REFLEXOLOGY
A beautifully relaxing treatment where pressure point manipulations are carried out on the hands or the feet.
This aids relaxation and hence releases stress, however can pinpoint specific areas within the body which may have become imbalanced and are causing concern. It is a great modality for areas that are too painful to touch on the body.
Millowgan works on the feet using Aromatherapy oils, and/or an Aromatherapy massage candle, bringing another beneficial modality to play a part in the healing process. Greater results are benefitted from working on the feet, however should there be any contraindications such as a contagious skin disease, the treatment can be carried out on the hands.
This is a wonderful modality for children as they can sit reclining on the massage couch, observing what is going on, snuggling their favourite toy and either chat or fall asleep.
Reflexology has been practised for thousands of years, with solid proof painted on an Egyptian tomb dated between 2500 – 2330 BC.
Since then, discoveries were made that when painful reflexes were massaged it caused the corresponding body part to heal faster.
In the 1930s Eunice Ingham developed the Ingham Reflex Method of Compression Massage, which opened to debate that all parts of the body could be treated by applying pressure to relevant areas of the feet. She mapped out the reflex points and developed the pressure massage moves we use to stimulate reflexes today.
There are 7,000-7,200 nerve endings in the human foot, and each of these is a reflex point that corresponds to a body part. Reflexology uses special finger/thumb manipulations to stimulate reflex points, which will stimulate the flow of energy to the corresponding body part. This gradually helps to restore homeostasis and stimulate the body’s ability to heal itself, physically and emotionally. As reflex points are minute, the movements are quite precise and care must be taken to cover all of them to ensure that the treatment is comprehensive and therefore a holistic treatment for the whole body. However, there is no reason why a specific reflex point (or points) can’t be worked on more if an imbalance is detected. Imbalances manifest themselves through crystals at the affected reflex point, which vary from being slightly crunchy like sugar to lumps of varying sizes. Dispersing these crystals is what unblocks energy channels, and this is done by applying firm pressure with the thumb (or fingers depending on where on the foot the reflex point is). Visible signs of imbalance could be hard skin, discolouration of skin (e.g., yellowing), marks on the foot (red marks can indicate acute problems), and bunions. The odour, temperature, and moistness of a foot also play a part in assessing it. It will often take several treatments to awaken the reflexes and start to see some effect.
Several studies funded by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health indicate that reflexology may reduce pain and psychological symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, and enhance relaxation and sleep. Terminally ill patients gain temporary relief from a treatment and it is encouraged by professionals to help them through their final steps.