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Archives for October 2019

Different Approaches to Knee Pain

Years ago, I was called to give a reflexology session to a woman awaiting knee surgery. Her pain and dysfunction had progressed to the point that she was relegated to a wheelchair to navigate her own home.

I arrived at her home and after an in-depth assessment suggested a traditional Thai reflexology session. I explained that this particular model of reflexology acknowledged the muscular relationship between the feet and lower legs and extended the hands-on work right up to and including the knee. She agreed.

We were both ecstatic that she was able to get up and walk on her own following the Thai reflexology session. She managed to move about her home during the final week leading up to her surgery with only the aid of a cane.

Since that time, I have used both traditional Thai and conventional western reflexology to assist people with knee pain and restrictions and immediately following knee surgery. I have found reflexology to be very helpful in supporting people with the very real challenge of ambulation when living with knee pain.

I recently read a study that pitted another natural approach for knee pain against one of the leading pharmaceuticals drugs, diclofenac. You may enjoy reading it.

Have A Body? Then You NEED Bodywork!

Many people believe that the only time to visit a reflexologist is if you have foot (or hand) pain. That is so far from the truth!

If you have a body, then you need bodywork! It’s that simple.

Yes, reflexology can help with foot pain, but you are missing out from improved wellness, if that is all you think reflexology is good for.

Slaying a Dragon

 When I attended massage school, we all operated under the assumption that it was our mechanical manipulation of the soft tissue that relaxed the muscles we were working on. However, the latest research indicates that not to be true. It turns out that it is contact with the nerves that relays messages to the brain that then sends back signals to the muscles to ‘let go’ or ‘hang on’. The brain is what relaxes the muscles, not the massage techniques!

Which is one reason I love reflexology. There is no ‘middleman’. No matter the complaint, we talk directly to the brain for assistance and support. And get it!

The most important thing we can all do for our health in this wild and crazy world we live in is to reduce the negative effect of unwanted chaos and stress on our bodies and minds. Quite often it is our response to daily stressors that is what creates muscle tension, pain and substandard organ functioning. Making relaxation the first line of attack against the stressors life throws at us makes it possible to live a healthy life. Relaxation is the basis of health.

What To Do

 There is a lot you can do. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Remove or reduce the number of stressors you have in your life.

* Cut out activities that add to the stress in your life. Choose only activities that bring you joy and do not rob you of necessary ‘downtime’.

* Consider carefully with whom you spend your time. Choose friends that are positive, supportive and do not regularly seduce you into unhealthy activities.

* Get adequate sleep. With the right amount of sleep under your belt you will be less likely to respond to challenging events in a way that elevates the stress hormones in your body. Being well rested makes it possible to ‘go with the flow’.

2. Learn to say “No.” I used to be guilty of this one. Someone would mention something coming up that sounded like fun, or asked if I would help out with something (that I valued), and I would immediately say, “Yes!” Later, I would feel stressed by yet one more commitment I had made. Now, I stop and think about whether or not I realistically have the time to devote to it.

3. Incorporate stress-reduction techniques on a regular basis.
There are so many to choose from. The most important thing though is to just do something!

* Meditation. Even 5 minutes will help you to learn to still your mind and slow down your responses to external events.

* Take time in nature. Just be in nature though; not on your phone while in nature.

* Yoga or Tai chi. Not only are you moving your body, working on balance, and practicing intentional breathing, these two activities are fantastic at reducing stress.

* A luxurious bath. Dim the lights. Even put on some relaxing music, if you want. Lock the door and do not emerge until you have soaked for 20 minutes and then lovingly anointed your body with a body butter or cream.

* Structure regular bodywork into your life. If you are one of the people who think you don’t need reflexology because your feet or hands don’t hurt, I invite you to run an experiment: Schedule a monthly session and see how you feel in three months. Together, we can set a goal and then support your body to reach it.

P.S. The added benefit of regular reflexology is the support it gives to all the internal systems. Poor digestion and/or elimination, sleep issues, chronic headaches, high blood pressure, hormonal imbalances – all these, and more,

So, that is why you need reflexology on a regular basis, not just when your feet or hands hurt!

