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World Reflexology Week 2022 – Reflexology & You

Written by Lorraine Smith on . Posted in Complementary & Holistic Therapies, Reflexology, Self-Care.

What is world reflexology week?

World Reflexology Week takes place annually during the last full week in September.  This year world reflexology week runs from 19th – 25th September.

World reflexology week aims to promotes reflexology and raise awareness of reflexology on a global level.

What is reflexology?

Reflexology is a complementary therapy based on the long established principle that different areas of your feet, hands and ears relate to corresponding parts of your body, including your organs and systems.  

Your reflexologist will usually begin your session with some relaxing massage before using precise techniques to work the points and areas that relate to your body’s organs and systems noting any areas of imbalance.

Reflexology is an established complementary therapy that dates back to ancient Egypt and China.  In fact, there is Egyptian tomb art, dating from around 2000 BC, that depicts people giving and receiving foot massage

Reflexology is very calming and relaxing, bringing about balance to your body and encouraging your body’s own healing by improving circulation, inducing relaxation, easing tension, reducing stress and restoring homeostasis.
Why not watch this informative video What is reflexology by the Association of Reflexologists.

What are the benefits of reflexology?

Reflexology has been shown to have many benefits including:

  • Improvement of nerve function
    • Your feet have over 7000 nerve endings.  Reflexology stimulates your neural pathways facilitating nerve function in your body.
  • Improvement of brain power
    • Stimulating your nerves and neural pathways can help information flow faster and more effectively to your brain, possibly boosting your memory.
  • Increased blood circulation
    • Possibly the best known benefit of reflexology is increased blood circulation which can help optimise the function of your body’s organs and systems.
  • Elimination of toxins
    • As well as improving blood circulation, reflexology works the urinary and digestive systems, promoting balance and thereby optimising the function of these thereby improving elimination of toxins.
  • Boosting metabolism and energy levels
    • Reflexology can help improve the functionality of the systems and organs in your body which can result in an improved metabolism that in turn can create more energy.
  • Speed up healing process
    • Boosting your circulation and metabolism and helping bring balance to your central nervous system allows oxygen and nutrients to be delivered more quickly which can assist in faster healing and regrowth of damaged cells.
  • Relaxation
    • Time on the treatment couch is relaxing.  Reflexology works on your parasympathetic nervous system helping reduce stress and encourage homeostasis.

How can reflexology help me?

Reflexology is great for relaxation and valuable me-time. 

Reflexologists can not claim to cure any ailments, nor should they diagnose any conditions, however, 

reflexology is believed to bring relief from a wide range of chronic and acute conditions; in fact, many health care professionals acknowledge reflexology as a respected and effective complementary therapy.

Reflexology is an holistic treatment that can help you physically, mentally, and emotionally, facilitating your body’s own healing system ~ helping, your mind, body and spirit.

Some of the conditions reflexology can be used to treat include:

  • Anxiety
  • Asthma
  • Back pain
  • Bladder problems
  • Cancer – helping ease symptoms including stress, nausea, fatigue
  • Chemotherapy – easing of side effects
  • Circulatory issues
  • Depression
  • Digestive issues
  • headache
  • IBS
  • Insomnia
  • Menopausal issues and symptoms*
  • Menstrual conditions
  • Migraine
  • Period pain
  • Respiratory issues
  • Stress
Reflexology Lymphatic Drainage

At Lorraine’s Treatment Room you can also experience Reflexology for Lymphatic Drainage (RLD).  This unique treatment was developed by Sally Kay when working in cancer care.

Developed initially to treat those who had breast cancer and help sufferers of lymphoedema, RLD was found to also have a positive effect on the following conditions.

  • Aches and pains
  • Arthritis
  • Asthma
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Eczema
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Headaches
  • Long covid – early indications indicate reflexology can help relieve symptoms
  • ME
  • Migraines
  • Muscular tension
  • Premenstrual syndrome
  • Sinus problems.
Reflexology for Menopause

I have also been fortunate to complete advanced training with Sally Earlam.  This informative course taught additional reflexology techniques as well as lifestyle ideas to help support my female clients through the transition of  peri/menopause.

