Academy of Ancient Reflexology
Reflexology Certification Programs and Workshops
Nicole Banner, 2014 Academy grad, decided to investigate whether regular foot reflexology sessions would help someone suffering from peripheral neuropathy due to chemotherapy treatment for a rare disease he was diagnosed with. The 5-week study charts the effects of hour-long reflexology sessions on his physical discomfort, sleep patterns and medication use. It’s worth a read, especially if you know anyone suffering from this progressive condition.
Many of us grew up with moms who rubbed Vick’s VapoRub on our chests at night if we were suffering from a cold. I clearly recall those strong vapors rising into my nostrils. Do you?
I always like to tackle problems from more than one angle though. As an adult, I would choose an essential oil that is a decongestive and expectorant, such as Eucalyptus globulus or radiata (for cough) and Eucalyptus dives (to break up mucus) to massage into my chest. One or two drops mixed into a carrier oil is perfect.
I would also then massage the mixture into the lung reflexes of my feet (located on the plantar surface on the heads of all the metatarsals), perform a little reflexology on those reflexes, don some warm socks, slowly swallow a tablespoon of raw honey, take a deep inhale of the scent permeating my own hands – and go to bed!
Because dietary causes account for about 12% of gouty conditions, gout has historically been known as “the disease of kings” or “rich man’s disease”. The heavy consumption of alcohol, fructose-sweetened drinks, red meats and seafood are all associated with the indulgent lifestyle of royalty and the wealthy hundreds of years ago.
Gout is a form of arthritis in which acidic crystals have accumulated within a joint capsule. It is often found in the hallux. True gout involves deposits of uric acid (a by-product of protein metabolism); pseudo gout involves calcium pyrophosphate crystals (from the breakdown of purine proteins found in organ meats, sardines, anchovies).
The prevalence of gout in the United States has risen over the last twenty years and now affects 8.3 million Americans.[i] Gout was listed for 2.3 million ambulatory care visits annually from 2001–2005.[ii] Uncontrolled gout can lead to the development of kidney stones.
Symptoms
Risk factors
Allopathic approach:
A Reflexologist’s approach
If the person is experiencing a flare-up you will not be able to work the feet. Do a foot soak and let the client dry his/her own affected foot. Offer reflexology on the hands. If the client’s condition is not acute, work the feet.
Hydrotherapy – cool foot soak, ½ cup Epsom salt, 1 drop of an analgesic or anti-inflammatory essential oil, such as German chamomile, Ginger, Eucalyptus globulus, Lavender, Lemongrass, Peppermint or Ylang ylang.
Techniques – full session on either the feet or hands with additional attention given to the lymphatic, adrenal and kidney reflexes.
Self-care
It is very important that the individual suffering with gout look closely at all the risk factors involved with this debilitating condition, and attempt to reduce and/or replace as many as those factors as possible.
[i] Zhu Y, Pandya BJ, Choi HK. Prevalence of gout and hyperuricemia in the US general population: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2008. Arthritis Rheum. 2011; 63(10):3136–3141.
[ii] United States Bone and Joint Decade: The Burden of Musculoskeletal Diseases in the United States. Rosemont, IL: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; 2008. Chapter 4. Arthritis and Related Conditions.
Perhaps you’ve said that to someone – or wanted to – or have had it thrown in your face. Or, how about, “Chill Out!” Comments like these are usually indicating that one person is requesting an immediate shift in another’s energy. So, how does jumping in the lake, as opposed to just jumping in the air, accomplish this shift?
Blame It on Your Skin
One of its jobs is to help maintain a constant internal body temperature of 98.6 degrees. It does this by opening pores to release heat through perspiration or shutting down pores to hold needed heat inside. The skin obviously must be very sensitive to changes in temperature in order to maintain this perfect internal temperature.
Any water application that changes the skin temperature (like jumping in a cold lake or soaking your feet in warm water) will produce a primary action in the body. This in turn causes a reaction. This secondary action is the body’s response to the primary one, its attempt to self-regulate, to reverse the primary effect in order to return to its normal internal stability.
The interplay between heat and cold causes blood vessels to dilate and contract, dilate and contract. Kind of like a vascular workout for the blood vessels. An increase in the diameter of the blood vessels allows more blood to flow, resulting in the delivery of more oxygen and nutrients to the cells. More food! The body LOVES this! Without even knowing why, you feel better. Water becomes this magical “mood shape shifter”!
Reflexology and Water
Reflexologists can use this information to enhance their clients’ sessions, by offering foot or hand soaks to begin. Not only does soaking cleanse the extremities and begin the internal shift of restoring homeostasis, the feel and temperature of the water brings a client’s attention to her body, acting as a lovely segue from the external experience prior to entering the clinical space to that of the internal world.
