Reflexology - Association of Reflexologists
Transcription
Reflexology - Association of Reflexologists
✽ reflexions No.103 * June 2011 T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R T H E A S S O C I AT I O N O F R E F L E X O L O G I S T S www.aor.org.uk ✽Special feature ✽ Reflexology & Pain (part 2) HEALTH ✽ DEVELOPMENT ✽ NEWS ✽ EXPERT ADVICE ✽ MORE! AoR reviews exclusive members’ insurance scheme Knowing that we are offering AoR members excellent value for money, comprehensive policy cover and brilliant service is important to us. Very important. That’s why, twice a year, the AoR and Alan Boswell Insurance Brokers review the cover, benefit and cost of the insurance scheme offered exclusively to AoR Honorary, Fellow, Full and Associate members. We take time to compare other schemes & websites to review policy wordings, excesses, types of therapies and student cover – to name just a few areas! We do this as part of our service to you. Our scheme still offers a £5m limit of indemnity as standard and covers over 250 therapies. Teachers can be covered with no restriction on where they teach or the number of students. It is so important that members feel their cover is sufficient, that should a claim occur or an allegation of unprofessionalism be made by a dissatisfied client, cover is in force. The AoR continue to endorse & recommend Alan Boswell Insurance Brokers Ltd, who work on behalf of all Honorary, Fellow, Full and Associate Members to ensure the scheme is competitive, comprehensive and the service is online. Their online facility is for new business, mid term adjustments and renewals. Documentation is emailed back instantly. Available only to AoR Honorary, Fellow, Full and Associate Members. To find out more, buy cover or obtain a quotation, contact: www.alanboswell.com/aor Call: 0845 6180207 Email: aor@alanboswell.com Preferred Supplier ✽ Contents ✽ 4 CHAIR’S & CE’S WELCOME 5 NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 6 MEMBERSHIP UPDATES 7 40 YEARS OF REFLEXOLOGY A life in reflexology explored 8 9 AREA GROUP LIST 12 VERTICAL REFLEXOLOGY AND SPORTS INJURIES Lynne Booth HMAR looks at reflexology and sports injuries 14 REFLEXTHERAPY In the context of chronic pain 17 REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURY David Wayte FMAR and Andrew James MAR discuss this common condition CHILDBIRTH AND PAIN Exploring the fear/pain cycle with Gill Thomson MAR 19 PAIN: MESSAGE SYSTEM OF THE BODY Moss Arnold discusses pain’s significance in Chi Reflexology 20 HOW TO BE AWARE OF DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES Writing case studies using self-reported measures 21 AVOIDING SUPINE HYPOTENSION When providing reflexology for pregnant women 22 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT 23 WHAT EVERY REFLEXOLOGIST SHOULD BE SELLING 24 WEBHEALER Exploring the ASA regulations 25 FIRST STEPS TO SUCCESS A seminar for newly qualified and student reflexologists 22 27 BOOK REVIEWS 28 CPD LISTINGS 29 AoR SALES THE LEARNING ZONE A spot of quick revision for everyone! We’re here to help! ✽Special feature ✽ Reflexology & Pain (part 2) Pages 9 - 19 www.aor.org.uk The AoR are here to help you. From reflexology queries to membership queries, phone us on... 01823 351010 Alternatively, you can write to us at: 5 Fore St, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 1HX email: info@aor.org.uk or fax us on: 01823 336646 June 2011 ✽ Reflexions 3 Welcome to your June 2011 edition of Reflexions. This edition, we return to the subject of reflexology and pain. This is a topic that many of you will find especially relevant to your practice, as many clients report pain as high on the list of their symptoms that they’d like reflexology to affect in a positive way. As you may be aware, we have received reports that reflexologists in Uganda are taking their Government to court to contest the Ugandan Government’s directive in March for the immediate closure of all reflexology centres in the country. An application for a judicial review (to be heard on 20 April 2011) was made by umbrella body United Reflexologists’ Association of Uganda, as well as Alleluia Reflexology Health Solution and Nutrition Centre Limited. They are contending that the government never consulted with them before the ban was made and “The impugned closure and banning of reflexology centres in Uganda and their activities failed to separate the wheat from the chaff and were therefore gratuitously unfair.” We at the AoR know that a few of you have close ties with Uganda, either through Reflexology Outreach International or as trainers and practitioners, and this news has been truly devastating. You have told us about the complex political, cultural and social fabric of Ugandan society which helps us understand a little of how the government came to make such a sweeping decision. But this will offer little comfort for the professional reflexologists whose livelihoods are affected or for their clients. It is another example of where untrained and unscrupulous individuals have laid a shadow over our profession. Here at the AoR it has led us to reflect on the importance of our own aims and objectives; to set the bar for professional standards, whilst at the same time keeping a constant dialogue at parliamentary level, in the NHS and maintaining practice standards through self regulation here in the UK. At this time we are awaiting the judicial review and offering to extend assistance in terms of our experience and organisational model to The United Reflexologists’ Association of Uganda if they are able to turn this judgement around and persuade the government to have dialogue with them. With best wishes, from Karen I am sure you will have noticed on our front cover that this edition continues our special feature of Reflexology and Pain. Members responded so enthusiastically to our request for input on the theme that we thought the subject deserved further exploration. Refining and enhancing our reflexology skills and techniques is always a high priority for members, as it allows us to provide even more effective treatments for clients. Hence, the articles in this edition (covering subjects such as sports injuries, chronic pain, RSI, fear and back pain) will assist in furthering that aim. The March edition of Reflexions saw the arrival of a new page, entitled the Learning Zone. This is the brainchild of Laura Occleston, our editor, originating from her desire to support students’ learning with quick, handy and not forgetting fun ways to revise facts and information. However, for those of us who trained some time ago, it will also serve as a reference and reminder page too. We would like the Learning Zone to be written by members for members, and so with that thought in mind, we do request member input. If you have any useful and helpful tips for newly qualified reflexologists, please send them in. Better still, if you could write a short article of about 300 words on the theme of Perfect Tips for Newly Qualified Reflexologists, we would love to hear from you and receive it. Please make this page your own, and let’s all have fun whilst learning and sharing knowledge, wisdom and experience. Continuing with the theme of knowledge and learning is CPD. We are aware that some members felt concern about how to acquire their CPD points to maintain their AoR status without financial outlay. Being mindful of the continuing economic climate, the March edition featured a page on acquiring CPD points without cost and we do hope this has proved helpful. Don’t forget – the most up-to-date CPD information is always available on the Members’ Area of our website, and if you still have questions, our staff are available to answer them, so feel free to give them a call. Finally, may I wish everyone happy days of summer sunshine, good health and well-being in the months ahead. Happy reading. ✽ ✽ Carolyn Story Chief Executive ✽ 4 reflexions ✽ June 2011 Welcome Karen King MAR Chair of the AoR Board www.aor.org.uk ✽✽ Notice of Annual General Meeting ASSOCIATION OF REFLEXOLOGISTS (Registered in England and Wales with registered number 5651575) Notice is hereby given that an Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association of Reflexologists (the Company) will be held on 24th September 2011 at 9.30am at the Strand Palace Hotel, 372 The Strand, London, WC2R 0JJ. Ordinary Business 1. Welcome and Housekeeping 2. Apologies for Absence 3. Acceptance of Minutes of 2010 Annual General Meeting 4. Acceptance of Minutes of 2011 Extraordinary General Meeting 5. Matters Arising 6. Chief Executive’s Report 7. Chairman’s Address 8. To receive and adopt the Company’s annual accounts for the financial year ended 31st December 2010 together with the last Directors’ and Auditors’ report on those accounts. 9. To appoint Knox Cropper as Auditors to the Company until the conclusion of the next AGM of the Company 10. To authorise Directors to fix the Auditors’ Remuneration 11. To note the following board member change: a. Kalok Bonar resigned as a director in January 2011 12. Nominations of Directors 13. Election of Directors 14. Notification of a minor change in the AoR Code of Practice and Ethics 15. Any other Business (notified in advance) 16. Date of next AGM 17. Close of Meeting NOTES 1. A Member of the Company is entitled to attend and vote at the AGM. A Member is also entitled to appoint a proxy to attend and, on a poll vote, to vote in his/her place. A proxy must be a Full member or Fellow of the Company. To appoint a proxy, please request a proxy form from Central Administration. Please note when completing your proxy form that it will be necessary for you to delete either “for” or “against” as appropriate. Please ensure that your proxy form is completed and returned to the Association of Reflexologists, 5 Fore Street, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 1HX no later than 48 hours before the time appointed for holding the Annual General Meeting. Completion of the proxy form does not preclude a member from subsequently attending and voting at the meeting in person if he or she wishes. 2. The register of interests of the Directors and their families in the membership of the Company will be available for inspection at the registered office of the Company during normal business hours (Mon - Friday 9am - 5pm) from the date of this notice until the conclusion of the AGM. ✽✽ By order of the Board of Directors Ireen Goulding Honorary Secretary Registered Office: 5 Fore Street Taunton Somerset TA1 1HX Please note: The following documents are now available from the AoR Central Administration office: • The end of year accounts for 2010 • The minutes of the 2010 AGM and 2011 EGM. To obtain a copy of these documents, please visit the Members’ Area of the AoR website, email info@aor.org.uk or call us on 01823 351010. Please also note that the AGM will finish in time for the start of the AoR Introductory Seminar on Reflexology for Pregnancy by Susanne Enzer at the same venue. Dated this 12th April 2011 www.aor.org.uk June 2011 ✽ reflexions 5 ✽✽ Membership Changes for Honorary/ Fellow Members From the 1st April 2011, we are changing the suffix AoR Hons to HMAR for Honorary Members and from FAoR to FMAR for Fellow Members. This, we hope, will continue the distinction of these titles whilst keeping suffixes for all members consistent and progressive. Please do be aware of these changes, as for some of you, this may mean that you need to make some changes to your promotional materials to reflect your new suffix. HMCA (Hospital & Medical Care Association) HMCA (Hospital & Medical Care Association) is a specialist provider of membership benefits to professional groups and has been offering Medical Care Plans as part of their range for over 20 years. HMCA’s Medical Extra Care Plan provides benefits for complementary medicine treatment so long as it is under the referral of the patient’s General Practitioner. All Complementary Medicine providers (including reflexologists) are covered where they hold a certificate of specialist accreditation recognised by a competent authority. This includes MAR and FMAR certificate holders. Please note that MAR and FMAR certificate holders do not need to be registered with HMCA to treat Medical Extra Care Plan subscribers. 6 reflexions ✽ June 2011 Updates Joining together in support of the 40 Commando project Board Changes ✽✽ We recently had to say farewell to our Honorary Treasurer/ Financial Director Kalok Bonar. As you might remember, in December 2010’s edition of Reflexions, we announced that Beautelle (a leading supplier of medical and therapy equipment) were going to offer a fabulous prize of a compact saddle stool to be won at our Summer school in Harrogate. With the winner’s stool now in production, we continue to celebrate our 12 year association with Beautelle through their offer for all Full, Fellow, Honorary and Student members to obtain a preferential 10% discount on all of Beautelle’s product lines (including their clinic sale items). The discount is applied only at the time you order your items through your use of a special code in conjunction with your membership number - so if you do need to order any equipment, large or small, please don’t forget to have both of these to hand at the time you order. If you would like this code, do contact the AoR office, as we would be happy to provide it to you. Please bear in mind that the discount is especially for you as a member, so it is not transferable to anyone else. The Board of Beautelle have also kindly agreed to donate one of their famous compact saddle stools for use in the 40 Commando project mentioned in December’s edition of Reflexions – we promise to use it well! As some of you may know, in early March our Reflexology Support Manager Tracey broke her foot, so the project has been on hold a while; however, we are hoping that by the time you read this article she will be fully recovered and treating marines once more. Kalok held this position for over three years and has been an active member of the Board, providing expertise and knowledge in the financial area of our work. We would all like to express our sincere thanks to Kalok for all her valuable contributions during that time and her dedication to the role. We wish Kalok the very best for all of her future endeavours. ✽✽ www.aor.org.uk ✽ 40 Years of Reflexology and still going strong! ✽ Max Dickson first came over to England from Germany in July 1939 when he was 13 years old. Having already worked part time on a farm for three years beforehand, he was the last of three brothers to leave Germany following the events of Kristallnacht, when attacks on Jewish people in Germany were becoming ever more frequent and war was bubbling beneath the political surface in Europe. When Max arrived in the UK, he attended school for just two years before training to be a baker at the tender age of 15. It was this career, he later added, that helped to ensure his hands were strong enough to avoid RSI and sore thumbs as a practising reflexologist. Max enjoyed several careers since his bakery training, including being a soldier, farming and carpentry, but one thing has always come through: he worked best in careers using his hands. In 1970, Max’s eye was caught by an article written in the Daily Mirror about reflexology by Doreen Bailey. In response to it, he called her and asked her how much education one would need to study reflexology; her reply has stayed with him ever since. She said, “all I want of you is enthusiasm and hard work,” and that is exactly what he gave. Max trained under Doreen Bailey herself in reflexology, being examined by Dwight Byers at the end of his course. Over the next seven years, Max trained under Robert St. John in the Metamorphic Technique (he was in the same class as Gaston St. Pierre), as well as learning massage, lymphatic drainage, polarity therapy and orthobionomy (where he met and trained alongside Tony Porter). Following this period of training, Max started to build up a clientele – not by advertising as one might expect – but purely by giving talks and demonstrations of reflexology to people in his local area. Being the only reflexology practitioner on the South Coast of England at the time, Max became more and more popular as word of his skill spread, and soon, at the encouragement of his first wife, he left full time employment to follow the career he had fallen in love with. Max describes his first few talks as “quite hair-raising,” but