What happens at my treatment

After booking your treatment, new clients will be sent a client consultation form.

This form takes your health history and ensures that there are no contra-indications to treatment. 

A copy of this form is sent to the email address you provide, and another to my secure, cloud based storage facility.

When you arrive for your reflexology session, you will be requested to remove footwear and settled comfortably on the massage table. The room will be tranquil and soft music will be playing. 

You will remain fully clothed with only your lower legs and feet exposed. After cleansing and assessing your feet, I will carry out some gentle relaxation movements on your feet and lower legs before commencing your reflexology treatment.

Reflexology works holistically and, rather than just a massage working on your feet, every aspect of you ~physical, emotional, and spiritual ~ is worked through your feet.

Your feet are ‘walked’ and reflex areas, which correspond to areas of your body, stimulated with specialised reflexology movements and pressure circles. Pressing on specific points of your feet induces reflex responses in the area of the body to which they relate thereby aiding promoting your body to heal itself.

During your treatment you might experience some tenderness on your foot as pressure is applied.  Tenderness is extremely rare, however, if you do experience any discomfort, please do let me know as this indicates there is a corresponding imbalance in your body and allows me to focus on this. Similarly, your feet may feel hard or tight to the touch, or I might feel ‘crystals’; these too help me pinpoint imbalances and tailor your treatment to ensure you get the very best from your reflexology session.

My aim, during your treatment, is to stimulate your body’s own healing process to ensure that you maintain, or return to a state of homeostasis; this relaxing, rebalancing, enjoyable treatment manipulates your feet to bring balance to your body.

Your treatment concludes with relaxation techniques and/or energy linking to further enhance your treatment.

Sounds great! What reflexology treatments do you offer and where can I book?

At Lorraine’s Treatment Room there are a number of reflexology treatments available, everything from signature reflexology, through to LaStone reflexology and a reflexology taster!

To find our more and book, please visit https://lorrainestreatmentroom.co.uk/complementary/#Reflexology

Find out all about National Holistic Therapy Day, the treatments available at Lorraine's Treatmen t Room and what to expect at your treatment

National Holistic Therapy Day 2021

Written by Lorraine Smith on . Posted in Complementary & Holistic Therapies.

Today is Holistic Therapy Day, celebrated annually on 26th July.

Holistic is derived from the Greek Holos meaning whole.

Holistic therapies, frequently referred to as complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs), treat the whole person.

Whereas modern medical practice tends to focus on and treat the symptoms a person is presenting with and may prescribe something to cure that ailment, an holistic therapist considers your whole being – mind, body, spirit and emotions – and aims to help you achieve optimal health and well-being by bringing about balance and harmony within you.

Holistic therapies have been around in some form for centuries, however, they started to gain more awareness and popularity in the 1960s when some people became anxious and felt they were just a body to be prodded and poked about by the medical profession; plus, many people became reluctant to rely solely on drug related treatment that tended to treat the symptom and not look for the cause.

Oooh, that sounds great!  Should I try holistic therapies?

Yes!  Whether you are suffering from an illness or not, holistic therapies are a great way to improve your sense of health & well-being and bring balance and harmony to your body.  They can also help reduce stress and anxiety, promote relaxation and bring you peace and calm in a frantic world.  

Additionally, holistic therapies can help if you are on the NHS waiting list but want to take control of and start managing your illness and symptoms straight away; or if you would like to try another treatment alongside what the medical professionals have offered.

Which Holistic Therapy is the best?

According to the FHT (Federation of Holistic Therapists) the most popular complementary therapies are reflexology, body massage, and aromatherapy.

However, all offer great benefits, and all consider your mind, body, soul and emotions and work on you as a whole.  Which treatment you choose is personal to you, you may even wish to try a few different therapies!  You should be guided by your own preferences and desired outcomes.

What Holistic Therapies do you offer Lorraine?

Here at Lorraine’s Treatment Room you can experience treatments such as massage, reflexology, aromatherapy, reiki, and Indian head massage.  

For more information on these treatments and to book, please click here.

Awesome!  I’m a bit nervous though, what will happen at my treatment?

