refloblog

Help for office bound feet!

2010-08-20T17:37:00.001Z

Help for office bound feet

Are you slumping over your desk again? Yes you! Are your feet hot and irritable, encased in office wear all day ? If you have tenderness in specific parts of your feet,they might be trying to tell you something. Reflexology works on the idea that your feet are a reflection of your body and all its’ organs so if you have tender toes for example it could be that you are just starting a cold;If you have a headache quite often your big toes will be very tender-see below for an easy way to shake off that fuzzy head !
Have a look at the following foot reflexology excercises and give your feet a bit of TLC next time you have a break. Note – please warn your nearest colleagues before you unleash your feet in a crowded office!
toe squeezing!
A much neglected pastime in my opinion - get your toes one at a time,starting with the big toe,and give it a good squeeze all around the fleshy underside,and a pull and a wiggle.The toes all relate to the head and brain and you will probably find if you have a cold your toes will be VERY tender.If you have a headache your big toe might be sore along the inside-give it a good rub and feel yourself relaxing instantly. If you feel a bit embarrassed about exposing your feet, keep your socks on and push your toes into the floor, bending them forwards and back gently as you sit in your chair.
lung relaxer and cough remedy
Do this excercise if you have a persistent cough - make a fist and push it into the top third of your foot underneath( under your toes from the ball of the foot across). Push this part of the foot whilst gripping it with the other hand and let your toes curl around your fist - this will stretch the top of the foot and stimulate the circulation. Now run your fingers down the outside of your big toe to the dip between the toe and the ball of your foot - If you have a cough you should find lots of lumps under the skin here - give them a good rub and a push and this will help to shift your cough.
constipation remedy –
This is easily done on the hands - it is amazing how reflexology can help if you have constipation or a tummy upset. Get a pen or pencil and hold it horizontally between you palms, then roll it between the fleshy pads under the thumbs. This again might be 'lumpy' especially the left thumb pad if you are constipated.
Feeling hormonal?
Ladies , if your hormones are getting the better of you there are two things you can do to your feet to help balance the hormones and stop you having the urge to stab your neighbour with a stapler or eat excessive amounts of chocolate: a, massage all around your heels and under the ankles –theses areas all relate to the reproductive organs and hold a huge amount of tension at certain times of the month. b, refer to the big toe squeeze as the biggest toe holds the reflex point for the pituitary gland,the key to all our monthly misery!

Give your feet a bit of T.L.C. and you will feel better all over!

Samantha Fisher MICHT MDYTA

LDN for Fibromyalgia

2010-07-16T09:11:00.003Z

Following from the Reflosocks study with fibromyalgia groups in 2009,I have been given information about LDN,a little known drug which seems to be having prolific effects on fibromyalgia and other chronic immune system disorders.
Please have a look at the links on the right for more information about LDN and the LDN research trust.
There is also a convention in Birmingham in October this year.

Fun reflexology exercises!

2010-06-17T08:41:00.001Z

The Chinese believe that ageing begins with the feet,so if you are looking down at yours and think they look 20 years older than the rest of you then perhaps its' time to pay them a bit of attention!
Here are a few treats you can give your feet to stimulate the reflexology zones and the circulation - if you can't reach them yourself, ask a partner to do it and then swap places! Why not use a favourite body cream to enhance the effect?
toe squeezing!
A much neglected pastime in my opinion - get your toes one at a time,starting with the big toe,and give it a good squeeze all around the fleshy underside,and a pull and a wiggle.The toes all relate to the head and brain and you will probably find if you have a cold your toes will be VERY tender.If you have a headache your big toe might be sore along the inside-give it a good rub and feel yourself relaxing instantly.
lung relaxer and cough remedy
Do this excercise if you have a persistent cough - make a fist and push it into the top third of your foot underneath( under your toes from the ball of the foot across). Push this part of the foot whilst gripping it with the other hand and let your toes curl around your fist - this will stretch the top of the foot and stimulate the circulation. Now run your fingers down the outside of your big toe to the dip between the toe and the ball of your foot - If you have a cough you should find lots of lumps under the skin here - give them a good rub and a push and this will help to shift your cough.
constipation remedy –

this is easily done on the hands - it is amazing how reflexology can help if you have constipation or a tummy upset. Get a pen or pencil and hold it horizontally between you palms,then roll it between the fleshy pads under the thumbs. This again might be 'lumpy' especially the left thumb pad if you are constipated.
Last of all ,don't forget your poor tired heels - give them a really firm massage with your lovely cream and even use your knuckles to give them a treat!