goes on to say that “you’ve got to go through all that...when people see what you do, that makes a lot of difference.” Despite a busy home life living with his first wife, his motherin-law and his five children, Max started out as a mobile practitioner, becoming known as someone his clients could rely on to come out to them, even if they needed him over the Christmas period. For approximately five years, Max shared www.aor.org.uk his knowledge of the physical side of practising reflexology with others through teaching courses, and it was at one of these courses that he met and taught one of the founders of the Association of Reflexologists - Hazel Goodwin. ✽✽ Max’s top tips for... Avoiding RSI, sore thumbs and sore arms When asked what he would advise others to do to avoid these injuries, Max immediately said, “bake bread!” He explained that working on the strength of your fingers, hands and arms is very important, also advising members to exercise and stretch their hands and arms thoroughly every morning to the same purpose. A good, quick exercise technique could be to push one’s fingertips together hard with the hands straight, then whilst maintaining the pressure between the fingers, pull the palms away from each other. This is shown in the picture above. Other things that he believes would be helpful are receiving hand massage (or giving oneself hand massage) and making sure that good technique is used in your reflexology movements (such as in caterpillar walking). Being a practitioner forever “Always be positive,” Max advises. He went on to explain that “we can’t relate to everybody; if you ever feel that you don’t want to treat – it has happened to me twice in my career – for goodness’ sake, don’t treat them!” However, Max is also very sure about what to do if you find a pair of feet that you do feel comfortable with: “just get on with it and treat them!” The AoR are building up a portfolio of interesting lives in reflexology. If you know someone who has lived a very interesting life in the field and who might have hints and tips to share, please feel free to contribute a profile to info@aor.org.uk. June 2011 ✽ reflexions 7 ✽ ✽Area Group Details Country/Region Area Group Name Area Group leader Contact no. Email England Country/Region Berkshire East Area Group AreaBerkshire Group Name Cathy Ewbank Area Group leader 01628 621266 Contact no. cathyewbank@yahoo.co.uk Email Buckinghamshire England Buckinghamshire Area Group Barbara Firman 01494 671802 barbarafirman@hotmail.com Cambridgeshire Berkshire Cambridgeshire AreaGroup Group East Berkshire Area Nicki CathyNunn Ewbank 01638 621266 610091 01628 n.nunn@ntlworld.com cathyewbank@yahoo.co.uk Country/Region Cornwall Buckinghamshire Cornwall AreaName GroupArea Group Buckinghamshire Area Group Antonia Eden Barbara Firman Area Group leader 07739 344179 01494 671802 Contact no. enquiries@antoniaeden.co.uk barbarafirman@hotmail.com Email angelapollard1@googlemail.com n.nunn@ntlworld.com Cumbria Cambridgeshire England South Cumbria Area Cambridgeshire AreaGroup Group Angela Pollard Nicki Nunn 01539 01638 535119 610091 Country/Region Derbyshire Cornwall Berkshire Country/Region Cumbria England Buckinghamshire East Area Cornwall AreaName Group AreaMidlands Group Berkshire Area Group Group Sheila Heywood Antonia Eden leader Area Group Cathy Ewbank 01773 604982 07739 344179 Contact no. 01628 621266 dandsheywood@vwclub.net enquiries@antoniaeden.co.uk Email cathyewbank@yahoo.co.uk Area Group Name South Cumbria Area Group Buckinghamshire Area Group Area Group leader Angela Pollard Barbara Firman Contact no. 01539 535119 01494 671802 Email angelapollard1@googlemail.com barbarafirman@hotmail.com England Dorset Derbyshire Berkshire Cambridgeshire Dorset Area Group East Midlands Area Group Berkshire Area Group Cambridgeshire Area Group Angela Inwards Sheila Heywood CathyNunn Ewbank Nicki 01300 341295 01773 604982 01628 01638 621266 610091 angelinhealth@googlemail.com dandsheywood@vwclub.net cathyewbank@yahoo.co.uk n.nunn@ntlworld.com Berkshire Essex Buckinghamshire Cornwall East Berkshire Area Group Essex Colchester Area Group Buckinghamshire Area Group Cornwall Area Group Cathy Ewbank Neena Pandya Barbara Firman Antonia Eden 01628 01206 273488 01494 671802 07739 621266 344179 neenapandya@aol.com cathyewbank@yahoo.co.uk barbarafirman@hotmail.com enquiries@antoniaeden.co.uk Buckinghamshire Gloucestershire Dorset Cambridgeshire Cumbria Buckinghamshire Area Group Area Group Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Dorset Area Group Cambridgeshire Area Group South Cumbria Area Group Barbara Firman Eileen Ford-Price Angela Inwards Nicki Nunn Angela Pollard 01494 671802 01285 643958 01300 01638 341295 610091 01539 535119 eartha63@googlemail.com barbarafirman@hotmail.com angelinhealth@googlemail.com n.nunn@ntlworld.com angelapollard1@googlemail.com Cambridgeshire Hampshire Essex Cornwall Derbyshire Cambridgeshire Area Group Andover and Winchester Area Group Essex Colchester Area Group Cornwall Area Group East Midlands Area Group Nicki Nunn Linda Price Neena Pandya Antonia Eden Sheila Heywood 01638 344179 610091 01264 772144 01206 273488 07739 01773 604982 linda@soothingsteps.co.uk n.nunn@ntlworld.com neenapandya@aol.com dandsheywood@vwclub.net enquiries@antoniaeden.co.uk Cornwall Hampshire Gloucestershire Cumbria Cornwall Area Group Hampshire North Area Group Area Group Gloucestershire and Wiltshire South Cumbria Area Group AntoniaFord-Price Eden Rosalind Guy Eileen Angela Pollard 07739 01252 845281 01285 344179 643958 01539 535119 aor_north_hampshire@hotmail.com enquiries@antoniaeden.co.uk eartha63@googlemail.com angelapollard1@googlemail.com Cumbria Hampshire Derbyshire Dorset South Cumbria Area Group Hampshire South Area Group Andover and Winchester Area Group East Midlands Area Group Dorset Area Group Angela Pollard Margaret Palmer Linda Price Sheila Heywood Angela Inwards 01539 02392 592675 01264 535119 772144 01773 604982 01300 341295 barry.palmer7@ntlworld.com angelapollard1@googlemail.com linda@soothingsteps.co.uk dandsheywood@vwclub.net angelinhealth@googlemail.com Derbyshire Herefordshire Hampshire Essex East Area Group Herefordshire Area Group Hampshire North EssexMidlands Colchester Area Group Sheila Heywood Gillian Rosalind Guy Neena Ternouth Pandya 01773 604982 01432 01252 845281 01206 880366 273488 dandsheywood@vwclub.net gill@ternouth.plus.com aor_north_hampshire@hotmail.com neenapandya@aol.com Hertfordshire Hampshire Dorset Gloucestershire Hertfordshire Area Group Hampshire Area Group Area Group Dorset AreaSouth Group Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Linda Margaret Palmer Angela Inwards Eileen Hinshelwood Ford-Price 01923 02392 592675 01300 341295 01285 255315 643958 linda.hinshelwood@btinternet.com barry.palmer7@ntlworld.com angelinhealth@googlemail.com eartha63@googlemail.com Dorset Kent Herefordshire Essex Hampshire Kent Essex Hertfordshire Gloucestershire Hampshire Dorset Area Bromley Area Group Herefordshire Area Group Essex Colchester Area Group Andover andGroup Winchester Area Group Angela Inwards Diane Noad Gillian Ternouth Neena Pandya Linda Price 01300 341295 0208 01432 880366 01206 273488 012643131820 772144 angelinhealth@googlemail.com enoad@btinternet.com gill@ternouth.plus.com neenapandya@aol.com linda@soothingsteps.co.uk Essex Colchester Area Group Hertfordshire Area Group East Kent Area Group Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Hampshire North Area Group Area Group Neena Pandya Linda Hinshelwood Seersha O'Sullivan Eileen Ford-Price Rosalind Guy 01206 273488 01923 255315 01285 643958 07809 01252 722097 845281 neenapandya@aol.com linda.hinshelwood@btinternet.com eartha63@googlemail.com sheersha@fsmail.net aor_north_hampshire@hotmail.com Kent Gloucestershire Hampshire Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Area Group Mid KentArea Area Group Bromley Group Andover and Winchester Area Group Hampshire South Area Group Eileen Ford-Price Alison Belsom Diane Noad Linda Price Margaret Palmer 01285 643958 01233 501466 0208 012643131820 772144 02392 592675 eartha63@googlemail.com alison_belsom@yahoo.co.uk enoad@btinternet.com linda@soothingsteps.co.uk barry.palmer7@ntlworld.com Andover and Winchester Area Group East Kent Area Group Hampshire North Area Group Herefordshire Area Group North West Kent Area Group Linda Price Rosalind Guy Seersha O'Sullivan Gillian Ternouth Angela Davies North Area Group Mid Kent Area Group Hampshire South Area Group Wells Hertfordshire Area Group West Kent/East Sussex, Tunbridge Area Group South Hampshire Area Group Herefordshire Area Group Bromley Area Group North West Kent Area Group Lincoln Area Group Herefordshire Area Group Hertfordshire Group East Kent AreaArea Group West Kent/East Sussex, Tunbridge Wells Central London Area Group Area Group Hertfordshire Group Bromley Group Mid KentArea AreaArea Group North & North West London & Herts Area Group Lincoln Area Group Bromley Area Group East Kent Area Group North West Kent Area Group West Essex/East Area Group Central London London Area Group East Kent Area Mid AreaGroup Group Tunbridge Wells West Kent/East Sussex, West London, Ealing Area Group North & North West London & Herts Area Group Area GroupArea Group Mid Kent North West Kent Area Group Cheshire & South Manchester Area Group West Essex/East London Area Group Lincoln Area Group NorthKent/East West Kent Area Group West Sussex, Tunbridge Wells West London, Ealing Central London Area Area GroupGroup Norfolk Area Group Area Group West Kent/East Sussex, Tunbridge Wells Cheshire & South Manchester Area Group Lincoln Area Group Area Group North & North West London & Herts Area Group Northampton Oasis Area Group Rosalind Guy Alison Belsom Margaret Palmer Linda Hinshelwood Yolanda Ironside Margaret Palmer Gillian Noad Ternouth Diane Angela Davies Tessa Johnson Gillian Ternouth Linda Hinshelwood Seersha O'Sullivan Yolanda Ironside Nikke Ariff Linda Hinshelwood Diane Noad Alison Belsom Peggy Graham-Taylor Tessa Johnson Diane Noad Seersha O'Sullivan Angela Davies Pauline Molloy Nikke Ariff SeershaBelsom O'Sullivan Alison Yolanda Ironside Elna Forsyth Peggy Graham-Taylor Alison Belsom Angela Davies Caron Pitigala Pauline Molloy Tessa Johnson Angela Davies Yolanda Ironside Elna NikkeForsyth Ariff Valerie Rosbotham Yolanda Ironside Caron Pitigala Tessa Johnson Peggy Graham-Taylor Kathleen Pitt Tessa Johnson Nikke Ariff Pauline Molloy Dawn Gosling Valerie Rosbotham 01264 722097 772144 01252 845281 07809 01432 880366 01474 329335 01252 723016 845281 01233 501466 02392 592675 01923 255315 01892 02392 592675 014323131820 880366 0208 01474 329335 01522 790452 01432 880366 01923 722097 255315 01892 723016 07809 07941 417441 019233131820 255315 0208 01233 501466 0208 445 0154 01522 790452 0208 3131820 07809 01474 722097 329335 0208 5485 07941505 417441 07809 01233 722097 501466 01892 723016 0208 566 2684 445 0154 01233 501466 01474 329335 01928 739773 0208 5485 01522505 790452 01474 723016 329335 01892 0208 2684 07941566 417441 01603 423891 01892 723016 01928 739773 01522445 790452 0208 0154 01604 631806 linda@soothingsteps.co.uk aor_north_hampshire@hotmail.com sheersha@fsmail.net gill@ternouth.plus.com angelajdavies@tiscali.co.uk aor_north_hampshire@hotmail.com alison_belsom@yahoo.co.uk barry.palmer7@ntlworld.com linda.hinshelwood@btinternet.com yolanda.ironside@talk21.com barry.palmer7@ntlworld.com gill@ternouth.plus.com enoad@btinternet.com angelajdavies@tiscali.co.uk tessabtj@hotmail.com gill@ternouth.plus.com linda.hinshelwood@btinternet.com sheersha@fsmail.net yolanda.ironside@talk21.com health@mindbodypositive.com linda.hinshelwood@btinternet.com enoad@btinternet.com alison_belsom@yahoo.co.uk peggygt@btinternet.com tessabtj@hotmail.com enoad@btinternet.com sheersha@fsmail.net angelajdavies@tiscali.co.uk pauline.molloy@hotmail.com health@mindbodypositive.com sheersha@fsmail.net alison_belsom@yahoo.co.uk yolanda.ironside@talk21.com west_london_aor_group@live.co.uk peggygt@btinternet.com alison_belsom@yahoo.co.uk angelajdavies@tiscali.co.uk caronp@talktalk.net pauline.molloy@hotmail.com tessabtj@hotmail.com angelajdavies@tiscali.co.uk yolanda.ironside@talk21.com west_london_aor_group@live.co.uk health@mindbodypositive.com v.rosbotham@btinternet.com yolanda.ironside@talk21.com Nikke Ariff Peggy Graham-Taylor Elna Forsyth Lyn Harvey Kathleen Pitt Peggy Graham-Taylor Pauline Molloy CaronHealey Pitigala Jane Dawn Gosling 01522 790452 07941505 417441 0208 5485 01259 275344 01603 423891 07941 417441 445 0154 0208 566 2684 01785 286561 01604 631806 tessabtj@hotmail.com health@mindbodypositive.com pauline.molloy@hotmail.com aorbanbury@btinternet.com v.rosbotham@btinternet.com health@mindbodypositive.com peggygt@btinternet.com west_london_aor_group@live.co.uk lynmharvey@aol.com kpitt_reflex@btinternet.com 445 0154 0208 505 5485 01928 739773 01394 382540 01259 275344 Pauline Molloy Elna Forsyth Elaine Thompson Lyn Harvey Valerie Rosbotham Elna Forsyth Caron Pitigala Helen Neal Jane Healey Kathleen Pitt 5485 0208 505 566 2684 01737 555286 01785 286561 01603 423891 0208 566 2684 01928 739773 01784 458939 01394 382540 01604 631806 peggygt@btinternet.com pauline.molloy@hotmail.com caronp@talktalk.net pjtr1@tiscali.co.uk aorbanbury@btinternet.com pauline.molloy@hotmail.com west_london_aor_group@live.co.uk elaines-therapies@hotmail.co.uk lynmharvey@aol.com v.rosbotham@btinternet.com Kent Hampshire Herefordshire Kent Kent Hampshire Hertfordshire Kent Hampshire Herefordshire Kent Lincolnshire Herefordshire Kent Hertfordshire Kent London Hertfordshire Kent London Lincolnshire Kent Kent London Kent Kent Kent London Kent Kent Manchester London Lincolnshire Kent Norfolk London Kent Manchester Northamptonshire Lincolnshire London Lincolnshire Oxfordshire Norfolk London London Northamptonshire London Staffordshire Lincoln Area Group Group Central London Area Group West Essex/East London Area Group North Oxfordshire Area Group Norfolk Area Central London Area Group North London, & North West London & Herts Area Group West Ealing Area Group Staffordshire Area Group Northampton Oasis Area Group caronp@talktalk.net tessabtj@hotmail.com peggygt@btinternet.com kpitt_reflex@btinternet.com London Norfolk Surrey Staffordshire North Essex/East &Oxfordshire North West London & Herts Area Group West London Area Group Cheshire & South Manchester Area Group Suffolk Area Group North Area Group Essex/East London Area Group West London, Ealing Area Group Croydon AreaGroup Group Staffordshire Area Group Norfolk Area London Manchester Surrey Northamptonshire Suffolk Manchester Norfolk Surrey Oxfordshire West London, Ealing Area Group Cheshire South Manchester Area Group Egham &&District Area Group Suffolk Area Group Northampton Oasis Area Group Cheshire & South Manchester Area Group Croydon Area Group Norfolk Area Group South Surrey, Woking Group North Oxfordshire AreaArea Group CaronWickham Pitigala Elaine Thompson Valerie Rosbotham Kerry Dawn Gosling 01928 739773 01737 555286 01603 707140 423891 01932 01259 275344 west_london_aor_group@live.co.uk caronp@talktalk.net helen@nealmail.co.uk pjtr1@tiscali.co.uk kpitt_reflex@btinternet.com caronp@talktalk.net elaines-therapies@hotmail.co.uk v.rosbotham@btinternet.com peter.wickham1@ntlworld.com aorbanbury@btinternet.com Norfolk Surrey Northamptonshire Staffordshire NorfolkHampshire Area Group Egham & District Area Group Northampton Oasis Area Group Staffordshire Area Group Surrey Borders Area Group Valerie Rosbotham Helen Neal Kathleen Pitt Lyn Harvey Sheila Lindop 01603 286561 423891 01784 458939 01604 631806 01785 01252 656756 v.rosbotham@btinternet.com helen@nealmail.co.uk kpitt_reflex@btinternet.com lynmharvey@aol.com sheila@gaiaholistictherapies.co.uk Northamptonshire Oxfordshire Surrey Suffolk Oxfordshire Surrey Staffordshire Surrey Northampton Oasis Area Group North Oxfordshire Area Group Suffolk Area Group South Surrey, Woking Area Group Kathleen Pitt Dawn Gosling Jane Healey Kerry Wickham 01604 707140 631806 01259 275344 01394 382540 01932 kpitt_reflex@btinternet.com aorbanbury@btinternet.com pjtr1@tiscali.co.uk peter.wickham1@ntlworld.com Sussex Staffordshire Surrey Suffolk North Oxfordshire Area Group Staffordshire Group Croydon AreaArea Group Surrey Hampshire Borders Area Group Staffordshire Area Group Chichester Area Group Suffolk Area Group Egham & District Area Group Dawn Gosling Lyn Harvey Elaine Thompson Sheila Lindop Lyn Harvey Susie Jennings Jane Healey Helen Neal 01259 286561 275344 01785 01737 555286 01252 656756 01785 286561 