Reflex Sciences
Created | Updated Jul 13, 2003
Reflex sciences, or as the field is more commonly referred to as reflexology describes a study of how conditions in the body are reflected in other areas, and how stimulation of reflex areas can bring about a beneficial effect in another part of the body. I'm a naturopath/reflexologist/licensed massage therapist, and here are a few observations I've picked up. Maybe it might interest you, and you may even wish to explore some of the assessment and treatment modalities here described. Or maybe not. If you don't need it, then it may not be of any use to you. Then again, who knows? Circumstances change, and so do our needs and interests. Keep it on file, just in case your circumstances change and you are not able to get relief using conventional medical methods.
Sometimes a person may have a health condition which they would like to treat, but because of various reasons chooses not to use conventional medical treatment.
·May not have access to medical treatment (location, time, etc.)
·May have contraindications against a particular form of treatment
·May not be able to afford treatment
·Want to avoid invasive treatments for a particular illness (medications with side effects, surgical interventions, etc.) because of fitness for duty requirements
·Has not had success with conventional medical treatments
·Wants to take a more proactive role in healthcare
For any or all of these reasons, reflex sciences offer a simple, effective, non-invasive alternative to the assessment and treatment of many common aches and pains.
Iridology is the study of how the iris of the eye tends to reflect changes in the body. This art has been studied in detail since the 1800s, and is practiced in many areas of the world today. It IS NOT a substitute for diagnosis by a competent medical practitioner, but may provide clues as to what areas to treat for a condition that does not respond to other treatment, or that is not diagnosable by conventional means. Acute problems tend to show up as white or grey lines or spots in the iris, while chronic conditions show up as darker grey or black lines and spots. Some reflexologists use iridology as a "pointer" to areas for particular emphasis during their reflexology treatments.
Reflexology is the study of how stimulus in one part of the body has a beneficial effect on other areas of the body. Depending on the condition of the referred body part and the way the reflex stimulus is applied, it can have a sedating, tonifying, or anesthetic effect on the referred body part. Many people use this gentle, harmless pressure to relieve aches and pains. Migraines especially respond well to reflex stimulation, as do menstrual cramps and PMS symptoms. Since we are looking to use reflexology simply as a tool for bothersome aches and pains, we will focus on the specific points for migraines, tension headaches, menstrual cramps, anxiety "stressors";, neck and shoulder pain, upper/mid/low back pain. This information is being incorporated into a seminar which will be presented to chronic pain clinics, nursing staff, emergency medical personnel, military medical units and other teams that cannot afford to be impaired by suffering these bothersome and sometimes incapacitating pain conditions; that respond well to reflexology and massage therapy, and CAN be relieved using these simple techniques and WITHOUT frequently resorting to expensive and sometimes impairing remedies such as Imitrex, Demerol, Teradol, high doses of Motrin and other NSAIDS, etc. This presentation is called "Combat Pain Relief Without Meds", and will be released in late 2003.
Reflexologists for many years have seen the divisive effect of discrimination against techniques other than those the individual reflexologists themselves have learned. Some insist that only finger pressure be used, while others use mechanical and electrical assistive devices, vacuum boots, low power lasers and other devices, all with excellent results! A similar situation existed among physicians in the last century, and effectively eliminated the homeopathic profession in the United States until only very recently. Currently, homeopaths are not recognized as physicians in the US, although in most other countries in the world, they are trained as, and serve as, primary physicians. Foreign-trained homeopaths who have studied, served residencies, and practiced as physicians (practicing in not only homeopathic techniques, but allopathic and surgical techniques as well) in their home countries are amazed that all their years of study and hard work in treating people are just cast aside by the American Medical Association, which in fact serves as a physicians' union in the US.
Until the time of the split between homeopaths and allopaths, both performed acceptably, serving patients throughout the US. The difference in allopathic (or what we today would call regular, or medical) physicians and homeopaths originally began as a simple difference of opinion as to technique. The argument so polarized physicians that homeopaths went one way and allopaths the other. Unlike the homeopaths, allopaths decided to organize, and they formed the American Medical Association, which has used strong-arm tactics to stamp out any difference of opinion among philosophies among physicians. In fact, many states now require ANY physician to be an AMA member! Homeopaths in the US (unlike almost all other countries) must practice as a non-physician "consultant" who can neither diagnose nor prescribe. Of course, if a practitioner is also an allopathic physician, chiropractor or osteopath, he/she can perform homeopathy within the practice limits of that profession.