Samantha Fisher MICHT MDYTA

Reflosocks for back and neck pain and Fibromyalgia

2009-05-26T15:39:00.012Z

In February 2009 Reflotherapies conducted a trial in conjunction with Fibromyalgia U.K. on 48 fibromyalgia sufferers to find out if Reflosocks for back and neck pain would be helpful in alleviating the symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Testers were asked to wear Reflosocks as often as possible for approx. 6 weeks after which time a feedback form was sent to them .
56% of testers reported that Reflosocks were extremely helpful/very helpful/quite helpful in alleviating their condition.
54% of the study group were able to reduce the level of painkillers they were taking.
33% reported increased mobility
30 % reported an ease in joint pain
30 % reported improved circulation
44 % reported sleeping better
37% found that their energy levels seemed to improve.
The following are quotes from users :

" Not only do they take the pain away or lessen it,which is a benefit in itself,but if I am feeling tense (which makes the pain worse anyway)-they help me to relax and feel very mellow."

" they do seem to help and are most comfortable;I don't want to take them off."

"There is some pain relief in my back and shoulders - I can knit more now,which I enjoy."

"Thankyou so much for the socks .They have definitely made a difference."

" When walking with Reflosocks on I can feel pressure points picking up painful areas underfoot,which is most relaxing."

" Any easy way to try reflexoloy."

"They help - relief at last!"

"Its' a convenient and easy way to help oneself."

"they improved my mobility and circulation whilst at work."

Fibromyalgia trial - results coming soon!

2009-05-07T09:33:00.002Z

As I frequently am asked if Reflosocks will be any good for people suffering with fibromyalgia,I decided to conduct a user trial at the beginning of 2009.The results will be available to view soon -so watch this space !

Reflosocks for knee,hip and shoulder pains - testimonials

2008-08-11T18:36:00.001Z

Reflo 2

Testimonial 1

Name: Patricia Pritchard

Age: 64

Occupation: Cleaner

Background (history of injury or ailment): Patricia suffers from chronic osteo -arthritis, which causes continual pain in her knees. Much of the time she is incapacitated, particularly the second half of the day .

Quote: “ since wearing Reflosocks I have a lot less pain; I am also happier and my general mood is better . ”

“ I wear them every day.”

“they help me through the day.”

Reflo 2

Testimonial 2

Name: Alfie Davidson

Age: 56

Occupation: Retired

Background (history of injury or ailment): general aches and pains in legs and hips ,especially knee joints when climbing stairs.

How Reflosocks have improved my condition:

Overall improvement with just the occasional twinge, usually after exercise or D.I.Y.

Quote: “After wearing Reflosocks for a while I particularly noticed the improvement in my knees. I now find I can climb the stairs without any difficulty.”

Reflo 2

Testimonial 3

Name: Asa Bengtsson

Age:33

Occupation: Team Manager

Background (history of injury or ailment):” I have had intermittent knee problems since puberty due to increased amount of cartiledge and roughage on the inside of the patella .I have in the last couple of years also suffered from aches in my right shoulder, mostly due to stress and compute/mouse work.”

How Reflosocks have improved my condition: “I used Reflosocks quite a lot and tried to use them on a regular time slot weekly/daily to notice improvement. I still have bad days with my shoulder, but the knee problems have virtually gone away altogether and the shoulder isn’t as bad as it used to be. “

Quote: ” By using Reflosocks regularly I have managed to virtually eradicate my knee pains altogether .I still have some achy problematic days with my shoulder, but much less so now than prior to using Reflosocks . I’d recommend these to anyone as they have really helped me.”