01243 864318 01394 382540 01784 458939 aorbanbury@btinternet.com lynmharvey@aol.com elaines-therapies@hotmail.co.uk sheila@gaiaholistictherapies.co.uk lynmharvey@aol.com info@holisticpathways.co.uk pjtr1@tiscali.co.uk helen@nealmail.co.uk Sussex Suffolk Surrey Suffolk Area East Sussex, Brighton Area Group Group Croydon AreaGroup Group Area South Surrey, Woking Jane Healey Steve Moger Elaine Thompson Kerry Wickham 01394 707140 382540 01273 517979 01737 555286 01932 Sussex Surrey ElaineJennings Thompson Helen Turier Susie Neal Sheila Lindop Helen Neal Steve Moger Karen Allum Kerry Wickham 01737 555286 01798 817483 01243 864318 01784 458939 01252 656756 pjtr1@tiscali.co.uk moggies123@googlemail.com elaines-therapies@hotmail.co.uk peter.wickham1@ntlworld.com elaines-therapies@hotmail.co.uk helenturier@aol.com info@holisticpathways.co.uk helen@nealmail.co.uk sheila@gaiaholistictherapies.co.uk Surrey Tyne & Wear Sussex Surrey Croydon Group Horsham Area Group Chichester Area Group Egham Hampshire &Area District Area Group Surrey Borders Area Group Egham & District AreaArea Group Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Area Group East Sussex, Brighton Area Group South Surrey, Woking Group 01784 548983 458939 01273 517979 07973 01932 707140 helen@nealmail.co.uk moggies123@googlemail.com reflextherapy@talktalk.net peter.wickham1@ntlworld.com Worcestershire Sussex Surrey Worcestershire Area Group South Area Area GroupGroup Horsham AreaWoking Group SurreySurrey, Hampshire Borders Moo KerryBarrie Wickham Helen Turier Sheila Lindop 01886 833695 01932 707140 01798 817483 01252 656756 m.barrie053@btinternet.com peter.wickham1@ntlworld.com helenturier@aol.com sheila@gaiaholistictherapies.co.uk Surrey Yorkshire Tyne & Wear Sussex North Group SurreyYorkshire Hampshire Borders Group Newcastle-Upon-Tyne AreaArea Group Chichester Area Area Group Sue Travena Sheila Lindop Karen Allum Susie Jennings 01423 340513 01252 548983 656756 07973 01243 864318 suetravena@aol.com sheila@gaiaholistictherapies.co.uk reflextherapy@talktalk.net info@holisticpathways.co.uk Yorkshire Worcestershire Sussex West Yorkshire Area Group Worcestershire Area Group East Sussex, Brighton Area Group Suzy Barrie Sherratt Moo Steve Moger 01977 612008 01886 833695 01273 517979 suzy@look-after-you.co.uk m.barrie053@btinternet.com moggies123@googlemail.com Sussex Yorkshire North Yorkshire Area Group Chichester AreaGroup Group Horsham Area York/Wetherby Area Group Sue Travena Susie Jennings Helen Turier Peter Biglin 01423 864318 340513 01243 01798 817483 01904 738456 suetravena@aol.com info@holisticpathways.co.uk helenturier@aol.com pbiglin@btinternet.com Sussex Yorkshire Tyne & Wear Chichester Area Group West Yorkshire Area Group East Sussex, Brighton Area Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Area Group Group Sussex Worcestershire Yorkshire East Sussex, Area Group Horsham AreaBrighton Group Worcestershire Area Group Group York/Wetherby Area SusieSherratt Jennings Suzy Steve Moger Karen Allum Steve Moger Helen Turier Moo PeterBarrie Biglin 01243 548983 864318 01977 612008 01273 517979 07973 01273 517979 01798 01886 833695 01904 817483 738456 info@holisticpathways.co.uk suzy@look-after-you.co.uk moggies123@googlemail.com reflextherapy@talktalk.net moggies123@googlemail.com helenturier@aol.com m.barrie053@btinternet.com pbiglin@btinternet.com Manchester Oxfordshire London Suffolk Sussex Tyne & Wear Yorkshire Horsham Area Group Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Area Group North Yorkshire Area Group Helen Turier Sue Travena Karen Allum 01798 817483 01423 548983 340513 07973 helenturier@aol.com suetravena@aol.com reflextherapy@talktalk.net Tyne & Wear Scotland Worcestershire Yorkshire Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Area Group Worcestershire Area Group West Yorkshire Area Group Karen Allum Moo Suzy Barrie Sherratt 07973 01886 833695 01977 548983 612008 reflextherapy@talktalk.net m.barrie053@btinternet.com suzy@look-after-you.co.uk Worcestershire Angus Yorkshire Yorkshire Yorkshire Scotland Worcestershire Area Group Dundee Area Group North Yorkshire AreaGroup Group York/Wetherby Area North Yorkshire Area Group West Yorkshire Area Group Moo Barrie Lynne Aiton Sue Travena Peter Biglin Sue SuzyTravena Sherratt 01886 833695 01382 730201 01423 340513 01904 738456 01423 340513 01977 612008 m.barrie053@btinternet.com lynneaiton1@hotmail.com suetravena@aol.com pbiglin@btinternet.com suetravena@aol.com suzy@look-after-you.co.uk suzy@look-after-you.co.uk lynneaiton1@hotmail.com pbiglin@btinternet.com Yorkshire Angus Yorkshire West Yorkshire Group Dundee Area Area Group York/Wetherby Area Group Suzy Sherratt Lynne Aiton Peter Biglin 01977 612008 01382 730201 01904 738456 Yorkshire Wales York/Wetherby Area Group Peter Biglin 01904 738456 pbiglin@btinternet.com Powys Scotland Mid Wales Area Group Ros Thomas 01597 824405 rosalynjt@aol.com Northern Ireland Wales Angus Dundee Area Group Lynne Aiton 01382 730201 lynneaiton1@hotmail.com County Antrim Powys Scotland Belfast Area Group Mid Wales Area Group Kathy Rea-Green Ros Thomas 02890 295960 01597 824405 rosalynjt@aol.com Scotland County Northern Ireland Angus Antrim Lisburn Dundee Area Area Group Group Rosemary Lynne AitonDowney 02892 648239 01382 730201 downyrosemary@aol.com lynneaiton1@hotmail.com Angus Antrim County Down Wales DundeeArea AreaGroup Group Donaghadee Area Group Belfast Lynne Rodgers Aiton Kirsty Kathy Rea-Green 01382 730201 02891 883312 02890 295960 lynneaiton1@hotmail.com rodgerskirsty@hotmail.com Outside the UK County Powys Antrim Lisburn Area Group Mid Wales Area Group Rosemary Downey Ros Thomas 02892 648239 01597 824405 downyrosemary@aol.com rosalynjt@aol.com France County WalesDown Northern Ireland France Area Group Donaghadee Area Group Louise Vaughan-Arbuckle Kirsty Rodgers 00 33 6 83 26 84 86 02891 883312 louise@holistic-provence.com rodgerskirsty@hotmail.com Wales Outside the UK Powys Antrim County Spain Mid Wales Area Group Belfast Area Group Costa Blanca Area Group Ros Thomas Kathy Rea-Green Rubina Morton 01597 824405 02890 295960 0034 96646 1505 rosalynjt@aol.com rubinamorton@hotmail.com Powys Antrim France Northern Ireland County Mid Wales Area Group France Area Group Lisburn Area Group Ros Thomas Louise Vaughan-Arbuckle Rosemary Downey 01597 824405 00 33 6 83 26 84 86 02892 648239 rosalynjt@aol.com louise@holistic-provence.com downyrosemary@aol.com Northern Ireland Antrim County Down Spain BelfastBlanca Area Group Donaghadee Area Costa Area Group Group Belfast Area Lisburn AreaGroup Group Kathy Rodgers Rea-Green Kirsty Rubina Morton Kathy Rea-Green Rosemary Downey 02890 295960 02891 883312 0034 96646 1505 rodgerskirsty@hotmail.com rubinamorton@hotmail.com County Antrim Outside the UK 02890 648239 295960 02892 downyrosemary@aol.com County Antrim Down France LisburnArea AreaGroup GroupGroup Donaghadee Area France Rosemary Downey Kirsty Rodgers Louise Vaughan-Arbuckle 02892 648239 02891 883312 00 33 6 83 26 84 86 downyrosemary@aol.com rodgerskirsty@hotmail.com louise@holistic-provence.com Spain Costa Blanca Area Group ✽ June 2011 8 reflexions Outside the UK France France Area Group County Down Outside the UK Donaghadee Area Group Kirsty Rodgers Rubina Morton 0034 96646 1505 02891 883312 rodgerskirsty@hotmail.com rubinamorton@hotmail.com Louise Vaughan-Arbuckle 00 33 6 83 26 84 86 louise@holistic-provence.com www.aor.org.uk France Spain FranceBlanca Area Group Costa Area Group Louise Vaughan-Arbuckle Rubina Morton 00 33 96646 6 83 261505 84 86 0034 louise@holistic-provence.com rubinamorton@hotmail.com Spain Costa Blanca Area Group Rubina Morton 0034 96646 1505 rubinamorton@hotmail.com Childbirth and Pain exploring the fear/pain cycle 1. Physiology of pain The pain impulses cause the release of pain neurotransmitters. This section will refresh your knowledge/ understanding of anatomy and physiology, with an emphasis on the pain/fear cycle and the role of the reflexologist. Pain is a complex, personal, subjective, multifactorial phenomena which is influenced by psychological, biological, socio-cultural and economic factors and, although pain is universally experienced and acknowledged, it is not completely understood (Walding 1991). ✽ The experience of pain can be discussed on three levels: pain transmission and perception, pain reception and pain modulation. Pain is a complex process and is experienced differently depending on the physiological process, the context and the previous experience of an individual. Pain can be modulated at different points in the physiological pathway and by education aimed at achieving an understanding of the accompanying events and the meanings attached to them by individuals and by their culture (Stables & Rankin 2005). Table 1 2. Effects of pain on the body Pain can cause an increase in both adrenaline secretions and catecholamine levels. These can affect the following systems (Mayes 2002, Stables & Rankin 2005): Pain can be classified as Somatic or Visceral. Somatic pain arises from skin, muscles or joints, and can be deep or superficial. Superficial pain tends to be brief, highly localised and sharp in character. This pain is transmitted along large myelinated fibres (A-∂fibres). Deep somatic pain is more likely to be described as burning or aching; it is more diffuse, longer lasting and always indicates tissue destruction. Impulses travel along small unmyelinated fibres called C-fibres. A third type of fibre, the myelinated A-ß fibre, relays light touch (Stables & Rankin 2005). Visceral pain results from the organs of the body cavities; it is described as burning, gnawing or aching. Visceral sensory neurons accompany autonomic sympathetic and parasympathetic fibres and send information about chemical changes, distension or irritation of the viscera (Wylie 2005). Both somatic and visceral pain stimuli pass along the dendrites of the first-order neurons to their cell bodies in the dorsal root ganglia. Their axons leave the dorsal root ganglia to enter the spinal cord and synapse with second-order neurons in the dorsal horns of the spinal cord, which travel up to the brain via the cerebral cortex and along the third neuron (table 1). Cardiac an increase in output, heart rate and increased blood pressure Respiratory hyperventilation (which decreases cerebral and uterine blood flow via vasoconstriction, thus reducing uterine contractions); also maternal acidosis which may cause fetal hypoxia Genitourinary delay in bladder emptying Gastrointestinal delay in emptying stomach, leading to nausea and vomiting Skeletal systems weak limbs There are several other gateway theories to pain; however, due to the limitations of this article, the author has not explored or discussed these. 2. Pain/fear cycle with childbirth In the late 1960’s Grantly Dick-Read (1969) studied the subject of pain in childbirth and concluded that fear increases the amount of pain experienced. www.aor.org.uk June 2011 ✽ reflexions 9 ✽ He advocated antenatal education and preparation for childbirth to reduce the cycle of fear, tension and pain associated with childbirth in Western culture. In a recent paper, Walding (1991) tends to confirm a relationship between pain, anxiety and powerlessness and agrees that active participation by the women may reduce the perception of pain (Sweet et al, Mayes Midwifery 2002). During her teachings, Maggie Howell (a very successful Natal Hypnotherapist) describes mammalising birth. She explains that all the cells and organs within a woman’s body are designed to fulfil a function and instinctively know what to do. All the woman’s body systems work continually 24 hours a day. In the same way, her body was designed to give birth to her baby without severe pain. It is only when there is a block from things such as fear, tension or anxiety that the natural process becomes unbearably painful, according to Howell (2009) (also referred to in Table 2) Table 2 Pain/fear cycle modelled from the work of www.natalhypnotherapy.co.uk 4. Reflexology and the role of the reflexologist with maternity clients There has been research about reflexology in this area. Four publications refer to research showing that reflexology towards the end of pregnancy contributes to spontaneous onset of labour, improves progress and outcome, and reduces maternal pain perception (Feder et al 1994, Motha & McGrath 1994, Clausen et al 1996, Surakka 1998). Denise Tiran (2010) writes that ”there is a growing body of evidence to demonstrate touch and therapies involving manual contact as a pain-relieving strategy, since touch impulses reach the brain before pain impulses and the impact on endorphin release aids this. It has also been demonstrated that anxiety and cortisol levels may be reduced, specifically with reflexology”. Is it the therapy or is it the talking and relaxation which helps clients - or is it a combination of all these factors? From the author’s point of view…. does it really matter? This is where 10 reflexions ✽ June 2011 our role as reflexologists might be so beneficial to pregnant/ birthing clients. For up to an hour (depending on her gestation) this woman will have you with your experienced hands and your listening ear, solely to herself. Your reflexology touch will register within her nerve receptors as discussed at the beginning of this paper, and she will often talk about issues which are on her mind. You do not need to be medically trained; however, it would be good to have an understanding of the changes which are happening within her body, and through her feet or hands you can relax these reflex zones, helping to harmonise and balance (Enzer 2004). As a midwife, reflexologist and Maternity Reflexology tutor, I always use a ‘third party’ perpective when discussing issues such as post dates and labour, finding that women and their partners relate much better to this style of teaching. Using the natural birthing scenarios of animals that do birthing so instinctively is a great model, again learnt from the teachings of Maggie Howell: “Imagine a buffalo mother who lives very happily with her herd… This buffalo is due to give birth, but there is unrest within the herd as there is no water… this then manifests fear. The adrenaline circulating within the mother’s bloodstream will suppress the oxytocin hormone which is required for labour to commence and progress. It is not safe to have her baby with this uncertainty; she needs her energy in her legs and head to drive her on to finding water and a safe haven. Labour will not start. However, once water or safety is found, the mother buffalo starts to relax and it is now safe to give birth; with relaxation comes oxytocin and labour will start if the environment is right.” How many pregnant women who are anxious and fearful go ‘overdue’ in your experience as a reflexologist, friend or family member? It’s certainly food for thought… Women often feel anxious and fearful in labour as well - unfamiliar surroundings, unfamiliar people around her, bright lights, equipment…she will already be anxious, but these things may lead to fear setting in… So often women will come into a labour room having been beautifully contracting at home and it all stops! In summary, fear and anxiety have a profound effect on the level of pain felt by all humans. This is especially relevant for women within their child birthing experience. Receiving reflexology regularly during pregnancy might help to relieve these fears and anxieties, as well as hopefully contributing to a spontaneous, uneventful labour with a relaxed mother and baby. Gill Thomson MAR Midwife, reflexologist and member of the Maternity Reflexology Consortium © www.reflexology4pregnancy.co.uk www.aor.org.uk ✽✽ References: Clausen, J & Moller, E 1996 Foot reflex therapy in the treatment of primary inertia during labour Conference Proceedings of the 24th Triennial Congress of the International Confederation of Midwives, Oslo. Enzer, S 2004 Maternity Reflexology Manual Published by Soul to Sole Reflexology (July 2004) Feder 1994 Zonal therapy in relation to women in childbirth Jordemodern 107;(5): 168-170 Fraser, D et al 2009 Myles Midwifery 15th Comfort and support in Labour Ch.27 Churchill Livingstone Howell, M 2009 Effective birth preparation Intuition UN Ltd; 1st edition McVicar, et al 2007 Evaluation of anxiety, salivary cortisol and melatonin secretion following reflexology treatment Complement Ther lin Pract 13(3): 137-145 Motha, G & McGrath, J 1994 The effects of reflexology on labour outcome Journal of Association of