Depending upon the treatment you have booked, you may be asked to disrobe to your underwear before relaxing into the heated therapy couch.

Whilst you are getting ready, I will leave the treatment room to allow you some privacy.

You will be covered throughout your treatment with sheets, towels, or blankets and I will only ever reveal the part of the body I am working on ensuring your dignity is maintained at all times.

If you are having aromatherapy, the oils will be blended for you whilst you are getting ready.

After your treatment, I will leave you whilst you slowly and gently get off the couch and put your clothes back on.  There will be a glass of water for you to rehydrate.

If you would like extra assistance to get on and off the couch, please just let me know.

If you have any other questions regarding your treatment or what to expect at your appointment, please do not hesitate to contact me lorraine@lorrainestreatmentroom.co.uk .

Are there any other holistic therapies I can try?

There are many holistic therapies, some of the most popular ones are listed below:

Reflexology – a specific type of massage and application of gentle pressures to your feet – works on the principle that your body’s organs and systems are linked to and reflected in your feet.

Body Massage – uses hands-on movements to manipulate your soft tissues and muscles aiming to relax, revive and heat your body and enhance your well-being.

Aromatherapy – uses bespokely blended aromatherapy oils to encourage rest and relaxation and aims to treat and prevent illness.

Alexander Technique –  teaches you to improve posture and movement, helping you unlearn bad habits assisting in the rebalancing and realignment of your body.  Believed to give greater awareness of body and mind and give improved movement and clarified thinking. 

Ayurvedic Medicine – aims to balance your body’s doshas and connect body, mind, and spirit.  It is believed that reaching equilibrium will encourage wellness and prevent illness.

Ear Candling – also known as thermo-auricular therapy.  A hollow, cone shaped candle is put into your ear canal.  The candle stimulates the ear and helps facilitate the removal of excess wax and impurities and can promote relaxation and revitalisation.

Homeopathy -works on the principle that ‘like cures like’.  Highly diluted substances (most often in tiny tablet form) aim to trigger the body’s natural healing process.

Hypnotherapy – a natural state of heightened awareness during which the hypnotherapist makes positive suggestions to you which are aimed at relieving your symptoms and influencing your behaviour.

Naturopathy – promotes your body’s innate ability to heal itself and acknowledges that your health is dependent upon a number of factors.

Pilates – holistic exercise of controlled movements that coordinates your mind, body and spirit aiming to improve flexibility, strength, posture and body awareness.

Reiki – translates to ‘universal life force’.  It is believed that energy flows through all living things and if this becomes stagnated, disrupted, or blocked that stress and illness will follow.  Reiki aims to use energy to rebalance their client.

For a more comprehensive list of therapies, please click here.

Are Holistic Therapies the Same as Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)?

Holistic / Complementary Therapies are mostly categorised as those which may be used alongside your medical treatment/s such as yoga, massage, reiki, meditation etc.

Alternative Medicines usually replace your medical treatments and include such therapies as Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurvedic Medicine and some herbal remedies. 

According to the NHS Website, holistic therapies and CAMs are treatments that fall outside of mainstream healthcare.  

Mind UK tells us these are therapies that take an holistic approach to your physical and mental well-being with many of these approaches having their roots in ancient Eastern philosophies of health or using traditional healing methods that were used long before the development of present day treatments. 

In fact, 

Mind perfectly describes these therapies as any kind of treatment that is not generally available through the NHS – although the NHS do have some funding for treatments that NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) have identified as being effective and good value for money.

For example, your doctor may have referred you to a manual therapist for pain you may be experiencing or, if you are suffering from Parkinsons you may have been referred to an Alexander Technique professional.

It should be noted, however, that the terms are used interchangeably.  Consequently you are best to seek guidance and advice from your medical professional and also carry out your own research as to which therapy may be best suited for you and your personal medical history.

Final words…

As always, please do not hesitate to contact me via email lorraine@lorrainestreatmentroom.co.uk or on 07973307092 should you have any further questions.

This blog is not intended to replace healthcare advice or recommendations from your medical professional, simply to make you aware of some of the holistic therapies available and how they may benefit you.