Reflo 2

Testimonial 4

Name: Julia Avis

Age: 46

Occupation: reflexologist and part time nursery assistant

Background (history of injury or ailment): Has had shoulder and lower back pain from years of working with small children and working at low tables. Julia had massages every month until June 2007 when she moved to the Waterside area.

How Reflosocks have improved my condition: “ I found that when I wore Reflosocks the shoulder and lower back pain eased . As a newly qualified reflexologist I was interested to see whether they would make a difference.”

Quote: ” I found that my shoulder and lower back pain eased when I wore Reflosocks. They definitely helped.”

Reflo 2

Testimonial 5

Name: Kelly –Jane Fletcher

Age: 27

Occupation: Special needs teacher

Background (history of injury or ailment):

Chronic knee pain on going for about 15 years.Had physio,hydrotherapy,acupuncture,tens machine, exercise .Still in pain/medication doubled .

No help given –still unsure of diagnosis – could be nerves.

How Reflosocks have improved my condition:

I am not taking as many tablets.

They have reduced aching/throbbing in knee at end of day.

They massage my feet

Not as much back pain.

Quote: ”It is good to know someone cares enough to consider a simple yet effective aid.”

Reflo 2

Testimonial 6

Name: Mrs Vivien Davis

Age:64

Occupation: List too numerous! Lets’ say housewife

Background (history of injury or ailment):

Intermittent pain in left knee over a period of a few years . No knee injury as such. I am a very active person and there are times when walking is painful and the pain restricts movement.

How Reflosocks have improved my condition:

If socks are worn as instructed there really is improvement . Knee gets stronger and the pain is less. I am impressed and will continue with this regime.

Quote: ”

I am recommending these to my friends – what more can I say. Any improvement is good improvement and without medication or surgery. Must be good! This is not a miracle cure , but by gosh it really helps.

Reflosocks for back and neck ache - testimonials

2008-08-11T18:34:00.001Z

Reflotherapies profile 1

Name : Jackie Jackson

Occupation: swimming instructor and co-ordinator

Background: Jackie badly injured her back whilst shopping in 1999(she fell and landed on some equipment that had been left out) and suffered acute pain for 2 years afterwards, despite having regular physiotherapy and taking painkillers constantly. She was diagnosed with osteo-arthritis and a crumbling spine , and was finally persuaded to try a reflexology treatment at Reflotherapaies’ salon.

She was much better after just 1 treatment and she now has regular reflexology and wears her Reflosocks in between treatments .

Jackies’ words : “ i have found reflexology to be by far the most effective therapy for me, both in terms of pain relief and general mobility; i now wear my Reflosocks a couple of times a week when the need arises,in between reflexology sessions “.

Reflotherapies profile 2

Name: Jayne Thornton

Occupation: nurse

Background: Jane had suffered from a herniated disc and wear and tear on her back from work.

She now wears Reflosocks to help ease her backache, especially as her main hobby is jive dancing .

Jaynes’ words: “ i am wearing my reflosocks to help alleviate the wear and tear on my back and they are definitely helpful-in fact my husband now has a pair too!”

Reflotherapies profile 3

Name: Sylvia Wood

Occupation: Bra consultant for Marks and Spencer

Background: Sylvia’s active lifestyle and busy job mean that she is on her feet most of the day and consequently her lower back suffers; she combats this by wearing her Reflosocks when she feels the aches and pains are getting too much and she also has regular reflexology treatments .

Sylvias’ words :” I feel much more positive when i have been wearing my Reflosocks and i definitely notice the benefits .”

Reflexology and I.B.S.