Reflexologists 2:4 Dick Read, G 1969 Childbirth without fear London. Pan Physiology in Childbearing Ch.38.p.495 Elsevier Stables, D and Rankin, J 2005 Surakka,T 1998 How to measure the effectiveness of reflexology as a labour painkiller Conference Proceeding 3rd European Conference of Reflexology, Tampere, Finland. September 18-20. Pp. 57-8. Sweet, B et al 2002 Mayes Midwifery 12th edition Relief of pain in labour Ch.32. Bailliere Tindall Tiran, D 2010 Reflexology in pregnancy and childbirth Churchill Livingstone Walding, M 1991 Pain, anxiety & powerlessness Adv Nursing 16: 338 - 397 2005 Essential Anatomy & Physiology in Maternity Care Elsevier. Churchill Livingstone Wylie, L Specific relaxation techniques Suggested techniques with reflexology therapy Sedating any areas of unrest; anti clockwise rotation on these points Endocrine balancing Using techniques to balance and harmonise the whole endocrine system; include the placenta in the uterine reflex as it is an endocrine organ Enzer, S. (2004), p.33 Pituitary Relax this reflex; unwind in an anti clockwise direction Adrenals Relax this reflex, anti clockwise. Be very gentle with this stressy organ Pituitary/adrenal linking Link the pituitary to the adrenals and give the balancing intention Relaxation techniques Extra techniques to aid relaxation: • Fish ripple • Heel hold • Pelvic rotations • Pelvic stretches • Lung presses • Spinal twist • Urinary flush • Spinal rub Enzer, S. (2004) p.51 Visualisation techniques Get the client to take deep breaths, concentrating upon each inhalation on taking fresh breaths down to their baby. If you are not at ease doing this then consider using a relaxation CD. Maggie Howell offers a free 15 minute natal hypnotherapy CD which can be used instead of your voice (the author does this within her sphere of practice). This gives a good opportunity for client to relax and close her eyes, allowing endocrine balancing technique etc ✽ www.aor.org.uk ✽ General relaxation treatment June 2011 ✽ reflexions 11 ✽ Vertical Reflexology and Sports Injuries I have worked for seven years as reflexologist to a professional Championship football club, and I also treat individual clients with sports injuries. I have observed firsthand how reflexology and Vertical Reflex Therapy (VRT) can support the work of doctors, physiotherapists, masseurs and other clinical staff. The aim of all athletes is to reach optimum performance levels and maintain their health and fitness. When various injuries occur, many will look for non-invasive and effective complementary therapies to accelerate their recovery further. The term sports injury is a generic term for conditions ranging, for example, from long-term damage of a knee cruciate ligament in a professional athlete to the slightly strained arm muscle of an amateur cricketer starting the season after a winter of inactivity. Reflexology aims to support long term recovery from serious injury, to accelerate recovery from minor impact or over-use injuries and also to work in a preventative capacity to create homeostasis and better health in general. Little attention is normally paid to toning or massaging the feet of sports people, despite their pivotal role in transporting super-fit athletes. Many footballers have reported that their feet feel more flexible and their boots more comfortable following a reflexology session before training or a match. Some of the most interesting discoveries I have developed to help increase mobility and decrease pain for sports people have been made at my other reflexology clinic. This is based at the St Monica Trust, Bristol, where for the past 16 years I have treated older people in residential care [Ref:1 and 3] (VRT Pain and Mobility Study 1997). I have used the same brief VRT weight-bearing techniques on a 24 year old rugby player who landed heavily on his knee as I have on an 85 year old woman who had fallen down and suffered a severely swollen knee. The application of synergistic VRT (working the weight-bearing knee reflexes on the hand and foot simultaneously) resulted in a noticeable decrease in fluid and pain in both cases. It also proves that the ageing body has an immense capacity for regeneration given the right impetus. What is VRT and how does it work? Vertical Reflex Therapy (VRT) is a unique reflexology technique that I discovered and developed in the early 1990s. VRT’s therapeutic response is often quicker, possibly because all 12 reflexions ✽ June 2011 nerves, and therefore the actual reflexes, anatomically become sensitized when weight-bearing. VRT may often help stubborn conditions and musculo-skeletal conditions often respond the quickest. A five-minute VRT treatment on the weight-bearing hand or dorsal foot reflexes might accelerate the healing response of the body. This treatment can be applied in its own right, as first-aid or preferably as a brief part of a conventional reflexology session. Other investigations have concentrated on hand VRT and the unique way of working a grid system of reflexes on the nail. A reflexologist can now work very precisely, nail-on-nail, to access the whole body through the dorsal reflexes on the hands and feet. (Fig 1, Fig 2, Fig 3). VRT techniques may also be very helpful as a preventative measure for anyone who exercises in the gym, swims occasionally or enjoys a good walk. The hands are equally as responsive as the feet, and I encourage reflexologists to introduce some hand reflexology techniques into all their foot reflexology sessions. A therapist gave her 16 year old son, an accomplished amateur rugby player, regular VRT on the hands or feet for minor injuries throughout a season. She reported that he had experienced less pain, less on-going injuries and less time off than in any previous year. In many cases, hand reflexes are more effective (i.e. sinuses, some neck conditions) and many clients report a lessening or cessation of aches or pains following a few minutes of daily self-help VRT. A few minutes of Self-help VRT/ reflexology may be the key to quicker recovery In 2002 I conducted a small workplace study with six employees in a large company. Each had experienced a chronic health problem for 6-12 months e.g. Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), and were given one half-hour reflexology/VRT treatment a week for 4 weeks [Ref 4: VRT and Reflexology in the Workplace Study, July 2002]. They were asked to work three priority reflexes, e.g. neck, lower lumbar and hip on their weight-bearing hands for two minutes, twice a day for four weeks. After one month, all six people reported an 80-100% improvement in their chronic condition. These exceptional results encouraged me to give clients, including sports persons, a short specific homework sheet of instructions. Many VRT practitioners now give their clients a routine homework schedule (Fig 4). www.aor.org.uk ✽✽ Fig 1. Case report: 19 year old professional athlete with groin strain and tight hamstrings An athlete twisted his body as he ran and felt a muscle spasm in his right groin, resulting in only 50% extension in his raised right knee. His hamstrings were often tight and his training programme was impeded by these problems. He was receiving physiotherapy and massage as well as reflexology. I worked the dorsal groin, knee and lower lumbar reflexes of his standing feet (linking them to his nail reflexes one by one for 30 seconds) and also asked him to press on his tender right dorsal groin hand reflex as I connected reflexes on the feet to Zonal Triggers on his ankle. These are powerful connecting VRT reflexes that appear to energise the zones of the body. Within 5 minutes he could extend his knee to about 80% and obtained short-term 100% extension when mobilising the knee while he simultaneously held his groin hand reflex. His tight hamstrings relaxed as he responded to the application of Nerve Reflexology on the medial ankle sciatic reflex and could then immediately touch his toes again. [Ref 5] Fig 2. When treating sports and minor injuries, especially if VRT is used, it is recommended that the client’s range of mobility is tested prior to - and after - the reflexology treatment, so that the therapist and client can monitor any immediate change. They then also have a bench-mark to work towards when applying self-help VRT on their hands between treatments. Tips for brief VRT Hand Self-help: ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ Fig 3. Ensure that the hands are weight-bearing on a table, book or tray (the client can be seated). The client selects three priority reflexes for a specific condition and stimulates each reflex for a maximum of 30 seconds twice daily. It is also helpful to briefly work round the ankle or wrist reflexes in caterpillar bites to stimulate the zones. To consolidate the 4-5 minute session, use the VRT Diaphragm Rocking hand technique. Make 10 slow rocks per hand while pressing the thumb lightly on the palm. (Fig 5). Lynne Booth HMAR www.boothvrt.com Fig 4. It is a honour for reflexology to be acknowledged as having an “Outstanding Contribution to Complementary Medicine” – and so we are proud to announce that the Institute for Complementary and Natural Medicine (ICNM) has given a Highly Commended certificate to Lynne Booth in its Outstanding Contribution to Complementary Medicine category. Our congratulations go to Lynne for this achievement, which recognises the hard work and dedication that Lynne not only puts into her work in the field of VRT, but also into furthering recognition for the field of reflexology as a whole. ✽ ✽ Fig 5. Books 1. Booth, Lynne. Vertical Reflexology. Piatkus Books, London. ISBN: 0-7499-2132-3. 2000. 2. Booth, Lynne. Vertical Reflexology for Hands. Piatkus Books, London. ISBN: 0-7499-2319-9. 2003 Short Studies 3. Booth, Lynne. VRT Pain and Mobility Study in a Residential Home for Older People, June 1997 4. Booth, Lynne. VRT and Reflexology in the Workplace Study. July 2002. Articles 5. The Sciatic Nerve – The Nerve of Reflexology, Dorthe Krogsgaard and Peter Lund Frandsen, www.touchpoint.dk www.aor.org.uk June 2011 ✽ reflexions 13 ✽ ✽ Reflextherapy In the Context of Chronic Pain Pain is prevalent amongst the UK population and worldwide, affecting 15 –20% of the population of the USA (Stephenson & Dalton 2003). Chronic pain after a whiplash injury affects approximately 20% of all road traffic victims (Malanga & Nadler 2002; Chien & Sterling 2005) and 7.8 million people live with pain every day (Sir Liam Donaldson, 150th Chief Medical Officer’s report). “Public Attitudes to Pain”, a report published by The Patients Association in November 2010, states that “back pain alone accounts for 4.9 million sick days and costs the economy £5 billion every year;” however, this does not account for the human suffering behind the numbers. Acute & Chronic Pain There is a distinction between acute and chronic pain. Acute pain is an alert system providing us with a reminder of something being wrong with the body somewhere, such as a blow on the head or to the rear as you land heavily on ice. We make a decision whether it is worthwhile taking further action, for example to go and see the doctor for advice. Mostly, acute pains diminish and we forget about them with or without treatment. Chronic pain is different. Chronic pain never ceases completely despite completion of the inflammatory processes within 21 days. Causes for ongoing pain are diffuse and not entirely known; however, it occurs when peripheral tissue damage leads to pathological changes in sensory nerve tissue, altering its original healthy physiological state. The nervous system begins to produce spontaneous and unnecessary pain conditions that do not fulfil a protective role, instead becoming a nuisance and ongoing suffering for the individual. In the last couple of decades, medical science has moved on and activity of the brain can now be assessed with the use of topographical imaging. Floor (2004) demonstrated changed activity in the brain after upper limb amputation using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Conclusions have been made that chronic pain is not made up of one single component, i.e. a specific pain area in the brain, but is the result of multimillion connections of activity in all areas of the brain and the nervous system as a whole. Professor Patrick Wall and Dr Ronald Melzack (1991) introduced the term neuroplasticity to describe this phenomenon. In addition, there is a consensus that pain is closely interconnected with aspects of the human psyche (Soderlund A. et al., 1999; Watson P. 1999) in combination 14 reflexions ✽ June 2011 with a reactive immune system (Marchand F et al, 2005). Whilst approaches like ‘Cognitive Behaviour Therapy’ have proved helpful in the treatment of some chronic pain, there is no consensus of a single therapeutic intervention for any chronic pain state. Adapted Reflextherapy Nevertheless, whilst there are few proven effective treatments for chronic pain to date, I have found that a modified approach of reflexology called ‘Adapted Reflextherapy’ (AdRx) has been measurably successful in the treatment of chronic pain. Whilst akin to orthodox reflexology, AdRx is very much a task specific foot (or hand) treatment which seeks out those very painful and movement-restricted areas on the feet that relate (in reflexology terms) to musculoskeletal structures of the body. Once identified, the areas are treated with prolonged pressure according to the level of irritability of the feet and the general pain condition. I have developed and used this method of treatment over ten years in conjunction with orthodox physiotherapy interventions. The idea of a single point of treatment was first introduced to me by two colleagues, N Johnson and H Evans. The treatment has been applied to patients with spinal pain and whiplash related disorders in the NHS as well as in the private sector with equal success. The hypothesis of AdRx states that it acts as a counter-irritation to the affected organs in the body via secondary hyperalgesic areas from primary sources in the spine, via the autonomic nervous system. A mix of www.aor.org.uk excitatory and inhibitory peptides in the axonal flow of the nervous system results in analgesic (acting to relieve pain) or algesic (painful) states, depending on what is happening in the foot beforehand. It is speculated that AdRx and other forms of reflexology offer a regulation of peptides, creating an analgesic effect in addition to beneficial relaxation. It may be that this also accounts for the ‘placebo effect’ observed in treatment situations. AdRx uses the medial arches on the feet, as shown on the picture, which represent the spinal areas. Stiffness and tenderness on any of these areas may be interpreted as affected spinal structures. Furthermore, AdRx considers the dorsum of the feet as the posterior aspect of the body and the plantar aspect of the feet as the anterior aspect of the body, based on the ‘anatomical position’ in medicine. reduce the risk of damaging the bone structure in case of osteoporotic changes. II. A 16 year old young man was referred by his father. He was suffering from a 1 year history of middle back pain. He had more pain after periods of running and woke up every night because of back pain. He played rugby, rode a motorbike and his general health was good. He was training to be a plumber. The conclusion from the initial assessment was that he had a thoracic 12/Lumbar 1 vertebral joint stiffness in association with stiffness of the costovertebral joints at the same level. His problem appeared moderate with neural compromise. My personal prognosis was that he would regain 95% improvement in two treatment sessions. The treatment was applied according to the AdRx principles at the level of T12/L1 on the feet. The predicted outcome was achieved: he was able to sleep without pain and could take up running again. Spinal areas on the medial arch of the foot, by kind permission of Pru Hughes, School of Reflexology, Devon. Case Histories: I. A 72 year old female suffered from left hip pain for two years. She had undergone a manipulation under anasthesia with a steroidal injection to relieve pain, and had experienced no improvement. She was unable to walk normally due to reduced hip mobility and muscle weakness in the leg. A colleague examined and treated this lady, initially providing 4 sessions of orthodox physiotherapy treatments for her pain and muscle weakness. As symptoms persisted, I was called in for a second opinion. My