Reflexology - A Holistic Arthritis Pain Reliever

When I was newly trained in Reflexology I offered to give my Dad a treatment. He had been suffering with Osteoarthritis in his hip for many years and was often in a lot of pain, which hampered his being able to be as active as he wanted to be. A Metallurgical Engineer, he was a skeptic, saw things very black and white and did not believe without science and proof. But he did agree to let me practice on him.

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What bolstered my confidence in practicing Reflexology for arthritis was a phone call I received from him 4 days later. He didn't understand why or how it had worked, but he hadn't had any pain, at all, for the past 3 days. Not only did the session ease pain in his hips but also other areas bothered by arthritis. He was one of my first regular clients followed by others who found similar results.

The premise behind this thousands of years old practice is that through specific thumb, finger and hand techniques, the Reflexologist stimulates the over 7,000 nerve endings in the feet that correspond to all parts of the body. Through this stimulation circulation is increased. Increased circulation helps to reduce inflammation that is often present in the joints as a result of arthritis.

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At the same time your body tends to relax and release tension which encourages greater production of endorphins, the body's natural pain killers. A benefit to many holistic therapies is that in encouraging relaxation the body's natural healing abilities are stimulated. Reflexology for arthritis pain is a great example of that.

In between your Reflexology sessions there are also things you can do at home to help. Walking barefoot on textured surfaces such as sand, rounded pebbles, grass, rough cement... stimulates some of the nerve endings. Not as relaxing as laying back for a treatment that gets at all those reflex points but still somewhat effective.

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Over the years I have come across clients who can't stand to have their feet touched, or are too ticklish,  and so Hand Reflexology is a great alternative for them as the hand has nerve ending reflex points as well.

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Practicing Reflexology since 1994, Teresa offers both Hand and Foot Reflexology sessions. You can read more about her sessions by clicking here