My background in both conventional medicine and in natural therapies gives me a good feeling for them both. I really love doing reflexology and seeing the immediate changes in a person, but many times I see conduct in the art that really disturbs me. No one has to prove to me that reflexology works for a lot of things. I have used it myself when I had various aches and pains, and have successfully used it on a LOT of other folks. What disturbs me is when I see unqualified folks making diagnoses and presuming to prescribe for ailing people. I also am uncomfortable seeing the almost religious trappings some folks attach to this art.
Personally, I know that a stimulus properly applied to a reflex site can diminish (or even erase) pain in the referred body part. I (and many other folks) have also experienced relief from stomach upset, muscle spasm and other problems using just reflexology. Simple. You poke here, and over there the pain somehow goes away. What's not to like? In many folks, there are contraindications to certain meds, and in these, sometimes they can get genuine relief using reflexology. Been there, done that; seen it, done it; not even a question. Does it always work for everyone every time? Absolutely not. Is it a substitute for competent medical care? Not on your life.
It is very important to let the person in front of you have the best access to whatever works for their problem. Let me just share with you two of my proudest successes I had with reflexology. In the first, a person showed intense sensitivity when I worked the reflexes corresponding to the descending colon. I asked her when the last time was that she had seen her doctor. She said it had been a while, but that she had an appointment scheduled in a couple of weeks to look at her knee. I asked her to have the doctor check out her large intestine. I said that because of the marked tenderness in its reflexes, it might be a good idea to take a look. I told her that it probably was nothing, or that her doctor might want her to get more fiber in her diet, or maybe take a laxative or something, but that she'd really be advised to have him take a look. A few weeks later, I got a phone call from her thanking me for saving her life. She said she had her doctor to check out her bowel, and that he had found the beginnings of colon cancer, and had her in for surgery to remove it. She said her doctor told her if she had waited until it was symptomatic, that it would have probably been too late. In the second, a person showed marked sensitivity when I worked the left ovarian reflex site. I asked when she last had a good OB/GYN workup, and she said it had been some years. I reminded her that it was really important to have regular pap smears and mammograms, and told her that when she next saw her doctor, that it might be a good idea to have her look at doing an OB/GYN workup. She said she would schedule an appointment, and we continued on with her reflexology session. I saw her daughter about three months later, and asked how her Mom was. She replied that when she went to her doctor, they found ovarian cancer, and she was operated on successfully, and was very grateful for my "heads-up".
When I do reflexology, I don't try to do physical "fortune-telling". I work all the reflex sites, and if someone says they are having a particular problem, I pay special attention to the pertinent reflex sites associated with that body part, and always encourage them to see their doctor. With their signed consent, I also cheerfully send a copy of my therapy notes to their doctor for their chart. (I also do a set of vital signs, since that is frequently useful information for their doctor, and a good screening tool for use in getting them into their doctor's office.)
While I have one whole heck of a lot of clinical experience working under the direction of physicians, nurses and pharmacists, I AM NOT A PHYSICIAN. I am not qualified to be a physician, and am not pursuing that goal. There are already a whole lot of very good physicians. All I am is a naturopath and a licensed massage therapist who has specialty training in reflexology, and a good bit of training and experience in various other naturopathic subjects, such as homeopathy, herbology, iridology, etc. Of course, I do reflexology, so if someone needs these other therapies, I refer out. Of course, when it comes to reflexology, I can run rings around most of them, because I see the interrelationships of the various systems.
I believe there is merit in all these holistic modalities, just like I believe in the merit of conventional therapies (and in fact recently experienced an abdominal hernia repair, made necessary by my thinking I was far younger and stronger than I actually am...). Nothing works absolutely every time for everyone, and a person who gets a favorable outcome for his/her problem is fortunate indeed. Yes, that may make me appear a little crazy, just like the fact that I believe in quantum particle physics. (I spent 15+ years in the nuclear sciences, so indulge me a little...)