conclusion was a stiff pubic symphysis joint, which was treated according to AdRx. She reported that this immediately reduced the hip pain. The lady was discharged at the next appointment feeling fine and was considering going back to playing golf. Comment: It is pertinent to keep the older population as mobile as possible. Pain is unpleasant and inhibits activity. Manual handling to the feet (as opposed to the trunk) may www.aor.org.uk Comment: Youngsters usually make a quick recovery. Sleep deprivation makes the client miserable and there is loss of concentration, affecting schoolwork and driving ability. His mention of motorbikes also alerts me to possible ‘old’ injuries. III. A 26 year old female, Miss A, was a physiotherapist suffering from daily headaches radiating from the occipital to both eyes during a five year period, first occurring after a car accident where she was the driver. She also had changeable intensity and quality of pain symptoms in bilateral hands and the dorsum of the right foot, especially after driving for ten minutes. She was unable to sit with her head to one side as it aggravated her pain and produced a sensation of dizziness when looking up. She had experienced occasional heart palpitations that had been investigated by her GP. Her sleep was disturbed if going to bed with a headache. For three years she had experienced itching of her eyes and lately this has occurred in the ears as well. She had felt symptoms for five years, interrupted by a second rear shunt a year ago when her symptoms had worsened. Analgesic and antidepressant medication had only changed her symptoms temporarily. June 2011 ✽ reflexions 15 The AdRx treatment was carried out once a week for 6 weeks in a physiotherapy outpatient department. Each treatment lasted approximately 10 minutes. Miss A reported that her pain levels dropped by 50% and that her head movements improved considerably after only two sessions. Her improvement was maintained after one year, albeit with the occasional period of increased headaches here and there. As a physiotherapist, Miss A was confounded by the rate at which her symptoms changed using the foot treatment. Comment: Acute upon chronic whiplash injuries and other head trauma alert me to possible compromises in the neural plasticity and the flow of the cerebral spinal fluid in the meninges. Conclusion Chronic pain is considered a difficult and unpredictable condition to treat. However, my observations from the coalface of clinical work (using AdRx for a considerable number of patients suffering chronic pain) contradict this opinion. Foot treatment such as reflexology might offer an opportunity for a change of symptoms that may benefit a patient suffering from chronic pain. Studies in Israel (Siev-Ner I, et al., 2003) have shown patients suffering from multiple sclerosis and pain experiencing pain relief using reflexology treatment. Further research using sham or control groups needs to be carried out to confirm the findings. Gunnel Berry MAR References: Butler D, Moseley L (2003) Explain Pain, Adelaide, Australia, NOI Group Publications. ✽ ✽ Miss A had fractured her skull when she was aged four. At the time I saw her, she was working full time in an outpatient clinic which required physical handling. Coderre T, Katz J, Vaccarino A, Melzack R (1993) Contribution of central neuroplasticity to pathological pain: review of clinical and experimental evidence, Pain 52; p. 259-285. Haanpaa M, Treede R-D (2010) Diagnosis and Classification of Neuropathic Pain, PAIN- clinical updates, International Association for the Study of Pain, September Vol XVIII, Issue 7. Mackereth P & Tiran D (2011) Clinical Reflexology, 2nd ed, England Churchill Livingstone Elsvier Ltd (in press). Wall P & Melzack (1991) The Challenge of Pain, England, Penguins Books, Clays Ltd. 16 reflexions ✽ June 2011 www.aor.org.uk ✽✽ Repetitive Strain Injury for reflexologists and clients Unlike a ‘normal’ strain following a sudden injury (e.g. a strained ankle), symptoms of RSI can persist well beyond the time it would take a ‘normal’ strain to heal. www.aor.org.uk ✽ Feelings of tightness, discomfort or pain in the hands, wrists, fingers or elbows, progressing in chronic cases to the shoulder Lack of co-ordination or strength in the hands Persistent pain, even after rest ✽ ✽ Weakness and loss of function in muscles and joints affecting the arms and hands Clients with RSI: What might they be able to do about it? Diagnosis and treatment of RSI remains a cause for discussion. It is sometimes confused with arthritis, and even an accurate diagnosis may only lead to steroid injections, anti-inflammatory/ analgesic drugs or surgery — with the potential benefit difficult to assess. It is important not to ignore or cover RSI symptoms with painkillers. Clients should be aware of the risks and symptoms and take immediate action to prevent the condition worsening. Complementary therapies may play a pivotal role in the treatment of RSI. The Alexander Technique, acupuncture, aromatherapy, osteopathy and reflexology might all be used to alleviate symptoms and aid recuperation. Arnica massage balm, or three drops each of chamomile (anti-inflammatory) and lavender (for pain and irritation) essential oils in a small amount of massage oil or base lotion, applied morning and night may ease swelling and discomfort. Homoeopathic Arnica 30c (1 twice a day) might also be effective; alternatively, if the RSI is long term or does not improve after Arnica then consider Rhus Tox or Ruta Grav in 30c; the latter is anecdotally reported as being very good for wrist and tendon related problems. The use of MSM (organic sulphur) supplements seems to have a wonderful ability at healing connective tissue injuries, having a natural anti-inflammatory effect. Unsurprisingly, though, prevention of these conditions is better than cure. If possible, advise clients to: Stop or reduce the tasks/activities which seem to be causing the symptoms (where possible). This may be easier said than done if the RSI is in your fingers. ✽ These conditions are mainly caused by the repetitive use of one part of the body that damages tendons, muscles, nerves and other soft tissue. RSI is usually related to a job or occupation; in the case of reflexologists, the most likely cause is finger and thumb walking. However, other factors may also contribute to RSIs, such as poor posture whilst doing the movement, using excessive force, and not having enough breaks from the task. ✽ RSI is an “umbrella” term used to describe a range of painful conditions affecting the muscles, tendons and other soft tissues of the body. Some of these conditions include carpal tunnel syndrome, regional pain disorder, non-specific arm pain (NSAP), occupational overuse syndrome and work-related upper limb disorder (WRULD). Symptoms depend on what the repetitive actions are, although in most cases, they usually develop in the parts of the body most commonly involved in repetitive tasks (e.g. the arm, wrist or hand). Possible symptoms include: Coldness, tingling or numbness in the fingers and hands ✽ Acknowledged as a potential health condition, repetitive strain injury (RSI) can affect practitioners and clients alike. It is often passed over by the medical profession but natural therapies may help. As reflexologists we need to be extra aware of the condition, both for ourselves and the estimated 200,000 people who suffer from it. June 2011 ✽ reflexions 17 ✽ ✽ Some people find exercise such as yoga, relaxation techniques and regular general exercise (such as swimming) to be useful in easing the symptoms. Reflexologists: It’s a problem for us too! Of course, for reflexologists it is the fingers that need to be protected, since these are the workhorses of our particular therapy. As reflexologists: ✽ Ensure your seat is positioned at the correct height to allow work on a client’s feet with the least strain likely on your hands and fingers. If your seat is too high, you will end up ✽ ✽ Don’t give reflexology treatments constantly sat in just one position - use a wheeled therapists’ stool and move around. In fact, is there any rule that reflexology HAS to be given sitting down? Try standing to work the dorsal aspect of the feet – you will be amazed how much easier it is to access this area standing up! Assess the appropriate level of pressure and keep up to date with the latest reflexology techniques. Alter your treatment style so that, by rotating your style, different muscles and areas of the hand can be rested. Good examples of different styles are: Advanced Reflexology Techniques (ART), where the emphasis is through use of the knuckles and gliding movements in treatments, or Finger Free® Reflexology, where the fingers are not used at all. ✽ ✽ Clients might consider taking a natural anti-inflammatory supplement, such as glucosamine. Ensure that you take a long enough break between clients. You are recommended to have at least one 10 minute break between each client – this is a minimum recommendation. Do not work to the point of pain or discomfort - only see as many clients as your hands will allow. ✽ Wash your hands in very cold water between each client. This will help stop inflammation before it even gets started. Consider receiving a reflexology treatment on a regular basis. It is also a very good idea to be treated with simple hand reflexology techniques. Alternatively, treat your own hands. ✽ Try to maintain a good posture – the correct chair height will also help here. ✽ ✽ For clients with RSI it is generally recommended that they take a break and revive tired muscles with gentle stretches for three to five minutes every half an hour. slouching with the wrists extended at too sharp an angle; if it is too low, your shoulders will have to take the strain of constantly lifting up your arms/hands to reach the client’s feet. The best advice is to use a height adjustable seat. ✽ ✽ Look into practical ways of adjusting their work setup so as to reduce strain. Advise your clients who work at keyboards for long periods to make sure that their workstation is ergonomically sound. An adjustable chair with back support is also advisable and a moveable screen is essential when working at a PC. Additionally, they should keep their wrists straight while typing, only using the keyboard pad for resting periods. The computer mouse should be within easy reach, and their forearms should be supported by the desk. So, if you are aiming to make a long term career out of reflexology, giving good, effective and deep treatments to each and every client, then it is advisable to consider different ways of ensuring that as a therapist, you are protecting your own investment in the future – your hands and fingers! Andrew James MAR and David Wayte FMAR www.handsonreflexology.com www.jubileecollege.co.uk IN! W Both of the authors of this article have offered readers the chance to win a copy of their DVDs “Hands on Reflexology” and “Finger Free® Reflexology.” For your chance to win one, please contact the AoR Central Administration Office by emailing info@ aor.org.uk or calling 01823 351010. The winners will be drawn on July 14th 2011. There are 5 copies of each DVD to be won. Incorporating different techniques into the treatment: Stills from the DVD “Hands on Reflexology” by Andrew James and photos of Finger Free® Reflexology by David Wayte. 18 reflexions ✽ June 2011 www.aor.org.uk ✽ Pain ✽ Message System of the Body Firstly, there are certain numbers that I use regularly, and for different purposes. These are: • Four or twelve times – for balance • Six times – for treatment WHY “FOUR” FOR BALANCE? The number three is widely accepted as the number of balance as a result of yin, yang and the turning point. However, complete balance (the turning point) is achieved through four – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual – two yin qualities and two yang aspects. Historically, many cultures and their philosophies - for particular and deliberate reasons - have reduced the four to three (for example two yang and one yin in Father, Son and Holy Ghost), resulting in a patriarchal belief system. I do not wish at this point to enter into a historical and philosophical debate on the merits or otherwise of this perspective, suffice to say that it is the basis of the western logical, masculine culture. This is not a balanced state and in fact elevates the yang (or masculine) qualities over the yin or feminine qualities. For example, in “mind, body and spirit” you have “mind” (yang), “body” (yang) and “spirit” (yin)! The emotional and spiritual aspects are “lumped” together, which has led to many misunderstandings for they are not the same thing. So, balance (the turning point) is reached through the four aspects derived from the yin and yang theory. PAIN: WORKING WITH THE BODY – Learning to Listen to the Message Pain may be seen as a message and interpreting that message is quite simple. The message the body puts out is asking for its opposite. If the body is hot, what it is asking for? More heat or cooling? Another simple truth we seem to have forgotten. Pain is part of the body’s communication system; a message, usually about some danger. It is a warning or a response to physical injury: for example, when we nearly burn ourselves the message is quite clear - Move! - as the “fight or flight” response takes over. Over the years, we have forgotten that pain is simply communication; a way for the body to let us know www.aor.org.uk something. Thus, we have developed methods for getting rid of pain (the energy) rather than listening to, understanding and working with pain as a message. According to the Law of Duality, there are two types or groups of body pain – sharp pain and dull pain – and each gives an opposite message. We often become distracted by the volume of the pain; however, it is irrelevant to the message conveyed except when there is no other indicator – then the volume difference between two partnered points/reflexes may give a clue which is in excess and which is deficient. Further, the volume of pain is not completely irrelevant - it is misleading – and it is not actually the message. Where the volume is significant is in the degree that the body is making the statement. The message is the type of pain and the volume indicates the degree to which the body is asking for help: • Low volume – please can the body have a little help or assistance; • Medium volume – Now would be a good time to give the assistance or help; and • High volume – NOW!!! Immediately! HELP! Look for the difference between the messages, not the similarities between the “feelings” or pains. Look for the difference in whatever form it takes – it is the key. Article by: Moss Arnold Principal Australian College of Chi-Reflexology PO Box 4071, Winmalee NSW 2777 Australia Phone +61 2 4754 5500 Fax +61 2 4754.5588 Website www.chi-reflexology.com.au Email moss.arnold@chi-reflexology.com.au UK contact: Audrey Scully Tutor / Complementary Therapist A S Wholistice Therapies Sheffield Phone:0114 269 1145 Mob: 07949 567 530 Website: www.reflexology-healing.co.uk email: chi_reflexology@yahoo.co.uk * More from Moss Arnold can be found in our online supplement Reflexions Extra, available on the Reflexions page of the Members’ Area of the AoR website (www.aor.org.uk). June 2011 ✽ reflexions 19 ✽ How to...be Aware of Data Collection Techniques Writing a case study using self-reported measures The least pain ever The most pain ever Visual analogue scale (VAS) When collecting data for a case study, you may want to use a method where the individual client decides his or her assessment of a situation. These methods of collecting data are quick to administer and rely on how the experience is perceived at that particular time. You can collect data from any clients you see; however, to get the best of this, you have to start right at the very beginning (before any treatment is carried out). If you miss this point of data collection, you miss the first changes. This might not be the end of the world, but you may just miss a point of extreme change with the first treatment. After a set amount of appointments, you should repeat the questions or data collection method to get a snapshot of what has changed during that period of time. As a very simple example, you could give a person experiencing pain a visual analogue scale like the one above. The line has to be exactly 10 centimetres long. You then ask that person to put a cross on the line where they feel