2008-02-12T20:30:00.000Z

REFLEXOLOGY AND I.B.S

You will probably noticed a holistic or complementary therapist every time you turn a corner these days, so undoubtedly you will have seen an advertisement for a reflexologist or even been for a treatment yourself. If you haven’t , you may know a few details about reflexology,i.e. that it is a kind of foot massage .Did you know though, that Reflexology is a very healing therapy which dates back thousands of years and it is quite often very effective in treating that 20^th Century curse , Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

I.B.S. is thought to affect one in ten people in Britain.

It can occur at any age, but is most frequent and severe in women aged 20-50.

Symptoms include constipation, diarrhoea, wind, bloating, abdominal pain or any combination of the above .

I.B.S. is quite often brought on by stress, but can sometimes be diet – related.

Sufferers are advised to look at their diet, and given painkillers and anti – spasmodic drugs .

Reflexology can step in and help in the case of stress induced IBS, as it helps to calm and relax the muscles surrounding the abdomen, and the organs themselves. Regular reflexology can help to calm the system and reduce the severity of IBS attacks, hopefully meaning less nasty attacks of diarrhoea or constipation ,or pains in the abdomen .

I have also found excellent results in treating children with similar digestive problems i.e. chronic constipation and pains in the tummy.

Generally speaking children of any age respond very well to Reflexology, because their bodies aren’t so clogged up from years of pollutants, food, drink and other accumulated toxins which all hinder the healing process in adults. The only downside of treating children is that they don’t see reflexology as a treat the way that grown ups do !

If you are one of the many IBS sufferers I hope this article has given you

‘food for thought’ about Reflexology; however, please bear in mind that although reflexology is a very healing, balancing and lets not forget altogether gorgeous therapy, it is not a miracle cure, and the best course of action is to have regular reflexology treatments over a period of 6 to 12 months before you can look forward to just having it is a maintenance treatment every now and then.

Mrs Samantha Fisher IIHHT MDYTA

Reflexology case study on excema

2008-01-20T21:46:00.006Z

This case study is posted on my blog to show the beneficial effect that reflexology can have on excema ;my case study is a female in her early 40s who has suffered from excema for most of her
life . As far as she is aware the trigger is not dietary,although she is partial to dairy prodce,especially cheese and also tropical fruit.She believes that the excema trigger is mainly stress,also her mother had similar symptoms and her daughter also has small patches of excema so it would seem to be partly hereditary too. She also has asthma.As with many excema sufferers,she can only use medicated unperfumed shampoos and soaps etc .
The excema appears as raised red,itchy patches on her hands,backs of knees,legs,across her back,on her chest and neck and also her face- it flares up usually in October/November and she has noticed that it is usually quite bad when she is in a damp environment .
She has in the past used lavender essential oil (diluted in a carrier oil) topically which she found helpful .
PLEASE NOTE THAT AS THIS IS A REFLEXOLOGY CASE STUDY I WILL BE REFERING TO REFLEX AREAS ON THE FEET AND THEREFORE THE CORRRESPONDING AREA OF THE BODY WHICH THEY RELATE TO .
session 1 - 17 January 2007
skin on feet is quite dry -callouses over cervical reflexes on both feet (has had a car accident a few years ago and suffered whiplash-has had problems ever since) .
Bronchial tube reflexes congested
stomach and small intestine reflexes quite tender
large lump on both feet over area relating to duodenum (absorbtion point) ,very painful and tender on both feet.
Large intestine reflex o.k.
nothing noted on ileo-caecal reflex.
Client felt light headed straight after the treatment .

session 2 - 29 January 2007 (2 weeks later )
comments/feedback from client from 1st treatment
Excema flared up a bit,she also had stomach pains that afternoon - note: it is very common for people to experience a 'flare up ' after their first reflexology treatment - it is a sign that the body is responding to the treatment and is trying to balance itself and shake off the ailment or condition.
Reflexes the same as first treatment - large lumps over duodenum reflexes ,very painful and tender still

session 3 - 13 February 2007
Comments from client after second treatment :
excema not too bad now -it is just on her hands and across her back .she has not had any hard cheese since the last treatment and has tried soya yoghurt and goats' cheese .
Continued with a full reflexology treatment - all reflexes the same except for duodenum reflex which is not as pronounced and hard on the feet and not as tender to the client .