The Complexity of Pain

Pain is a very complex issue that involves much more than just our biology.

Old paradigms held that pain was generated at the periphery, at the site of an injury. We know that not to be true now.

The high cost of war resulting in so many lost limbs has necessitated substantial research on phantom pain, and that has changed our understanding of where and how pain is felt.

As an example, according to the new model of pain initiation, if you drop a heavy object on your foot, receptors will transmit that sensory input to the brain. Pain is not actually felt until that information reaches the brain and is interpreted there.

 We also now know that interpretation takes into account, not just the sensations from the object landing on the foot, but memories of similar past experiences, psychological concerns (such as fear) and other stressors.

In other words, the brain is more involved in the experience of pain than we once believed. It is, in fact, more involved than the actual site of injury, and as I stated at the outset, pain is multi-factorial – a very complex issue.

Bodywork and Pain

Because of the unprecedented and tragic results of opioid addiction in the United States, the medical field is scurrying to find other routes of pain mitigation.  This puts bodyworkers in a strategic position to be of service, since loving therapeutic touch does reduce pain.

Reasons that bodywork is so powerful in addressing pain:

* People coming for bodywork bring much more than their physical selves into the room – their entire history arrives with them. Research shows that hands-on approaches impact people on far more than just the physical level – therapeutic bodywork touches every layer of a human being, not just the physical. A pill cannot claim that!

* We are just now learning that it is less about what you are doing and more about how you are doing what you are doing. The latest research shows that it is the deeply relaxing and positive aspect of hands-on interventions that actually works with the brain and nervous system to help reduce pain. This is why I love reflexology so much. The modality is masterful at relaxing, and speaks directly to the brain through the neural circuits. No ‘middleman muscle’ even needs to be touched.

* Bodyworkers create longer-lasting relationships with their clients – one hour (sometimes more) versus the 15 minutes doctors budget. Giving clients the time to talk about their pain allows them to better understand all that contributes to the situation, and perhaps discover healthy ways in which they might shift the quality of their lives. Empowerment and hope do much to smooth the edges of chronic pain.

* Reflexologists and other bodyworkers take great pride in designing environments that are soothing and calm, not sterile and hectic as is the case in a medical office. Soft lighting and quiet music sets the stage for deep relaxation. And, remember ….

RELAXATION IS THE BASIS OF HEALTH!

Changing the Shape of Your Heart

I was intrigued when I read the title of a recent TED Talk that claimed that emotions actually change the shape of our hearts.

Cardiologist and author, Dr. Sandeep Jauhar, called on the medical profession to acknowledge the critical role emotions play in coronary health.

He went on to state that although the heart is commonly associated with love, it is not the source of love. He explained that the heart does not generate our feelings, but is responsive to them. And that is why the state of our emotional health is so important to our overall wellbeing.

As examples, he showed how fear and grief set off a cascade of changes such as pinching the shape of the heart muscle, speeding up the heart rate, contraction of blood vessels, and increasing blood pressure – all of which can result in damage to the organ.

The above are all triggers that occur in what is commonly referred to as ‘broken heart syndrome’, a biological event that can cause ‘death by grief’. On the other end of the scale, emotions such as joy and happiness create opposite changes in the heart that support healthy functioning of the organ.

All of these observations have led to studies with some surprising results. The one that caught my interest the most was ‘The Lifestyle Heart Trial’, published in 1990 in The Lancet, a UK science publication.

In it, the subjects, all living with coronary disease, were divided into two groups: the control group, who received regular allopathic practices, and the lifestyle group, who were put on a program of vegetarian diet, moderate exercise, stress management techniques and a social support network.

The results were undisputable. Although diet and exercise played a role in slowing the progression of coronary disease, the prevalent decider was stress management techniques and social connection. Those who receiving loving touch experienced less aortic disease than those who didn’t.

Dr. Jauhar concluded his talk with sharing that over the last 10 years the decline of coronary disease has slowed, at the same time the external stressors of modern life have increased.

It’s time we take stress management seriously. Our lives depend on it.

You can watch Dr. Jauhar’s full 15-minute talk here.