they are at that moment. You could keep blank copies of this line in your clinic and then simply write the pertinent issue for your client into the boxes. This is only of any use if you feel it is likely that they will return for a course of treatments. You can then use a ruler to measure the distance to the client’s mark and make a graph of the results. This can either be carried out after each treatment or at 20 reflexions ✽ June 2011 This system can be used for problems that are subjective and not easily charted by other methods. Other examples would be emotional upset, anger, frustration or overall comparisons, for example ‘how is your problem’? study in the last issue of Reflexions. This is physical movement charted by using a pen and a board or large piece of paper. With a collection method like this it is important to always take the measurements in exactly the same way. The frozen shoulder was measured by how much the client could stretch her arm upwards; a line was drawn - always from the upper side of her arm - and the angle taken from the horizontal using a protractor. At the start point she could not lift her arm to the horizontal (a measurement of -10 degrees) however, the end result was much more positive. Alternatively, you might wish to consider the MYMOP system, which is a very well validated outcome measure often used both medically and with complementary therapies. MYMOP stands for measure yourself medical outcome profile, and it allows the client to makes decisions about what is bothering them the most. Please go to www.pcmd.ac.uk/ mymop and have a look; it’s a simple form that can be easily filled in and the results logged in the provided Excel spreadsheet. There is a follow up form for subsequent treatments too. This in turn can let you produce graphs and charts relatively easily, although you do need to be a bit computer literate. Obviously there are many more ways to estimate the effect of your treatments. There are lots of completely objective measures like medical outcome measures, blood tests or specialised questionnaires, but these are not easy to do in the clinic. Therefore, this article is just about trying to estimate effects with low tech methods, whilst offering methods that can be made into some sort of visual chart or map to show change, both for your own knowledge and to show your client. And the best news of all? Not only is this an excellent exercise for collecting useful data to advertise your practice’s effectiveness, it adds to your CPD points, too! Another data collection technique could be a simple movement estimation study, as used in the frozen shoulder case Tracey Smith FMAR Reflexology Support Manager the end of a course of treatments, but the client must not be shown the ones that they filled in before or this biases the results. The pertinent issue must remain the same throughout the course of treatment, as must the direction in which you measure the distance to the client’s mark. www.aor.org.uk ✽ ✽ Avoiding Supine Hypotension when conducting reflexology for pregnant women As well as ensuring there are no contraindications to conducting the treatment (including cardiac abnormalities) (Enzer 2004), (Tiran 2011) and that the working environment is comfortable, warm and private and with easy access to the loo: it must be safe. Normally, the inferior vena cava (IVC) - the main blood return vessel - returns the deoxygenated blood back to the heart. However, the weight of a growing uterus in the second and third trimesters (earlier if a multiple pregnancy or when extra amniotic fluid - polyhydramnios - is present) can exert pressure on the IVC. This reduces the venous return and perfusion of the paravertebral vessels, resulting in hypotension, bradycardia (slow pulse), light headedness, nausea and even potential loss of consciousness due to the reduced blood flow to the cerebrum. This can also result in a temporary reduction in the foetal oxygen supply via the placenta. Instinctively, most pregnant women do not like to lie flat and will insist on sitting upwards. Supine hypotension syndrome occurs in 10% of pregnant women. This is further compounded by the increased constriction caused by lying on her back. The position may decrease the cardiac output by up to 25% (Myles 2009). The remedy is to roll the woman onto her left side to shift the pressure from the ascending inferior vena cava (which runs up the right hand side of the spine). This facilitates a return to normal flow and cardiac output, resulting in a spontaneous recovery - much to the relief of the practitioner! Normally, prevention is the key; however, we must consider our circumstances when working with these specialized clients: what equipment we have available and how we manage an emergency if one arises. When using a Lafuma reclining chair we must be careful when treating pregnant women, especially from the mid trimester onwards, as the inferior vena cava is compressed by the weight of the growing uterus and the client may feel faint and short of breath. The natural www.aor.org.uk reaction to treat fainting is by raising the feet, but as you can see, when using a reclining chair the feet are already raised and this will swing the centre of gravity backwards, thus further increasing the compression. In the event that a pregnant client feels faint, dizzy, nauseous or appearing to pass out, we must act accordingly - by rolling them safely onto their Using the Lusy Blom cushion from Ikea to lie the client back safely. left side to expedite a swift recovery. This is more easily achieved on a couch at waist height (as in a dire emergency strain and pain. It could also exacerbate you could pull the wedge or pillows away sciatica with increased strain on the and resuscitate on a firm surface) than in a sacroiliac joints, which are already relaxed reclining chair. with the effects of the hormones relaxin and progesterone during pregnancy. Always ensure that they are feeling well enough to leave your care after any session, as they may feel especially lightheaded following the first treatment. They must also turn onto their side to get up, which prevents straining the softened pelvic ligaments and lower back. In order to avoid the compression in the first place, I would suggest using a long cushion or pillow under the right side to tip the uterus over to the left. This is because the pressure on the aorta (the decending main blood vessel) can cope with the weight, as the pressure of the blood leaving the heart is of greater pressure than that of the blood returning. When experimenting with a colleague, a longer support was more comfortable, as a small wedge caused a twist in the spine halfway up. Should the client feel an overwhelming sense of lightheadedness and impending fainting, she should be rolled onto her left side, taking care not to injure yourself or tip the chair over. I would suggest taking great care when using a reclining chair commonly used by complimentary therapists, as the client lies backwards and risks supine hypotension as a result. Here I would advocate the use of the lumbar support to tilt the abdominal compression by 30-40 degrees to the client’s left side. Posture is important as inappropriate and inadequate support could cause lower back The semi-supine position facilitates observation of the client’s response to the treatment and in practice, eye contact does appear to enhance their ability to feed back their findings and feelings. On reflection after my first aid update, I changed my practice. As a professional, I suggest you do too, even if it is just to make a mental plan of action and preparation in case of the unlikely, but possible, event of a client fainting or need for resuscitation. You can gain CPD points for creating your plan of action, too! References ✽ ✽ At the first UK Maternity Reflexology Conference last November, it came to light that there was a need to explain the reasons why pregnant women should not receive reflexology lying flat on their back. Enzer, S (2004) Maternity Reflexology Manual second ed. Soul to Sole Reflexology Ltd England ISBN 0-9548060 Tiran, D (2011) Pregnancy and Childbirth In:Clinical Reflexology:A guide to integrated practice, Second edition, Edinburgh Elsevier ISBN 978-0-7020-3167-0 Myles and Murray (2009) Change and Adaption in Pregnancy, 15th Edition, Churchill Livingstone London ISBN 0-443-07234-5 Jenni Grant RGN RM DipHE MAR Midwife, reflexologist and Founder member of The Maternity Reflexology Consortium© www.maternity-reflexology.com June 2011 ✽ reflexions 21 in your e ndy talk Hear A king advantag ta y y b ll ia a c are ’s spe of Andy tes for AoR ra r d e c u red ask you roups – Area G up Leader to ro Area G t him today! contac Marketing, Selling and Customer Care Marketing In these austere times, there is no doubt that many of us are finding it tough out there. So, how amazing would it be to have a steady stream of enquiries? That’s the job of marketing! The problem is that you are a reflexologist – not a marketer. And however good you are at reflexology, if you have no enquiries then you are in trouble. Marketing is not a black art. It is simply the process by which you get people to enquire about your services. That said, it is very easy to get things very wrong, and you can end up spending huge amounts of money for little or no return. So what’s available to you? Advertising of course...and leaflets, website, sponsorship, PR, radio, brochures, exhibitions, direct mail, yellow pages and about a thousand and one other possibilities! Which ones do you choose? I’ll tell you now, there are four activities you must maximise before trying anything else. In our experience, these four activities will account for well in excess of 95% of your new business. So why waste money elsewhere? And those four activities? My worry is that you would not do them properly. Using reflexology as an analogy, you could tell someone to ‘feel someone’s foot’ (i.e. essentially the right thing to do), but, without expertise applied, any beneficial effect would be highly unlikely! So, with that in mind, I can tell you that the top four activities are: 1. 2. 3. 4. Instigate a referral programme Enhance your networking Embark on a number of joint ventures Embrace Email marketing Revisit each of the above points even if you have tried them before and they have ‘failed’. Things change – including your own experience of what your market wants. Get even one of the above absolutely right, and you may never have to do ‘Marketing’ ever again! Andy Edwards Co-founder of Marketing Therapy CRB: The Final Word! Read more Andy tips fro Ed m the Ao wards by v isit R Mem today bers’ ing his e-b and downlo Area adin ook Mark let “The S g eting e Mista ven Re k Make flexologis es ts (and th ey d FEEL like mis on’t even takes!) ” Following a number of enquiries posed by our members regarding CRB checks, your editor Laura Occleston has contacted the Criminal Records Bureau themselves for an official answer to some of our members’ hottest questions... 1. Are there any ways in which a self employed practitioner could obtain a CRB check? Julie Wareing (CRB) responds: “Those in self-employed positions cannot apply for a CRB check directly. This is more prominent given the recent government announcement following the review of the Vetting and Barring Scheme, which has cancelled the proposed ISA registration that would have allowed the self-employed to register for continuous monitoring. employed by another organisation or another organisation putting themselves forward as a potential employer? “A self-employed person can only apply for a CRB check by registering with a recruitment agency who will be asking the exempted question to assess an applicant’s suitability, e.g. for roles as a nanny, personal care workers and similar roles. The agency would be eligible to ask an exempted question in respect of these self-employed individuals, as the agency is making an assessment of their suitability and is deciding whether to employ them. Current legislation does not allow the self-employed or individuals to apply for a CRB check on themselves, as they cannot ask an exempted question of themselves.“ If the agency was not registered directly with the CRB [that agency] could ask an umbrella body to countersign on their behalf assuming the role was eligible.” 2. What is an exempted question? “An exempted question is a valid request for a person to reveal their full criminal history (including spent convictions) and is made possible by virtue of the Exceptions Order to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974.” 4. Is there anywhere that interested members could find out more information? The following web pages might be useful to members: 3. Is there any way that a self employed practitioner could gain a CRB check on themselves through an umbrella body such as DDC (Due Diligence Checking) without being 22 reflexions ✽ June 2011 http://www.crb.homeoffice.gov.uk/about_crb/what_are_ registered_bodies.aspx http://www.crb.homeoffice.gov.uk/faqs/applicants_-_top_10. aspx#Iamself www.aor.org.uk What every reflexologist should be selling ✽ As a reflexologist, you need to be selling a range of services and products. Services Workshops Years ago, when I first qualified in reflexology, people said to me “Do only reflexology and be the very best you can.” While being the best you can be is good advice, doing only reflexology is not. A wellness professional needs an integrated range of skills and knowledge. During the time I was treating my first clients, I realized that many issues might be eased by nutrition, so I studied nutrition. Then I came to understand how profoundly stress affected physical wellbeing, so I studied stress management. I’ve long held the belief that our spiritual mindset forms the foundation for wellness, so I studied in this area. Build on qualifications and CPD options which are complementary to each other and which your client-base could benefit from. As a wellness professional, you have a plethora of knowledge which you can sell as an information product and also via courses and workshops. For example, you could sell a ½ day workshop to the general public on How to Give a Foot Massage to Young Children. You might want to sell to other wellness professionals and offer an Introduction to Reflexology. How about offering CPD workshops to fellow reflexologists on particular areas of experience? I can’t remember how many clients have said to me that one of the reasons they chose me was because of the eclectic range of therapies I offer. Taking course after course isn’t something I would recommend. You need to consider the health conditions you treat and offer a range of therapies which are different to each other, e.g. offer healing modalities to work with the body, the mind and the spirit as well as addressing the needs of your client-base. A word on up-selling and cross-selling Up-selling is where you tempt the client to purchase more expensive items, upgrades, or other add-ons in order to make a more profitable sale. At the end of a ½ day workshop, you could offer participants a 2-day course on a similar subject. When you cross-sell, you offer the client a product or service related to whatever they are already buying. It can be as simple as asking the client if they want to purchase a foot cream after their reflexology session. Products You can sell products while awake (e.g. in your clinic or at an exhibition) or asleep (e.g. online). ✽ ✽ Your product range can be related to: • reflexology • foot care • conditions you are experienced in You could create your own products or buy at trade prices and sell at retail prices. You can also buy through drop-shipping, which is where you offer the goodies through a website or catalogue, receive the order and money, then pass the order on to the relevant company who ship the products out to the client. A few tips: • Offer product or service bundles. • One way to facilitate cross-selling and up-selling success is to state specific recommendations (e.g. testimonials) from professionals or satisfied clients and learners. • Position cross-sell and up-sell items throughout your website in places where they can help educate buyers on the depth and variety of what your business offers. Mix and match different items to see what works best. • Offer a range of prices. If you suggest three items to complement a service or product, offer a mix of price points. The lowest cost items are most likely to be picked up