session 4 - 2 March 2007
comments from client after treatment 3:
client only has excema on her hands now.It is not present on her torso or back .She is only eating cheese when she goes out,and is just eating yoghurt occasionally .
Treatment result is the same as last session.

session 5 - 27 March 2007(4 weeks later)
comments from previous treatment:
I Little excema on her back,hands are really good . Still limiting dairy intake .
Reflexology treatment no.5 - all reflexes quite good . No tenderness on digestive reflexes,duodenum reflex is much less pronounced,just a small lump now and not tender to touch.

session 6 - 21 May 2007(6 weeks later)
Client has had a bad ecxema 'flare up' which she has pt down to eating a lot of tropical fruit .She has cut this out of her diet now and her skin is much better.She has been eating yoghurt,but not buying cheese.
Reflexes all quite good,despite the recent flare up of excema .

session 7 -6 July 2007(6 weeks later)
Skin is really good at the moment .
Reflexology treatments are now happening at 6 week intervals .Full treatment as before .

session 8 - 16 August 2007 (6 week interval)
skin has been really good apart from a minor stress related flare up before an operation.
Full treatment carried out as previously.

session 9 - 24 September 2007
Client has been tressed due to going back work after operation - she has a bit of excema on her hands and backs of legs,but otherwise ok .

session 10 - 29 January 2008 ( break in treatments due to client going back to work and Christmas holidays etc)
Feedback from client since our last session :
She feels that her skin has been really good . It flared up a little bit due to stress,but not to any major degree.She is eating chesses and tropical fruit in small quantities,and ate quite a lot of cheese at Christmas .Despite this her skin has been vergy good and any small excema patches have cleared up much quicker than they would normally.

Over all we both feel that reflexology at regular intervals has been very beneficial to this person,and we have established that her triggers seem to be 1. stress 2. dairy 3. tropical fruit . She feels that with the help of regular reflexology treatments she can now tolerate these things much more without having bad flare ups of excema . Below are some questions and answers from the lady herself......
1. Had you considered reflexology before i approached you to be a case study?
No, i used only non-sensiitive products,all soaps,moisturisers,bath oils etc medicated from my g.p.
2.Have you enjoyed the reflexology and di you feel that it was explained adequately to you at the start of the course?
Yes,it was very relaxing,more painful that i thought it would be for the first couple of times.I didn't have much of an understanding before of reflexology,but it was fully explained to me by Sam .
3.Have you found the over-all experience to be benfeicial to you excema?if so,on a scale of 1-10 what would the rating be?
I have found that my excema has definitely improved,it didn't flare up as much last year,only the odd couple of days when it has been sore.I would score it overall at about 7 or 8 out of 10.
4.Would you recommend reflexology to others as a treatment for excema?
Yes,definitely combined with looking at diet i.e.dairy products or acidic fruit.
5.Are there any other comments you would like to make on this course of treatments?
I found it to be an enjoyable and therapeutic form of treatment,that has generally improved my skin condition.

constipated? get things moving with a bit of reflexology!

2007-09-24T20:58:00.000Z

Did you know that reflexology can work wonders for you when your bowel is a bit sluggish and you just can't go ?! Here's what you need to do :
Turn your palms towards you,particularly the LEFT palm, and have a good feel ofthe fleshy pad at the base of your left thumb .This area on your hand relates to the bowel and if you are constipated you might find that this area is lumpy or tender . Give it a good massage - a good tip is to roll a pencil or pen between your palms over the fleshy pads at the base of your thumbs - and see what happens! Make sure you drink plenty of water to help things along .
This is also safe for children as they will sit for ages on the toilet waiting for something to happen!

tender toes? have you got a cold coming?!