I start all foot reflexology sessions with a soak. I find it humbling to sit at the feet of my clients and wash their feet.
If you’ve not incorporated soaks into your sessions yet, you might want to try it and see how your clients respond. Try a hot soak for someone who needs nurturing, pain relief and relaxation; cooler water for someone who finds the weather uncomfortably warm, is agitated or “hot-headed” as she arrives.
Lately, I’ve been asking myself some pointed questions about my expectations and motivations with health history forms. I’m not saying that I don’t think it’s essential to know certain facts; I’m just turning the tables here and donning my detective hat to ask myself some important questions, as I do my clients.
I think of the health history form serving three primary purposes:
With the above in mind, some of the questions that come to my mind are:
How would you answer the above questions?
And these:
Whew! So that’s what’s been racing around in my head the last few days. Please share your thoughts and practices regarding the above; your input helps us all.
It’s not all in your head! It’s in your hands!
Before you get too excited, that is just what the latest study on what causes fibromyalgia states. Ever notice that there’s a new study released almost every few months? And that none of them point in the same direction?
A 2011 report in Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology named fibromyalgia as the second-leading cause of visits to the rheumatologist. With no agreed-upon cause and certainly no cure, over six million people in North America are diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome!
And yet, fibromyalgia can take years to diagnose. It’s tough to label, because the symptoms – sleep problems, headaches, muscle pain, fatigue, trouble concentrating – can all be attributed to other maladies as well.
If you work with clients living with fibromyalgia, you may wish to read Jackie Anderson’s case study offering reflexology to a 68-year-old woman suffering from fibromyalgia for several years. Jackie is a registered nurse, Harvard graduate in mind/body healing and certified reflexologist from the Academy of Ancient Reflexology’s 2008 summer Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification program.
In this study, Jackie’s study begins with the subject’s increase in symptoms from the first few sessions, leading ultimately to some surprising results. You can read the full study here.
Or you could just jump to the chase and offer hand reflexology, if what the latest study says is true!!
One of my all-time favorite books is the Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. The book has remained on the New York Times bestseller list every year since its release in 1997, so obviously it’s also a lot of other people’s fave.
As happens every so often, I sat down to read this little gem again and for the first time started to see many applications within the world of reflexology.
1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
“Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.”
This Agreement reminds me of the power my words have to either harm or support.
If I criticize and berate myself for imagined shortcomings, I will eventually erode my confidence – which will affect my ability to be truly present with my clients – which will make the planning and delivery of effective treatment plans impossible. Eventually, even the thought of seeing a client will further undermine my confidence. At some point, I won’t even want to show up.
Being impeccable with clients: I am reminded to always speak the truth – about my training, my abilities, the power of reflexology as well as its limitations. Not to exaggerate, diagnose, prescribe or hold back from offering hope. I am reminded here that my true gift is my presence, my compassion and my willingness to witness and support. This Agreement also reminds me of my responsibility to uphold confidentiality.
2. Don’t Take Anything Personally
“Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.”
Many years ago I learned two very important principles: Never work harder than your clients and never offer something to someone who hasn’t told you s/he needs and/or wants it.
I’ve gotten pretty good remembering that when someone comes to me for reflexology, that’s what he or she has come for. Some people do ask me for more though, and I am happy to oblige, if I am qualified to do so and it’s within my scope of practice.
Whether or not they follow up with my recommendations and suggestions has nothing to do with me though. If they do or don’t do their “homework” is their choice. Their compliance or non-compliance, as Don Ruiz so brilliantly states, has to do with their relationship with themselves, not me.
3. Don’t Make Assumptions
“Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstanding, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.”
This Agreement reminds me that it is my responsibility to find and use my voice; to set healthy professional boundaries; to speak my truth. It takes courage and awareness to uncover core values and to speak honestly of how I am affected by clients who are chronically late; who share jokes and/or comments that I find discriminatory; and who ask too many personal questions.
The other piece of this guideline speaks to interviewing skills; the importance of donning my little detective hat and practicing respectful, open-ended inquiry so as to get the information that I need to offer my services in a safe and effective manner. Health intake forms serve as conversation openers not suppliers of information.
And most importantly, to not assume that I know what a client means by a certain word or phrase, just because I know what it means to me.
4. Always Do Your Best
“Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.”
Before I can be available to take care of someone else, I must first take care of myself. I must prepare myself so that I can be present, patient, alert and useful to my clients. I can do my best by living a life of moderation; a life that is based on daily movement, adequate rest, healthy eating and nourishing relationships. Modeling a life built on healthy choices is also the most powerful way to teach.
Can you relate the Four Agreements to your practice? Do tell!