as impulse buys. However, other items that meet the buyer’s needs can also sell at higher levels. Laurel Alexander MAR www.wellnessprofessionalsatwork.com www.aor.org.uk June 2011 ✽ reflexions 23 Stay safe and Google friendly at the same time With an increasing number of channels for those who wish to complain about how a therapist presents themselves online, you may feel like battening down the hatches and cutting back your website until there is nothing left except a name and contact details. Such a strong reaction would be detrimental to your website and its presence on Google, as well as for your viewer looking for information. ASA Regulations Background Since March 1st 2011, the Advertising Standards Authority has assumed powers to regulate websites, and may pursue complaints that a website is in breach of their advertising code. For a more thorough explanation of what this means for AoR members, please take a look at Tracey Smith’s article in the March 2011 issue of Reflexions. The risk of removing all references to conditions It is important to understand the rules and protect yourself from complaints, and a key area of risk comes from unverifiable claims about the efficacy of reflexology for particular conditions, for example infertility or arthritis. At WebHealer, we’ve had queries from a number of our clients about removing all references to conditions from websites. The problem with this is that it can weaken your website presence on Google and other search engines. If you remove all condition words from your website, such as “fertility” or “arthritis”, then Google and other search engines won’t find your website when people include those search terms. It seems like a bit of a Catch 22 – however, the answer is quite simple: it’s OK if a client says it for you. Your clients are perfectly entitled to mention medical conditions in a testimonial, so by including on your website their testimonial which refers to a condition, Google can still find these words - and you can safely remove all references to medical conditions from your own words. If a client offers you a testimonial you might even ask if they’d refer to the medical condition you helped with. Making your website Google friendly In the March Reflexions article, therapists were recommended to make use of two types of content on their websites - testimonials and research references. A body closely connected to the ASA and who 24 reflexions ✽ June 2011 ✽ ✽ ASA Regulations: advise on the ASA’s code is www.copyadvice.org.uk and they have given the following guidelines on using testimonials: “Marketers must hold signed and dated proof, including a contact address, for any testimonials they use. E-mail testimonials without signatures and from unverifiable addresses (such as hotmail) are unlikely to be permissible but the ASA seem inclined to accept e-mail testimonials if they are provable.” Source: http://www.copyadvice.org.uk/Ad-Advice/Advice-OnlineDatabase/Testimonials-and-endorsements.aspx So genuine testimonials which are properly referenced are fine, and an extra benefit from a testimonial is that it will be written by your client in everyday language – the same language that people use when they search Google, which helps keep your website Google friendly for these phrases. Additionally, if presented in an attractive display box, such as the pale green one above this paragraph, it can enhance the visual appeal of your website. If you are a WebHealer client and wish to set up quote boxes quickly and easily on your website, just send a quick email to info@webhealer.net. Research references are another way to include condition words. If you are “experienced in” working with clients living with disabling neurological conditions, then you may say that on your website, and you may follow it with wording such as “If this affects you and you wish to learn more about how reflexology might be able to help, then you may find the following research references useful:”. You may then cite research papers such the one cited in the Research section (page 14) of March’s Reflexions, titled “Reflexology for the treatment of pain in people with multiple sclerosis: a double-blind randomised shamcontrolled clinical trial”. Again, you are able to reference your interest in a particular condition (in this case, multiple sclerosis), increasing your website’s Google friendliness for it, without making any claims. For more tips and advice on getting the best from your website, all AoR members are welcome to download the free WebHealer eGuide “Using the Web to Attract More Clients”, available from www.webhealer.net. Our latest supplement is titled “Advertising Standards Authority New Rules” The WebHealer Team www.webhealer.net www.aor.org.uk First steps to success: Building a Successful Reflexology Practice Liverpool Street, London, Saturday 15th October 2011 & Saturday 12th November 2011 • Students and recently qualified practitioners about to set up their own practice Therapists who are in the process of or have recently set up in practice Two days, Two topics... This two-day workshop covers reflexology topics and business issues to help you start up and build a successful reflexology practice. Learn from a range of experienced and qualified business people and reflexologists who will guide you through the first steps - helping you to: avoid the pitfalls save time save money ✽ ✽ ✽ Day One - Being a top quality therapist • • • • • • Develop your own confidence Create your own peer support network Common mistakes and how to avoid them When to treat The importance of research & how to use it Become more aware of the external environment and issues affecting you as a reflexology practitioner www.aor.org.uk Day Two - Setting up a Successful Reflexology Practice • • • • • • How to put your business ideas into practice What issues you need to consider How to manage business finances Regulatory issues and the need for record keeping How to protect your business How to create, generate & keep more clients ✽✽ • ✽✽ Suitable for: Places are limited, so book now to avoid disappointment! To book, please call the AoR on 01823 351010 Venue: Hubworking, 5 Wormwood Street, Liverpool Sreet, London, EC2M 1RQ Intro duct offer ory : inclu £50 sive o days f both ! Please note: an administration charge of £5.00 will be made on all cancellations. If a cancellation is made within 3 weels of the event, no money will be refunded. June 2011 ✽ reflexions 25 ✽✽ Book Reviews The MENOPAUSE ~ An Essential Guide By Nicci Talbot ISBN: 978-0-9563652-0-0 This book is one of the Need-2-Know series. The author Nicci Talbot is a freelance journalist who specialises in women’s health issues and talks simply about the menopause from a non-medical and holistic point of view. The book is divided into ten chapters with clear headings which take about 10 minutes each to read, making it an excellent reference tool. The menopause is described in detail, listing the physiological and some of the psychological symptoms we can expect. The peri-menopausal and post menopausal stages are clarified too. HRT (hormone replacement therapy) is clearly explained with the benefits and possible disadvantages of taking it, discussing some of the worries many people have about long and short term use and associated perceived risks. Chapter 8, ‘Sex and the Menopause’ is factual and helpful, giving lots of advice, including tips for self esteem. Websites and other books are recommended, which the reader can refer to for additional information on a subject which many women find difficult to discuss. Lifestyle and nutritional advice is given throughout the book, including a chapter on complementary and alternative therapies; only one paragraph on reflexology, though! There are also guidelines on health risks generally following the menopause and tips on how to look after your heart, bones and wellbeing. The book has a generally upbeat feel to it and is positive and proactive about the menopause, helping us to see it as the next stage in our lives – as something to feel liberated about and look forward to. It lists many useful websites, contacts and other books to read or refer to. I would say this is a good book to recommend to clients or friends, especially as it has a holistic feel running through it. In short, it tells you everything you ‘need to know’, making it ideal for complementary therapists. Sue Travena MAR The Art of Foot Reading By Polly Hall ISBN: 978-0-9563652-0-0 www.pollyhall.co.uk The Art of Foot Reading is a self published book by AoR member Polly Hall. I really enjoyed this easy to read and well laid out book, which had charts and diagrams to guide the reader through the fundamental tools of Foot Reading and a basic Foot Reading sequence. In the opening chapters, the book explains that like reflexology, Foot Reading focuses on the representation of the person on their feet. However, in this instance, it concentrates on the emotional, mental and spiritual aspects. The visual clues may be interpreted as ‘signs and indicators’ of that person’s inherent personality traits and perceptual patterns. Knowing how to interpret these will give the reflexologist a deeper insight of their client. Other chapters include how the Five Elements and Chakras relate to Foot Reading, and there is a section of several example Foot Reading case studies. A very thorough and excellent introduction to the art of Foot Reading. Viv Knowland MAR 26 reflexions ✽ June 2011 www.aor.org.uk ✽ Learning Zone Contraindication check: do you know yours? 1) Refuse treatment and refer to the relevant professional (if required) or ... 2) Proceed with caution and ask the client to make sure they seek relevant allopathic advice/ treatment as well, or ... 3) Treat the client with no hesitation Client 1 exhibits symptoms which they suspect might be indicative of diabetes. On further questioning, you find out that they have not yet seen their doctor about the condition. Client 2 sees you a year after you have qualified. They have been pregnant for sixteen weeks and report a normal pregnancy so far. She reports her main concern as tiredness. Client 3 wants to see you in a week where they have been absent from work due to ‘flu. They are still experiencing some of the symptoms and they hope that reflexology might be able to help. Client 4 came back from holiday three weeks ago. On return from their holiday, they were taken into hospital with DVT (deep vein thrombosis). They have just started taking Warfarin for the condition at the advice of their doctor. ✽ We have listed below a set of client scenarios – your task is to decide whether you would: ✽ The AoR A-Z of conditions In this section, we include a list of pathologies that we think would be useful for you to know. Your task is to see if you can define these pathologies. You’ll gain a CPD point per hour while you’re puzzling over them! www.aor.org.uk B is for... C is for... Bell’s Palsy Cancer Boil Cataract Breast lumps Crohn’s Disease Bronchitis Colitis Bursitis Constipation Cramp Cystitis Cyst Answers to both of these sections will be available in your Reflexions Extra supplement on the Members’ Area of the website! June 2011 ✽ reflexions 27 The AoR on Social Media How to...create a Facebook Account The AoR have recently joined the world of Social Media, and we thought you might like to join us. Social Media such as Facebook are not just for personal use – they can be very effective for business use such as updating clients quickly and easily and connecting with other reflexologists to share hints and tips. To create an account on Facebook, simply follow the instructions below – we’ll meet you there! 1. First of all you need to type www.facebook.com into your search engine and press the enter button on your keyboard. 4. After having signed up, you will be guided through three steps to find friends, submit profile information and upload a profile picture. In each of these stages, if you do not wish to submit any information, simply look for and click the word ‘Skip’ and you will be guided to the next step. If you wish to ‘find friends’ complete this section, if not you can skip this page and go straight to the next by clicking ‘skip this step’ Enter web address here The Facebook homepage should then appear like the image below: Complete each section as you wish and then press ‘Save & Continue.’ Alternatively, you can ‘Skip’ and go onto the next page. 2. On the right-hand side of the page it should read ‘Sign up,’ followed by a series of white boxes for you to complete. Type your first name here Type your last name here 5. Finally, you will now be presented with your personal Facebook homepage. Type your email address here & re-enter in the box However, to complete the ‘sign-up process’ you will need to go to your email. Type your new password here Select your sex by clicking the drop down arrow on the right Select your date of birth using the drop down arrows 3. Lastly, click here Having clicked the ‘Sign up’ button, you will then be directed to the page below where you will be required to complete the security check. Copy the text in the large box and enter in the designated box. The image to the left is just an example - the text will change every time 6. Now you’ve got the Facebook page, it’s time to find the AoR and any other reflexologists you know – simply type their name or the term ‘Association of Reflexologists’ into the ‘Search’ box at the top of the page. Try searching ‘Association of Reflexologists’ here – if you want to receive our regular updates on your Facebook page, you’ll need to click the ‘like’ button next to our page when the results come up. Then, click here 28 reflexions ✽ June 2011 www.aor.org.uk CPDListings Your one-stop guide to upcoming events Dates Location Event Title Contact/Course Tutor Contact Number Wesbite Anytime Online Level 3 Diploma in Pathlogy Essential Training http://www.essential-training.co.uk/aor_ 01604 879110 Solutions cpd.htm Anytime Essential Training http://www.essential-training.co.uk/aor_ Online Level 3 Diploma in Anatomy & Physiology 01604 879110 Solutions cpd.htm Anytime Essential Training http://www.essential-training.co.uk/aor_ Online Level 3 Diploma in Health and Safety 01604 879110 Solutions cpd.htm Ongoing Brighton Reflexology Refresher One day workshop Cheryl Taylor Email:training-1st@supanet.com 11 Jun 2011 London Neurological Control of the body with AoR & Lone Sorensen 01823 351010 www.aor.org.uk 01273 330068 Facial Reflexology - Lone Sorensen 11 Jun 2011 London Preconception and Pregnancy Reflexology Louise Keet 0207 691 0793 www.learnreflexology.com 17 Jun 2011 London Spinal Reflexology Louise Keet 0207 691 0793 www.learnreflexology.com 18 & 19 Jun 2011 Marlow, Maternity Reflexology Part 2 Gill Thomson (Midwife/ 07517 240200 Buckinghamshire www.maternity-reflexology.com Maternity Reflexologist & Tutor) 24 Jun 2011 London Power Reflexology Louise Keet 0207 691 0793 25 Jun 2011 London Pre and Post Natal Reflexology Lesley Woolfe 07932 668857 09 Jul 2011 London Nutrition AoR & Lorraine 01823 351010 www.aor.org.uk www.learnreflexology.com Perretta 18 Jul 2011 London Indian Head Massage Louise Keet 0207 691 0793 www.learnreflexology.com 25 Jul 2011 London Preconception and Pregnancy Reflexology Louise Keet 0207 691 0793 www.learnreflexology.com 30 Jul 2011 London Spinal Reflexology Louise Keet 0207 691 0793 www.learnreflexology.com 12 Sep 2011 London Power Reflexology Louise Keet 0207 691 0793 www.learnreflexology.com 17 & 18 Sep 2011 Marlow, Maternity Reflexology Part 1 Gill Thomson (Midwife/ 07517 240200 www.maternity-reflexology.com Buckinghamshire Maternity Reflexologist & Tutor) 24 Sep 2011 AoR & Susanne Enzer 01823 351010 www.aor.org.uk London Reflexology for pregnancy and AGM with Susanne Enzer 08 Oct 2011 Bristol Finger Free Reflexology with David Wayte AoR & David Wayte 01823 351010 www.aor.org.uk 23 Oct 2011 Shrewsbury Finger Free Reflexology David Wayte 01773 771234 www.fingerfreereflexology.com 29 Oct 2011 Sheffield Enhancing Fertility and Maternity Care David Wayte 01773 771234 www.jubileecollege.co.uk 30 Oct 2011 Manchester Finger Free Reflexology David Wayte 01773 771234 www.fingerfreereflexology.com 05 Nov 2011 Cardiff Introduction to Facial Reflexology with AoR & Nikke Ariff 01823 351010 www.aor.org.uk Lynne Booth 01179 626746 www.boothvrt.com Nikke Ariff 5-6 Nov 2011 Basic VRT and Sleep, Mobility and new London developments 19 Nov 2011 Nottingham Finger Free Reflexology David Wayte 01773 771234 