Academy of Ancient Reflexology

Professional Therapeutic Reflexology

Migraine Headache or Migraine Syndrome?

For years, that intense one-sided debilitating pain in the head that can strike at any time has been labeled a migraine headache, whether or not other symptoms occurred.

Medicine now classifies the condition as a syndrome (a group of symptoms that occur together and characterize a particular condition or abnormality).

I’ll admit that I am very grateful for the fact that I don’t live with migraine headaches or migraine syndrome. The pain I have witnessed in others’ faces when in the midst of a migraine incident is enough to make me count my lucky stars.

Migraines are classified as a primary headache disorder because they occur independently, in that they result from changes in blood vessels, nerves and muscles, not as a secondary response to disease or injury. A basic migraine headache is described as intense pain at the front or one side of the head. The pain generally throbs and can last as little as an hour and up to many days and nights.

The headache can develop into a syndrome when one or more of the following symptoms occurs. The more symptoms, the more severe.

* sensitivity to light, odors and or sound

* nausea

* vomiting

* blurred vision

* temporary loss of vision

* temporary loss of consciousness

I have, on many occasions provided reflexology to people experiencing the beginning symptoms of a migraine. (Someone in the throws of a syndrome would not be capable of driving anywhere.) What I’ve learned is that everyone’s needs are both the same and different.

Most people will want the room as dark as possible (Pitch black is preferred.); absolutely no scents or odors (They can exacerbate the situation.); no sound or conversation (that means no music).

Pressure is where people can differ. Some people will want the pressure on the feet to be very light and others want it quite deep. This is true also if you are doing massage on the head. No matter what the depth though, the pace needs to be very slow.

Perhaps the most important thing to bring to the session (even more so than a focus on the head and diaphragm reflexes) is an intention to model peace. I try to stay focused on my own relaxed breathing, to calm my own thoughts, to really connect with the energy, and envision my client in perfect health.

What has been your experience either living with migraines or working with people who are suffering?

Distinctions Between Reflexology and Massage

REFLEXOLOGY MASSAGE
 
Objective Relaxation; support system function; help body achieve homeostasis. Relaxation; reduce pain in musculoskeletal system; realign structure.
 
Focus Reflexes. Physiologically based (function). Muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments. Anatomically based (structure).
 
Application To reflexes on feet, hands and outer ears. Only bare hands or feet required. Techniques applied to entire body or areas of complaint. Clothes usually removed.
 
Techniques Small muscle movements of the hands and fingers unique to reflexology, such as thumb-walking, rotating-on-a-point, press & roll. Large muscle movements of hands, forearms, elbows and/or feet to perform specific techniques to work particular areas of soft tissue. Small muscles movements may be used.
 
Benefit To all body systems. To musculoskeletal system.
 

 

Here’s a pdf, if you want to print out. Distinctions Between Reflexology & Massage

Reflexology with Massage

I often teach reflexology to massage therapists, who invariably ask about the benefits of combining reflexology with massage and how best to do that. With 27 years of experience offering reflexology and 21 with therapeutic massage, it’s not hard for me to come up with personal examples from my busy years of practice. I wonder though if a report from a brand new student of reflexology might have bigger import?

Recently I received the following in an e-mail from a woman enrolled in this summer’s Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification. She sent this after having completed the first module of the program, in which the only system reflexes she learned to work were the musculoskeletal. Her exuberant communication is a testimony to the powerful contribution reflexology offers people with musculoskeletal pain and discomfort.

Here it is, straight from her mouth:

“I LOVE what we are learning. I absolutely LOVE it. I have used the relaxation techniques and the musculoskeletal protocol on about 20 people since last week (every client I’ve seen since I left class), and the results are just completely inarguable! The majority of my clients are regulars, so I am very familiar with their tissue in various stages and during various parts of a massage, and when I worked their hands and feet first, WOW, the rest of the tissue became butter, cotton candy, just as inviting and easy to work with as ever.

I can’t tell you how tickled I am to be learning something that so obviously works, and right away, too! I was prepared to be patient for long term benefits (of which, I am sure, there are many), but to see the effects so immediately is really exciting, too!

Can’t wait to learn more. I feel very fortunate to be a part of this class.”

Her experience mirrors mine. Over the years I have experimented with doing a reflexology session, with emphasis on areas of complaint, and then doing some spot massage on the problematic tissue, or doing the two modalities in reverse. Without a doubt, I have seen the best results when I do reflexology first. As the student above so aptly stated, reflexology turns tissue to butter. The relaxation response is in full swing, fresh blood has pushed out noxious chemicals and pain receptors have quieted down. Therapeutic massage then becomes much more effective.

What’s your experience offering massage with reflexology? Any cases that stand out in your memory?

Reflexology & Massage Around the World

As a reflexology instructor of many years, I constantly witness the confusion that exists in people’s minds about reflexology. Since most massage schools on this continent do not teach reflexology in-depth (or at all), it’s not surprising most practitioners are left thinking reflexology is simply the inclusion of applied static pressure during a massage on points of the feet or hands as indicated on a reflexology chart.

In a short article I was recently asked to write for Massage Magazine, I described the similarities and differences between reflexology (as we know it in North America) and massage therapy. I also briefly described how reflexology in the Western world compares to the modality as it is practiced in other countries.

I’ve received a number of complimentary calls regarding this article. Since it seems to have really provided a lot of clarity for many people, I thought I would share the link, in the event you’re interested.

It goes without saying that I would love to read your comments!

Reflexology & Massage article