Interested? Here are a few sites you may wish to peruse:
http://www.reflexologyinstitute.com/
http://www.reflexology-usa.net/
http://www.reflexology-research.com
http://www.reflexology.org
http://www.reflexology.net/
http://www.iowa-reflex-sciences.com
Sometimes a person may have a health condition which they would like to treat, but because of various reasons chooses not to use conventional medical treatment.
·May not have access to medical treatment (location, time, etc.)
·May have contraindications against a particular form of treatment
·May not be able to afford treatment
·Want to avoid invasive treatments for a particular illness (medications with side effects, surgical interventions, etc.) because of fitness for duty requirements
·Has not had success with conventional medical treatments
·Wants to take a more proactive role in healthcare
For any or all of these reasons, reflex sciences offer a simple, effective, non-invasive alternative to the assessment and treatment of many common aches and pains.
Iridology is the study of how the iris of the eye tends to reflect changes in the body. This art has been studied in detail since the 1800s, and is practiced in many areas of the world today. It IS NOT a substitute for diagnosis by a competent medical practitioner, but may provide clues as to what areas to treat for a condition that does not respond to other treatment, or that is not diagnosable by conventional means. Acute problems tend to show up as white or grey lines or spots in the iris, while chronic conditions show up as darker grey or black lines and spots. Some reflexologists use iridology as a "pointer" to areas for particular emphasis during their reflexology treatments.
Reflexology is the study of how stimulus in one part of the body has a beneficial effect on other areas of the body. Depending on the condition of the referred body part and the way the reflex stimulus is applied, it can have a sedating, tonifying, or anesthetic effect on the referred body part. Many people use this gentle, harmless pressure to relieve aches and pains. Migraines especially respond well to reflex stimulation, as do menstrual cramps and PMS symptoms. Since we are looking to use reflexology simply as a tool for bothersome aches and pains, we will focus on the specific points for migraines, tension headaches, menstrual cramps, anxiety "stressors";, neck and shoulder pain, upper/mid/low back pain. This information is being incorporated into a seminar which will be presented to chronic pain clinics, nursing staff, emergency medical personnel, military medical units and other teams that cannot afford to be impaired by suffering these bothersome and sometimes incapacitating pain conditions; that respond well to reflexology and massage therapy, and CAN be relieved using these simple techniques and WITHOUT frequently resorting to expensive and sometimes impairing remedies such as Imitrex, Demerol, Teradol, high doses of Motrin and other NSAIDS, etc. This presentation is called "Combat Pain Relief Without Meds", and will be released in late 2003.
Reflexologists for many years have seen the divisive effect of discrimination against techniques other than those the individual reflexologists themselves have learned. Some insist that only finger pressure be used, while others use mechanical and electrical assistive devices, vacuum boots, low power lasers and other devices, all with excellent results! A similar situation existed among physicians in the last century, and effectively eliminated the homeopathic profession in the United States until only very recently. Currently, homeopaths are not recognized as physicians in the US, although in most other countries in the world, they are trained as, and serve as, primary physicians. Foreign-trained homeopaths who have studied, served residencies, and practiced as physicians (practicing in not only homeopathic techniques, but allopathic and surgical techniques as well) in their home countries are amazed that all their years of study and hard work in treating people are just cast aside by the American Medical Association, which in fact serves as a physicians' union in the US.
Until the time of the split between homeopaths and allopaths, both performed acceptably, serving patients throughout the US. The difference in allopathic (or what we today would call regular, or medical) physicians and homeopaths originally began as a simple difference of opinion as to technique. The argument so polarized physicians that homeopaths went one way and allopaths the other. Unlike the homeopaths, allopaths decided to organize, and they formed the American Medical Association, which has used strong-arm tactics to stamp out any difference of opinion among philosophies among physicians. In fact, many states now require ANY physician to be an AMA member! Homeopaths in the US (unlike almost all other countries) must practice as a non-physician "consultant" who can neither diagnose nor prescribe. Of course, if a practitioner is also an allopathic physician, chiropractor or osteopath, he/she can perform homeopathy within the practice limits of that profession.
