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Hayfever – How can reflexology help?

  • Posted on April 28, 2010 at 02:29

At this time of year many people begin struggling with the symptoms of hayfever – from itchy eyes, sneezing, sore throats to blocked ears and perhaps a worsening or increase in asthma and eczema. Unfortunately there is no cure for hayfever – the body is suffering an allergic reaction to the pollens in the air causing the immune system to over-react and a chemical called histamine to be released.

Reflexology is a natural treatment which can help reduce, or even get rid of these symptoms. Working the reflex areas for the sinuses, eyes, face, ears, throat and whole respiratory system will reduce congestion and inflammation these areas. Incorporated into a holistic treatment this should re-balance the whole body and reduce symptoms.

Relief may be found in just one session, but a course or 4-6 are recommended as reflexology has a cumulative effect on the body.

Preventative treatment

Having a yearly treatment or two around march/ april time will help prevent hayfever from developing, bringing much wanted relief to sufferers.

As a sufferer of severe hayfever myself I can thoroughly recommend reflexology as a preventative treatment. Since my teens I had every symptom going – from constant sneezing and congestion to laryngitis – every year from March till September. Whilst pregnant in 2000 I went to a reflexologist to have a pamper and she picked up on my suffering and worked the relevant reflexes. Hand on heart I can honestly say my symptoms almost vanished overnight.

I used to take anti-histamine tablets, nose and throat sprays and eye drops every day and now I don’t take anything – and of course am able to treat myself now too!

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Stress

  • Posted on April 20, 2010 at 04:19

It is estimated that stress is the cause of 75% of disease and illness. If a person feels constant stress from external factors, but does nothing to remove the cause of stress or respond differently to it the reaction can be damaging. The body remains in a constant state of alert and eventually this will have a physical effect on the systems concerned.

The symptoms of stress may include churning or tense stomach, palpitations or racing heart, diarrhoea, nausea, headaches, migraines, insomnia, depression, muscle tension, perhaps in the neck/shoulders and persistent infections/illness. In the long term constant stress can lead to more serious illness such as heart disease, strokes, and cancer.

Long term stress cannot be cured but can be managed. We need to learn how to respond better to stress and then find a suitable way to manage it. This could be through relaxation techniques such as breathing and visualisation or through a relaxing activity such as yoga, Tai Chi or whatever the individual chooses. We cannot just tell our body to relax so we have to learn how to relax our bodies with our thoughts.

When the body is stressed it has to work extra hard to maintain a balanced state. Reflexology brings the body back into balance, restoring homeostatis and inducing deep relaxation which will help reduce the pent-up tension. It boosts the immune system, stimulates the circulation, removes toxins, boosts energy levels and induces calm in both the body and mind. A course of treatment can help the client learn how to relax and therefore how to manage the stresses and strains of our lives.

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History of Reflexology

  • Posted on January 3, 2010 at 10:34

Reflexology is a natural, gentle therapy, which treats your whole body system by working on the feet or hands. It has its origins in ancient Egypt and China. A tomb thought to date back to 2330BC was found with a series of pictures on the walls showing what seems to be a foot massage. Feet have also been important to the American Indian tribes who believed massaging the feet was a method of maintaining physical, mental and spiritual balance.
Traditional Chinese medicine attributes good health to the free flow of energy along energy channels or meridians which extend down our hands and feet. Going back 500 years the Chinese were using the feet to balance out the body. There are books and medical texts written on “The method of toe observation” and “Tao of foot centre” however the practice went into decline and acupuncture and acupressure became more popular.
Reflexology emerged as a medical therapy in the 19th century through western scientists research into the nervous system. They discovered that the connection between the skin and the internal organs was linked by nerves. In Russia Ivan Pavlov (1849- 1936) realised that health can be affected by external stimuli. This became known as Reflex Therapy. With the help of his friend Vladimir Behterev the term reflexology was coined in 1917.
An American Physician Dr William Fitzgerald (1872-1942) experimented with pressure points on the body to relieve pain in another body part. He divided the body into ten zones running from the top of the head down the body to the feet, branching off down each warm to the fingers. Everything along each zone is connected so working on one area in the zone will have a beneficial effect on all areas within that zone. He called this Zone therapy.
A physiotherapist called Eunice Ingham became interested in these findings, further developing the ideas. Ingham created charts and maps of the hands and feet, which are still used in reflexology practice today. Eunice Ingham is credited with developing the work of reflexology and keeping the ideas of zone therapy and reflexology alive today.
Doreen Bayly brought reflexology to the UK in 1966 and along with her nephew Dwight Byers introduced a further 3 transverse zones – the shoulder, waist and pelvis.
Reflexology had a revival in China in the 1980’s and now flourishes all over the world. In 1985 the Institute of Complementary Therapies recognised reflexology as a complementary therapy.

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