Ms Michelle Severn
Complementary Therapist

Reflexology tends not to be based on proven fact; it works on ideas and philosophies that aren't physiologically found within the body. Techniques evolve from personal experience and testimonials from clients. Practitioners learn anatomy and physiology, to understand the implications of the treatment they provide.

Consultations

The therapist checks the client's health, medication and life style, to establish the starting point and the context of the treatment. The body works best when finely balanced, and can swing out of balance easily, especially in disease. Reflexology aims to restore and retain the balance.

Most complementary therapies are gradual, needing a series of sessions. A disease which has arisen slowly will go slowly, and gentle adjustment is better than radical change. Therapy will not usually take place more than once a week, most commonly once a month. A 'healing crisis' can occur if you return to balance too quickly, and swing violently about the balance point.

Benefits

Some of the more commonly recognised benefits are that reflexology can improve sleep pattern (improved sleep or reduced lethargy) and general relaxation (calmer reactions when stressed), even out moods, aid digestion (including eating habits and irritable bowel syndrome), and influence excretion (more frequent passing of fluids and solids). Other effects may be particular to the individual.

Adverse reactions

These mostly reflect the elimination of toxins and stress from the body, and can depend on the symptoms of the existing illness: urine darkens, faeces are more frequent, secretion increases from all openings, breathing slows and deepens, crying and laughing may relieve trapped emotions, sleep for long periods may indicate that therapy has gone too far, periods may temporarily become heavier or more frequent (care is needed with pregnant women), sweating may increase, along with blushing or paleness (all responses associated with stress), headaches may occur, especially if alcohol is consumed after a session. Reflexology brings toxins to the central circulatory system. If you add to these (e.g. by drinking alcohol), some have to be stored again. The resulting headache can last for hours.

Adverse reactions normally only occur 24-48 hours after therapy; you can phone your reflexologist if you experience strange reactions.

Reflexology in disease

Reflexologists will assess a client's medical status very carefully before they start, and take hormone supplements and surgery into account. Treatment will be light initially, then adjusted in collaboration with the client. The therapist will be careful not to over-stimulate the site corresponding to the disease, often balancing the rest of the body gradually before moving to the diseased area. Sluggish endocrine glands can be stimulated using reflexology, but great care is taken if the patient is also receiving drug therapy. Patients with serious disease should seek their GP's opinion before undertaking reflexology. This should not make the GP liable, as reflexologists should have their own insurance - check if unsure.

If a client is seriously frightened that therapy might worsen their disease, treatment is probably best avoided, as the two-way process will not work so well if the client is anxious. Less dramatic therapies, like aromatherapy, might be more suitable.

Reflexologists will not usually work on a client who is undertaking another complementary therapy, because it is difficult to establish the effects of each treatment. Talk to the therapists concerned if this is an issue.

Identifying a reflexologist

The profession is poorly regulated, and it is best to follow recommendations, perhaps asking your GP. Interview the therapist before they begin to work on you. Ask questions about your disease to gauge their knowledge.