www.fingerfreereflexology.com 27 Nov 2011 Manchester Aromatherapy for the Feet Marie Wayte 01773 771234 www.jubileecollege.co.uk 03 Dec 2011 Sheffield Aromatherapy for the Feet Marie Wayte 01773 771234 www.jubileecollege.co.uk 10 & 11 Dec 2011 Marlow, Maternity Reflexology Part 2 Gill Thomson (Midwife/ 07517 240200 www.maternity-reflexology.com Buckinghamshire Maternity Reflexologist & Tutor) 15 Jan 2012 Leeds Enhancing Fertility and Maternity Care David Wayte 01773 771234 www.jubileecollege.co.uk 04 Feb 2012 Sheffield Finger Free Reflexology David Wayte 01773 771234 www.fingerfreereflexology.com 25 Feb 2012 Bristol Finger Free Reflexology David Wayte 01773 771234 www.fingerfreereflexology.com 17 Mar 2012 Nottingham Enhancing Fertility and Maternity Care David Wayte 01773 771234 www.jubileecollege.co.uk 18 Mar 2012 Leeds Finger Free Reflexology David Wayte 01773 771234 www.fingerfreereflexology.com 15 Apr 2012 Manchester Enhancing Fertility and Maternity Care David Wayte 01773 771234 www.jubileecollege.co.uk 21 Apr 2012 Nottingham Aromatherapy for the Feet Marie Wayte 01773 771234 www.jubileecollege.co.uk 20 May 2012 Leeds Aromatherapy for the Feet Marie Wayte 01773 771234 www.jubileecollege.co.uk www.aor.org.uk June 2011 ✽ reflexions 29 ✽ ✽ AoR Sales Take a look at some of our fantastic range of products below: all this and more available to buy from www.aor.org.uk or by calling 01823 351010 for a sales brochure Bolster & Roll Bolster £29.95 excluding p&p Baby size left and right feet £5.00 excluding p&p These fantastic bolsters were designed by one of our members who recognised the benefit of a bolster during a reflexology treatment. A firm foam bolster for placing under the feet during a reflexology treatment when using either a Lafuma recliner or couch. Also included is a roll to use to support your client’s knees should they need it. One left and one right training foot. **Not suitable for children under 3 years due to small parts/sharp edges** To order any sales item from page or to view this mor items please vi e si www.aor.org t .uk where you ca n or To order by ph der online. one plea call the AoR on se 01823 351010 ✽ ✽ Available in black or cream and cover is fully wipeable. Royalty Free Music CD Footnotes £10.00 including p&p This is a bespoke collection of musical pieces which has been specially designed for reflexologists to play during treatments. We at the Association of Reflexologists have worked together with Chris Glassfield to produce an album that contains some exquisitely beautiful and calming music. Each track has been carefully selected by a practising reflexologist to enhance both your own and your client’s experience of the treatment. This has been tried and tested against some typical reflexology sessions of approximately 1 hour in length, and only when we had an experienced practitioner’s seal of approval did we offer it, exclusively for you. The CD is intended for use during a typical 1 hour reflexology session. As long as it is used for authorised purposes, it is royalty free. Authorised purposes include all reflexology treatments including taster treatments, as well as other complementary therapy treatments. It is also permitted to be played for personal use. We’ve paid the VAT increase for you on all sales items – but that’s not all... UK delivery just got cheaper too! UK Delivery charges for all AoR sales items: Single CD or DVD = free! 30 reflexions ✽ March 2011 For all other products: Under £10.00 = £3.50 £10.00 - £20.00 = £4.50 £20-00 -£70.00 = £6.50 More that £70.00 = free www.aor.org.uk ✽ NEW! Diploma in Clinical Reflex Zone Therapy for Pregnancy One year, modular programme prepares you to offer safe, appropriate, research-based reflex zone therapy for conception, pregnancy, birth and postnatally. Taught by Denise Tiran, midwifery lecturer and internationally-renowned authority on maternity CAM, author of Reflexology in Pregnancy and Childbirth (2010), co-editor of Clinical Reflexology (2nd ed, 2010). This course may challenge your Would you like to be an acupuncturist? Learn a system of medicine that treats body, mind and spirit Be taught by some of the most experienced practitionerteachers in the UK previous knowledge; it prepares you to work with NHS midwives and to defend RZT in a scientific manner. Individual Graduate with a BSc (Hons) from Kingston University modules accredited by FEDANT, Greenwich University, FHT; AoR accreditation has been applied for. Come to an introductory session and find out about the College and what it means to be an acupuncturist – Sunday 20 March or 17 April 2–5pm or Tuesday 7 June 6.30–9.30pm* Apply now for October 2011 intake: 25% off all our courses with this advert www.expectancy.co.uk 08452 301 323 info@expectancy.co.uk www.aor.org.uk *If you can´t make any of these dates, contact us to arrange a visit The College of Integrated Chinese Medicine 0118 950 8880 www.cicm.org.uk March 2011 ✽ reflexions 31 In this way we are able to offer regional courses at special rates. Offering professional, targeted training to increase your knowledge and skills to include babies, parents and toddlers. Exciting one day NEW toddler course for those qualified in baby reflex. Streamlined one day course in baby reflex for those setting out to work with reflexology for babies and families. Full Two day baby reflex courses includes babies, parent teaching and NEW toddlers. 10 & 11 September 2011 16 & 17 September 2011 23 & 24 September 2011 24 & 25 September 2011 Developed by reflexologists for reflexologists A beeswax based organic balm that has just enough slip for a consistent movement without being too slippery. Contains a blend of oils which have the reputation of being anti-viral, anti bacterial and anti-fungal. Hemel Hempstead Oxfordshire Ireland Brighton 08 & 09 October 2011 09 & 10 October 2011 14 & 15 October 2011 22 & 23 October 2011 London Norwich Northern Ireland Tunbridge Wells Baby Reflex is happy to organise courses throughout the UK, please contact us or see website for further details. As endorsed by Tina Reid, Vice President of the FHT. “as a professional reflexologist - it’s the best I’ve tried” “I have noticed a significant difference to my clients’ feet after just one session” www.nikisbalms.co.uk 01189 894 832 ✽ ✽ Your Opportunity to Advertise Therapy Items for Sale and Wanted (Max 16 words including telephone Classified number for £12.50 + VAT) Therapy Items for Used Therapy items for Sale Therapy items Wanted Sale Therapy Items for Sale and Wanted. (Max 16 words including telephone number for £12.50 + VAT) Therapy Items for Sale and Wanted. (Max 16 words including telephone number for £12.50 + VAT) Therapy Items for Sale and Wanted. (Max 16 words including telephone number for £12.50 + VAT) Therapy Items for Sale and Wanted. (Max 16 words including telephone number for £12.50 + VAT) Therapy Items for Sale and Wanted. (Max 16 words including telephone number for £12.50 + VAT) Therapy Items for Sale and Wanted. (Max 16 words including telephone number for £12.50 + VAT) Therapy Items for Sale and Wanted. (Max 16 words including telephone number for £12.50 + VAT) Therapy Items Wante d Therapy Items for Sale and Wanted. (Max 16 words including telephone number for £12.50 + VAT) Therapy Items for Sale and Wanted. (Max 16 words including telephone number for £12.50 + VAT) Therapy Items for Sale and Wanted. (Max 16 words including telephone number for £12.50 + VAT) Therapy Items for Sale and Wanted. (Max 16 words including telephone number for £12.50 + VAT) Therapy Items for Sale and Wanted. (Max 16 words including telephone number for £12.50 + VAT) Therapy Items for Sale and Wanted. (Max 16 words including telephone number for £12.50 + VAT) Therapy Items for Sale and Wanted. (Max 16 words including telephone numberor £12.50 + VAT) Just complete the coupon and send it to: Denise Burnett, William Pollard & Co Ltd, Oak House, Falcon Road, Exeter, Devon, EX2 7NU. To arrive no later than 10th August 2011 for inclusion in our September issue 2011. Alternatively you can email your linage advert to deniseb@pollardsprint.co.uk. Please use block capitals, one word per box only. All advertising is to be prepaid. Please make cheques out to William Pollard Ltd or alternatively fill in your card details Mastercard Visa Switch/Maestro Other 32 reflexions ✽ March 2011 Cardholders name Address Postcode Email address Card number Valid from Exp Sec code Signature Issue No www.aor.org.uk B WTECH SuppliES The Maternity Reflexology Course ® Specialist products for professional and home use Bowtech Ease… for bunions and other painful joints Bowtech Lectric Crystals… reduces swelling and oedema Bowtech Balance… natural formula promotes wellbeing Cost price packages plus retail range for your clients Compiled and presented by Susanne Enzer RSCN, SCM, RZT www.maternity-reflexology.com Enrich your skills and work with pregnant clients with pleasure and confidence. Diary Dates... Helen Mary Perkins Exclusive Distributor UK and Europe + 44 (0)1733 555476 www.bowtechease.com Bowtech SR Advert 64x89 Lan.indd 1 Part 2 Part 1 23 and 24 July 2011 17 and 18 September 2011 29 and 30 October 2011 24 and 25 March 2012 28 and 29 January 2012 Venue NE Hampshire. For national venues and further information & booking form contact: Susanne Enzer Tel: 01252 629744 Email: susanne_enzer@hotmail.com 07/05/2011 14:31 escape holistic therapies Reflexology 1 - 2 day course for everyone - 23 - 24 Jul; 20 - 21 Aug £150 Chi-Reflexology - Introductory: London 16 - 18 Sep :Powys Wales 4 - 6 Nov Chi-Reflexology Afternoon Session: London 16 Jul North London £50 Chi 1 Course - 10 - 12 June Mullingar, S Ireland Chi-Reflexology, developed by Moss Arnold, is a unique form of reflexology & natural therapy. It is based on an understanding of the Chinese philosophy, including Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It is applied to the science of Reflexology and combining it with energy work, and also expanding it as an art, the result is a new dynamic approach and therapy. Contact Audrey Scully, Principal on 0114 269 1145 or 07949 567 530 email: chi_reflexology@yahoo.co.uk for further details: www.reflexology-healing.co.uk Integrated Meridian Reflexology Advanced 2 Day Training Embody/CThA Approved 10 CPD’s Learn how to: Access & work the Meridians through the hands and feet Understand the emotional links Explore the five element theory Integrate new skills into treatments Small groups for individual support & attention www.escapetherapies.co.uk Tel: Debbie Pettitt 01202 854740 ITEC, IA, IIHHT, FHT, City & Guilds 7307, 23 yrs Experience Facial Reflexology Sorensensistem™ is based on ancient energy systems within the face. These are combined with insights from modern neurology to create a highly effective system, to re-balance the entire body. Drawing on Oriental and South American traditions, Facial Reflexology Sorensensistem™ focuses on identifying our primary health imbalance - the root cause of our symptoms. A wide range of techniques are used, involving a number of specialised reflex maps on the face and scalp to provide a powerful, integrated, holistic treatment. Our eight-day (2 x 4 days) intensive professional course is AoR CPD Approved and this year is offered in Warwick, York, Sheffield and London. www.aor.org.uk March 2011 ✽ reflexions 33 For Reflexions advertising, contact: Denise Burnett, William Pollard Co Ltd Tel: 01392 445 333 Email: deniseb@pollardsprint.co.uk CRANIO-SACRAL THERAPY Introductory Day Saturday 2nd July 2011 their subscription. Comprehensive Professional Training. Introductory Courses. College of Cranio-Sacral Therapy The most established college of CST in Europe. Contributions to Reflexions should be 020 7483 0120 Reflexions is published quarterly in March, June, September and December and distributed to members as part of sent to your Editor, Laura Occleston Email: info@aor.org.uk info@ccst.co.uk www.ccst.co.uk Tel: 01823 351 010 Address: AoR, 5 Fore Street, Taunton, Somerset TA1 1HX. * For reflexology queries, contact: Tracey Smith Tel: 01823 351 010 and press option 3 Email: tsmith@aor.org.uk Please note that this service is only available to Honorary, Fellow, Full and Associate Members of the Association. * The views expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the AoR. The AoR cannot accept responsibility for either claims made or products ordered REFLEXOLOGY CPD COURSES Sunday 3rd July – Leeds “Reflexology for People with Cancer” with Edwina Hodkinson Saturday 15th October London ‘“NLP” with David Holmes and Robert Russell Other courses also available from The Bayly School of Reflexology For more details visit www.britreflex.co.uk/Lecture Days or call 01886-821207 © COPYRIGHT RESERVED No article printed in Reflexions may be reproduced without the prior written permission of the Association of Reflexologists Kenkoh - Japanese Massage Health Sandals Kenkoh Means Health. Treat Your Feet. Treat You. Now available in the UK, from www.headtofeet.co.uk! Treat yourself to Kenkoh, a one-of-a-kind health sandle with 1000 rubber nodules that massage and stimulate the soles and edges of your feet to revitalise the whole body! Find out more, and buy on-line at www.headtofeet.co.uk. Only £39.99! 10% off for all AoR members – quote ‘AOR’ at the on-line checkout & buy for only £35.99! For wholesale opportunities please email: from the independent advertisers that appear in Reflexions. www.headtofeet.co.uk TREATMENT ROOMS to rent or phone: trade@headtofeet.co.uk 0141-620-0252 The London Reflexology Centre, 27a Harley Place, London W1 For more details call 020-7637-3177 or 01886-821207 Reflexions Journal ISSN 1466-8092 Contributions Welcome! To reduce administration costs, advertising is by pre-payment only. Printed by Pollards using vegetablebased inks. The printer is registered to We are always looking for ISO 14001 environmental standards and contributions to our 97% of the waste associated with this magazine: why not give it product will be recycled. a try? Published by Pollards Publishing Oak House, Falcon Road, If you have any articles Sowton Industrial Estate, you’d like to submit for Exeter, Devon. EX2 7NU. our magazine, please Tel: 01392 445 333 SHEFFIELD : 24th June: Original Ingham Method Masterclass with Muscular/Skeletal Facial Self-help techniques 9th September: First Aid Update 14th October: IIR Hands Workshop & Iridology 20th & 21st October: Advanced Reflexology Techniques (ART) with Anthony Porter with Assessment 22nd Oct. LONDON : 11th May: Reflexology Workshop for Back Pain 11th & 12th June: ART 2 day Comprehensive Seminar 2nd July: IIR Master Class in the OIM. 6th July: Reflexology Workshop for Improving Fertility & Healthy Pregnancy 4th October: Reflexology Workshop for Improving Fertility & Healthy Pregnancy forward them to your Some of the photos in this journal were Editor Laura Occleston taken on an exclusive photo shoot for at: info@aor.org the AoR by Jonathan Mitchell, ©The AoR 2010. BRISTOL: 9th & 10th July: ART with Anthony Porter with Assessment 11th July. 3rd September: OIM Masterclass 31st October: Emergency First Aid for Therapists SCOTLAND: 5th November: OIM Masterclass : Reflexology for Back Pain 20th November: Emergency First Aid for Therapists ✽ ✽ Part 3 AoR Bridging Courses : London Sept.28th 34 reflexions ✽ March 2011 Apply for other dates and venues on www.reflexology-uk.net<http://www.reflexology-uk.net/> or ring 0114 2471725. www.aor.org.uk One day CPD courses for 2011 • Head Massage 24th July (Sun) 21st Sept (Wed) • Spinal Reflexology 6th Jul (Wed) 22nd Oct (Sat) • Maternity Reflexology Part 1 2nd July (Sat) 1st Oct (Sat) • Reflexology & Cancer 8th Jul (Fri) 9th Oct (Sun) • Maternity Reflexology Part 2 10th Sept (Sat) 3rd Dec (Sat) • First Aid (St. Johns Ambulance) 7th Sept (Wed) 9th Nov (Wed) • Hopi Candles / Hot Stone Reflexology 9th Oct (Sun) 21st Jan (Sat) • Neck & Back Massage 30th Sept (Fri) 14th Sept (Wed) • Counselling Skills & EFT 10th Sept (Sat) 7th Dec (Wed) • • Special Summer offer 3 CPDs for the price of 2 ✽ ✽ • Chinese Foot Massage/Lymphatic Drainage 3rd Jul (Sun) 8th Oct (Sat) Reiki level 1 & level 2 - 17th July (Sun) (1) 3rdSept (Sat) (2) Hand Reflexology 29th Jul (Fri) 22nd Oct (Sat) For more information on diploma courses go to www.reflexologycollege.com or call 020 7240 1438 For Video’s of Tutors and more information see our website www.reflexologycpd.com www.aor.org.uk March 2011 ✽ reflexions 35 Could you cope without income? 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