My background in both conventional medicine and in natural therapies gives me a good feeling for them both. I really love doing reflexology and seeing the immediate changes in a person, but many times I see conduct in the art that really disturbs me. No one has to prove to me that reflexology works for a lot of things. I have used it myself when I had various aches and pains, and have successfully used it on a LOT of other folks. What disturbs me is when I see unqualified folks making diagnoses and presuming to prescribe for ailing people. I also am uncomfortable seeing the almost religious trappings some folks attach to this art.
Personally, I know that a stimulus properly applied to a reflex site can diminish (or even erase) pain in the referred body part. I (and many other folks) have also experienced relief from stomach upset, muscle spasm and other problems using just reflexology. Simple. You poke here, and over there the pain somehow goes away. What's not to like? In many folks, there are contraindications to certain meds, and in these, sometimes they can get genuine relief using reflexology. Been there, done that; seen it, done it; not even a question. Does it always work for everyone every time? Absolutely not. Is it a substitute for competent medical care? Not on your life.
It is very important to let the person in front of you have the best access to whatever works for their problem. Let me just share with you two of my proudest successes I had with reflexology. In the first, a person showed intense sensitivity when I worked the reflexes corresponding to the descending colon. I asked her when the last time was that she had seen her doctor. She said it had been a while, but that she had an appointment scheduled in a couple of weeks to look at her knee. I asked her to have the doctor check out her large intestine. I said that because of the marked tenderness in its reflexes, it might be a good idea to take a look. I told her that it probably was nothing, or that her doctor might want her to get more fiber in her diet, or maybe take a laxative or something, but that she'd really be advised to have him take a look. A few weeks later, I got a phone call from her thanking me for saving her life. She said she had her doctor to check out her bowel, and that he had found the beginnings of colon cancer, and had her in for surgery to remove it. She said her doctor told her if she had waited until it was symptomatic, that it would have probably been too late. In the second, a person showed marked sensitivity when I worked the left ovarian reflex site. I asked when she last had a good OB/GYN workup, and she said it had been some years. I reminded her that it was really important to have regular pap smears and mammograms, and told her that when she next saw her doctor, that it might be a good idea to have her look at doing an OB/GYN workup. She said she would schedule an appointment, and we continued on with her reflexology session. I saw her daughter about three months later, and asked how her Mom was. She replied that when she went to her doctor, they found ovarian cancer, and she was operated on successfully, and was very grateful for my "heads-up".
When I do reflexology, I don't try to do physical "fortune-telling". I work all the reflex sites, and if someone says they are having a particular problem, I pay special attention to the pertinent reflex sites associated with that body part, and always encourage them to see their doctor. With their signed consent, I also cheerfully send a copy of my therapy notes to their doctor for their chart. (I also do a set of vital signs, since that is frequently useful information for their doctor, and a good screening tool for use in getting them into their doctor's office.)
While I have one whole heck of a lot of clinical experience working under the direction of physicians, nurses and pharmacists, I AM NOT A PHYSICIAN. I am not qualified to be a physician, and am not pursuing that goal. There are already a whole lot of very good physicians. All I am is a naturopath and a licensed massage therapist who has specialty training in reflexology, and a good bit of training and experience in various other naturopathic subjects, such as homeopathy, herbology, iridology, etc. Of course, I do reflexology, so if someone needs these other therapies, I refer out. Of course, when it comes to reflexology, I can run rings around most of them, because I see the interrelationships of the various systems.
I believe there is merit in all these holistic modalities, just like I believe in the merit of conventional therapies (and in fact recently experienced an abdominal hernia repair, made necessary by my thinking I was far younger and stronger than I actually am...). Nothing works absolutely every time for everyone, and a person who gets a favorable outcome for his/her problem is fortunate indeed. Yes, that may make me appear a little crazy, just like the fact that I believe in quantum particle physics. (I spent 15+ years in the nuclear sciences, so indulge me a little...)
Interested? Here are a few sites you may wish to peruse:
http://www.reflexologyinstitute.com/
http://www.reflexology-usa.net/
http://www.reflexology-research.com
http://www.reflexology.org
http://www.reflexology.net/
http://www.iowa-reflex-sciences.com
