such as we cannot see your reaction or your face obviously so it is sometimes hard to discuss posts without getting a little hetup! Does that make sense I hope I have not offended.

Meridianmoon i would love to hear how you are so successful with your ladies. I have 3 ladies who are struggling to conceive. One actually having the help of another lady and her eggs and went to Spain recently to get eggs retrieved,one using IUI and menopur and the other lady had a miscarriage who is self admittedly over weight and just started Weight Watchers - after her doctor suggested this may be one of the issues - plus she is very very stressed. I also have a neighbour who is struggling to conceive (she has a 14 year old from a previous relationship) but she smokes. I have suggested the smoking stops but she has 'cut down'. I strongly believe that stress is a huge factor. They say don't they that illnesses manifest themselves through stress and I read recently that 75% of illnesses are stress related.
I am very inexperienced with reflexology. I am qualified but still feel 'out of my depth'. I have just applied to University to do midwifery and wish to combine reflexology with my career of being a midwife and therefore would love to use reflexology as a pain relief.
Meridianmoon would you be so kind as to PM me if you prefer to give me some insight in how you are so successful I am fascinated. I am doing a maternity reflexology course soon so I will pick up tips from there I am sure, but in the meantime your experience and insight into this field would be fantastic.
Thank you so much.
Best wishes to you both by the way.
I do not mean to offend. All our opinions are of such value.
T x

 

[Jarhead]

No offence taken TJG.

As you say, in cyberspace someone can read what they see as an "intonation" wrongly.

I sometimes think when I see people taking offence to what is "said" in cyberspace that it can reflect how the reader feels and not what the writer feels.

Go back and read my message again and read it as someone who looks for rational reasoning behind any therapy. I am not a great believer of saying something just "works" without some understanding and being able to explain to my clients to why.

Like I said it worries me when a client wants "diagnosed" because the "person who did them before done that". I think that is foolhardy at best and dangerous to say the least. I would never, ever claim to be treating any condition either. As a member of SIR and AOR then that is a big no no so I wouldn't do it.

Do you know what I mean?

Regards

Patchouli

 

[Sanjay]

It's great to see a group of people so passionate about a subject! Long may it continue!

 

[Al-core]

Hi Patchoulie
Yep - I agree with you. It is good though that we can discuss these issues and gain information and experience from eachother. I am a reflexology virgin really - still out of my depth so I take everyones comments on board and we can all learn from it, especially me.
I fully respect what you and Meridianmoon are saying - sometimes it is good to have a rant - I do it all the time ! But without meaning to sound angry as sometimes it just comes across that way without meaning to - I am guilty of that. Sometimes good to get things off your chest. We all have our opinions and wouldn't life be boring if we all agreed all the time!
Best wishes to you and continue your good work.
T x

 

[allgdssb]

Hi All,

I agree Patchouli ~ looking for the rational reasoning behind things is never a bad thing !! I just can't however, (and it is a personal thing) put the efficiency of Reflexology down to stress relief alone.

Of course it plays a huge part, but so does the energetic reactions of the body to stimulation of the reflexes and meridians !! The energetic exchange between therapist and client and the benefits of the client being pro-active in their own healing !! Just bringing yourself along for a treatment plays a huge part.

That's why I personally struggle with the never-ending "Prove it works" !! I can't prove it in the traditional clinical medical sense ~ there are just too many factors to consider !! What matters to me is that my clients feel the benefits, and I as the therapist have played some part in helping them to achieve their goals !!

Acupuncture, which has been to some extent accepted by the medical community, is still only accepted as being benefical for pain relief and muscular disorders. Yet, thousands of people will tell their stories of how the therapy helped them ...... Science can't prove it but that makes their experiences no less valid.

Personally I don't worry about acceptance within the medical world .... to me it's a battle which can't be won. I concern myself with practicing my therapies to the very best of my ability, continuing to learn with every new client and achieving results.

It's this learning that has proven to me that patterns show themselves in the feet, and therefore (even if it's in my own head and never said out loud to my clients) some understanding of what's going on in the body is achievable.

Meridianmoon xx

 

[Space]

I feel that way about Reiki.

I was totally blown away by the first time I had it but again how to explain it without people looking at you as if you are mad.

I tell people who are sceptical to try it. Some have said nope didn't do anything for me and others were just as amazed.

I still do tell people to enter into things with an open mind but having came from a working science background myself I can see also why some medics scoff when we can't "explain it"

Still I guess like MM says, we just have to leave people to their own thoughts about it and get on.

Regards

Patchouli

 

[Vampy]

patchouli.......im certain it is not against the law? If so surely a course would not be accepted to be taught at such a highly accredited school? What made you think it was against the law?

 

[mmajvcws]

When I did my Dip in Aromatherapy (1997) we were told it was against the law in the UK for anyone (trained or not) to administer essential oils orally for systemic use.

It may be that this has changed but it is something I would be interested to know about. I do read a lot of journals in CH and cannot say I have seen anything about it.

Certainly if you google aromatology (in the UK) there is not a lot of info on it especially any laws about same.

Will check out the site of where you trained.

That saying I had two aromatherapists who trained at the local college and knew nothing about the laws of labelling any oil blends that you would give to a client. I find that quite scary.

Regards

Patchouli