With media reports as prevalent as they are for headaches, you’d think there must be an increase in people affected. That turns out not to be true. In the United States at least, the statistics have held pretty steady over the last decade: approximately 12 million people visit doctors annually seeking relief from headaches. At least one-quarter of that group suffers from severe chronic tension or migraine headaches. So, why the increase in reported headaches then?
A little investigating uncovers two reasons:
Those two factors have led to a doubling of tests being performed in the last 10 years.
Advanced testing procedures are not without drawbacks though. They are expensive, can lead to additional and often unnecessary procedures (like biopsies) and increase exposure to radiation.
And it turns out maybe not the best course of action.
New research has shown that lifestyle changes often have the biggest impact on reducing the incidence of headaches, and particularly those associated with sleep. According to one study, for example, 50% of people reporting chronic migraine headaches also disclosed poor sleep habits. A change in sleep habits made a significant difference for these subjects.
Scientists now believe that it makes sense to approach headaches first from a self-care strategy, leaving a medical consultation as a follow-up in the event that lifestyle changes aren’t the solution. I agree with that line of thinking; most – not all, but most – headaches result from habitual practices that sabotage our wellbeing. And that is why I created the Say Goodbye to Headaches class.
The challenge to living headache-free is two-fold: first to identify the behaviors that contribute to head pain, and secondly, find agreeable substitutes for those behaviors.
In the Say Goodbye to Headaches class, attendees learn how to help clients to identify their headache triggers from a list of nearly 70. They learn how to coach clients in creating lifestyle changes they are willing to make and how to offer a hands-on reflexology session designed specifically for that client.
I hope you will join us. With 12 million sufferers in the country, I figure you must know a few you can help!
Say Goodbye to Headaches – a one-day class
Saturday, June 20 in Gainesville, Florida
Friday, August 28 in Lac Brome, Quebec
Saturday, September 12 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Resources:
Lifestyle Change for Headaches
Simple nail-care practices will keep your hands looking good, prevent common problems like infections and make it easier for you to evaluate your nails for any indication of changes in health.
If you missed the previous post regarding nail health, you may wish to read that before continuing here.
Here’s a simple list:
1. Absolutely no nail-biting. Not only do the nails look awful, so do you when chewing away on your fingertips. Nail-biting is also the leading route to fungal or bacterial infection.
2. Keep nails clean and dry. Keep hands moisturized. (I think I have a natural advantage here. As a reflexologist, I am constantly washing my hands and moisturizing them when I moisturize clients’ feet and hands.)
3. Don’t cut back your cuticles. Leave them alone. They are there for a reason: they provide a barrier to irritants that can affect the growth and health of your nails.
4. Soak your hands and feet in warm salt water before trimming nails – just like the pros do. This not only cleans, but also softens the cuticles and nails.
5. Don’t attempt to “dig out” an ingrown toenail (paronychia). You could end up with a serious infection. This is definitely the time to visit a dermatologist or podiatrist.
6. Use cotton-lined rubber or vinyl gloves when exposing your hands to very hot water or chemicals for periods of time; ie. when washing dishes, cleaning.
7. Avoid acetone-based nail polish removers or ones containing formaldehyde. Also avoid alcohol-based hand sanitizers. These all weaken the nails and can lead to split nails.
8. There’s a reason nail techs apply a strengthening base coat first when giving a manicure. For one thing, base coats protect your nails from staining from the application of dark colored polishes.
9. Check that you’re getting an adequate amount of protein, biotin, iron and zinc in your diet. These four nutrients contribute to strong nails
10. Take a polish “holiday” for a month. At other times, leave a few days between removing polish and re-applying.
11. Consider giving up artificial, sculptured nails. Long-term use can contribute to the development of spoon nails and subsequent fungal infection in the nail matrix. Not fun.
12. And lastly, take a quick look-see every once in awhile. Admire the results of your care while keeping a look out for any noticeable changes in your nails that justify seeking out professional advice.
If you ever questioned the effects of stress on your day-to-day life, read on.
If ignored, the chronic thoughts, situation and/or behavior patterns may lead to the following sequence of events, resulting in “running on empty”. (And I’m not referring to that great Jackson Browne song!)
Follow the succession of events:
Headaches are a prime symptom of stress. That headache is not to be ignored. It is one of your body’s primary ways of speaking to you; of shouting out that something is not right. Pay attention!
In the Say Goodbye to Headaches class, attendees learn how to help clients to identify their headache triggers from a list of nearly 70. They learn how to coach clients in creating lifestyle changes they are willing to make and how to offer a hands-on session designed specifically for that client.
I hope you will join us. You must know at least a few of the 12 million sufferers who visit doctors annually!
Saturday, June 20 in Gainesville, Florida
Friday, August 28 in Lac Brome, Quebec
Saturday, September 12 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.