Treating chronic pain...Reflexology
September 18th 2006 00:12
Reflexology is an ancient Asian technique that uses the feet and sometimes the palms of the hand to diagnose conditions in other parts of the body. The principle is very similar to acupuncture and Shiatsu. Relief can be brought to an area by massaging specific areas of the foot that represent a particular body region.
This works because internal organs share the same nerve paths as areas of the skin. For instance, a condition in the diaphragm will cause pain in the tip of the shoulder because they are both connected by the same nerve supply.
During a session a patient is asked to lie down with both feet uncovered, whilst the practitioner feels them for gritty or crystallized substances under the skin. As these areas are pressed down on to, the patient feels pain in the affected area and sometimes the foot as well.
The treatment is carried out by deeply massaging the area with the thumb in a clockwise motion. Each session lasts between 10 - 30 minutes and several sessions are often required to completly releive the problem. However, in some instances one treatment is adequate.
Reflexology will not be successful in a condition such as hernia or obstruction of the bowel. These conditions require medical intervention of a different nature and in most cases will not go away without surgical inviolvement of some kind.
The main conditions that benefit are:
Constipation, asthma, stress and anxiety, bladder conditions, headaches and migraines, sinus trouble, IBS, PMS, kidney and gall stones.
Resources
Based on information provided in Alternative Medicine by Dr. Andrew Stanway/Rigby LTD
Images: Reflexology, Alternative Medicine by Dr. Andrew Stanway/RigbyLTD
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