Come winter, those with arthritic and rheumatic pain will tell you how much more in pain and discomfort they are during this festive season. Luckily, reflexology offers much by way of offering comfort through massage with essential oils. Besides massaging the relevant reflexes corresponding to the organs in imbalance, touch provides its healing as well. Here is what a patient with arthritis can use to do get some pain relief:
ESSENTIAL OIL MIX*:
• Option A:
Carrier oil - 2 ounces of safflower oil
Top note oil – 2 drops of eucalyptus oil
Middle note oil – 2 drops of marjoram oil (caution--do not use during pregnancy; also causes drowsiness)
Base note oil – 2 drops of benzoin oil (also known as Friar’s Balsam)
• Option B:
Carrier oil - 2 ounces of safflower oil
Top note oil – 2 drops of caraway oil
Middle note oil – 2 drops of chamomile oil
Base note oil - 2 drops of benzoin oil
REFLEXOLOGY'S APPROACH:
If you have the option of seeking a solution from a certified aromatherapist or a licensed holistic health therapist, you should choose it over attempting tackling pain at home. Let us take a look at how reflexology manages arthritis in patients. Chiefly, arthritis is addressed by pressing at the areas that pertain to reflexes of digestion and the endocrine systems besides the area affected with pain.
PHASE 1 - Foot relaxation:
1. The therapist holds the patient’s left foot using both the hands. The therapist’s fingers are on top of the patient’s foot and the thumb at the base/ balls of the patient’s foot.
2. Then the foot is "loosened" with a back and forth movement--the big toe is gently brought forward and the little toes are gently pushed backward simultaneously.
3. This is followed by toe rotation for each toe of the left foot--clockwise and then anti-clockwise rotations.
4. Then, foot wringing technique is added--first gently and then with moderate intensity.
5. Lastly, for relaxation, an ankle rotation technique is executed, where the therapist holds the patient’s foot at the base of the big toe with the left hand and the ankle is held with the right using it as a pivot to rotate the foot gently in a 360 degree circle.
6. The relaxation techniques 1-5 are then performed for the right foot.
PHASE 2 - Digestive System – stomach, liver, gall bladder, small intestine and large intestine:
1. The stomach reflex on the left foot is located towards the inner arch and is adjacent to the liver reflex. Theoretically, if the foot is divided into two halves transversely, the stomach reflex will be located approximately 1.5 inches above it towards the inner arch. This area is massaged using the press and roll method.
2. The liver reflexes are attended to by using the hook and roll technique. This is located immediately left to the stomach reflex and shaped like a boomerang extending from the slightly over the stomach reflex down to the waist level section.
3. Then the gall bladder reflex is tackled with a hook and roll technique. This meridian is located approximately at the middle of the base of the foot, just above the waist level zone division.
4. The therapist can use a pressing and rolling technique for the area that corresponds to the small intestine first on the left foot. The location for the small intestine reflex on the foot is approximately midway in heel of the foot, towards the inner arch side, about half an inch from the edge.
5. Next, the area which is the reflex of the large intestine is handled. This is in the same horizontally straight line from the point of small intestine, half an inch from the outer edge of the foot.
PHASE 3 - Endocrine System – pituitary gland, thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, adrenal glands and the pancreas.
1. The pituitary gland is located at the center on the base side of the big toe of the foot. This area is depressed repeatedly with the pad of the therapist’s thumb. This process can be done for a minute.
2. Next, the thyroid gland reflex is taken up. It is a point located just below the base of the big toe towards the side of the inner arch. Like the pituitary gland reflex, the thyroid gland reflex is also given attention to with the repeated depression of the therapist’s thumb pad.
3. The parathyroid is attended again in a similar way.
4. The adrenal gland reflex is a crucial area which is massaged with both the thumb-walk as well as a slide and roll technique. The reflex here can be found almost at the center of the foot but towards the inner arch.
5. Lastly the imbalances in the pancreas are addressed by performing thumb press on the area just above the adrenal gland reflex ( approximately 1 centimeter above the adrenal reflex point)
PHASE 4 – Concluding massage:
1. As the therapist ends her session, she gives a 1 1/2 minute relaxation massage to the patient’s whole foot for both legs using the press and slide technique and foot loosening techniques only.
2. Therapists conclude by wiping the patient’s feet for excess essential oils, with damp cotton wool.
*Please note that only therapeutic grade oils should be used for therapy. All essential and carrier oils can start an allergic reaction on sensitive skin and most of the oils should not be used during pregnancy. Some oils are harmful to conditions of epilepsy, etc. Do not use any oil that has an aroma you are uncomfortable with. Consult your aromatherapist or holistic health therapist before using any oil.
Benefits, side-effects, prior preparations, costs, duration of procedure, recovery and resumption of daily activities as well as support issues should be discussed with your therapist for each type of treatment option before starting on your treatment.
Mamta Singh is a published author of the books Migraines for the Informed Woman (Publisher: Rupa & Co.), the upcoming Mentor Your Mind (Publisher: Sterling Publishers) and An Urban Woman's Integrated Fitness Guide (Publishers: Hay House). She is also a seasoned business, creative and academic writer. She is a certified fitness instructor, personal trainer & sports nutritionist through IFA, Florida USA. Mamta is an NCFE-certified Holistic Health Therapist SAC Dip U.K. She is the lead writer and holds Expert Author status in many well-received health, fitness and nutrition sites. She runs her own popular blogs on migraines in women and holistic health. Mamta holds a double Master's Degree in Commerce and Business. She is a registered practitioner with the UN recognised Art of Living Foundation. Link: http://www.migrainingjenny.wordpress.com. Visit www.mamtasingh.com