2007-06-17T20:37:00.000Z

Did you know that in reflexology terms your toes relate to your head and sinus points and so quite often if you have a cold coming , or are in the middle of one, your toes will feel tender and sensitive to pressure .
To help hurry your cold along and out of your system try getting hold of your toes one at a time,
(even better,get someone else to do it for you!) and give them a really good squeeze and pinch .
You might be surprised at how nice this feels !
This will help to stimulate the reflex points and trigger your system to fight the virus .
Also it feels really good!

Diary of a bad back!

2007-05-13T20:16:00.000Z

It is what you might call poetic that the creator of a self help product for people with bad backs should be struck down with a nasty back pain this month !! It was the result of very vigorous gardening on the May bank holiday and not being careful abot my posture;i should know better -after all,i'm always telling other people!
Something went ping! in my lower back and a shooting pain went right through me as if i had been struck by lightning; i let go of the spade and yelped .That put paid to my gardening that day and the following is a diary of the week .
Tuesday 8th May -my birthday! felt a bit stiff and found it hard to get up and down from sitting easily;started to get an ache around my middle and persistent pain if i leant back .
Wednesday 9 May -didn't sleep at all well and found it really hard to get out of bed.Very nasty pain all around my middle and especially in my right hip area .Muscles in back also felt really stiff and made my shoulders and neck feel tense too .
7a.m. Wed - pain level 7 out of 10 .Put my reflosocks on straight away and set about getting kids ready for school .Luckily i don't have to go to work today .
10a.m. Wed- pain level 5 out of 10 .Have been walking around ;still hard to sit and bend ;pain around middle still .
4.30-6p.m. Wed- sat and watched dvd with kids that they had bought me for my birthday-had lots and lots of pain on getting up- 8 out of10.Still wearing my reflosocks until about 7p.m.when i went and had a very hot bath(with difficulty).
Thursday 10 May- had a really bad sleep last night,couldn't get comfortable and had severe problems getting out of bed and bending.
7a.m. thursday - in considerable pain this morning-have put my socks on again first thing -pain level 9 out of 10 - tried to find a comfortable rest point in between getting kids ready for school,but unable to .Noticed muscles are really tight and seized up which must be excacerbating the problem wherever it is -concentrating on trying to relax my muscles ,but this is hard as i have a band of pain around my middle and a throbbing pain in my right hip .
11.30a.m. Thursday - pain level 4 out of 10 - pain has eased considerably now .I have more movement,less stiffness and pains have gone.I have drunk lots of water this morning and also lay on my back with my feet together and my knees out like a frog for half an hour . Is the pain worse today because i wore my reflosocks all day yeterday and my body is responding? Who knows.
5p.m. Thursday- pain has decreased dramatically - had a sleep for 1 hour and felt o.k. lying down .Drinking lots ofwater still and wearing reflosocks .Still stiff on sitting and rising -shooting pains in hip area have stopped .
Friday and Saturday - Felt much better and did not even bother putting my reflosocks on -however Saturday night i had to get up in the middle of the night to see to one of the dogs and something pulled in my back on the right again as i leaned over to the dog .
Sunday 13 May -right side of pelvis feels tense and sore on rising this morning - put reflosocks back on this morning .pain level 5 out of 10.
2.30p.m. -pain level 2 out of 10 - throbbing pain in right hip area has stopped now,even though i have been sitting down for half an hour .Hopefully i will get a good nights' sleep again tonight!
conclusion : i am happy that i didn't have to resort to taking any painkillers this week - i used my reflosocks ,drank lots ofwater and tried to concentrate on relaxing my muscles .However i will continue to wear my socks to work next week for at least two days out of five as a precautionary measure,as i am up,down,turning and twisting all day at work. Have a look at my relfotherapies website for more information on reflexology and reflosocks. www.reflotherapies.co.uk

refloblog no1

2007-03-04T21:59:00.000Z

I am hoping soon to bring you my first refloblog case study, which will be on an adult with chronic excema.

This is something which affects many people, old and young, and can be particularly nasty at times of stress or at certain times of the year. If you are lucky you will know what triggers your excema and you can take steps to avoid or lessen the effect, but many peole do not really know what triggers their flare up.