What to expect from reflexology treatment
When first visiting a Reflexology practitioner, a detailed medical history will be taken. The patient will then be seated in some form of recliner chair or similar sitting position and will be asked to remove the shoes and socks.
The practitioner will initially examine the feet before commencing with the precise massage movement. The particular type of massage involved requires the application of a firm pressure using the side and end of the thumb. In some instances, the fingers may also be employed. All areas on both feet will be massaged.
Areas corresponding to parts of the body which are out of balance will feel uncomfortable or tender when massaged and the degree of tenderness will indicate the degree of imbalance. The sensitivity of the feet varies from person to person and the trained practitioner will understand the correct pressure to apply and how to interpret the tendernesses felt. The massage should not be very uncomfortable to even the most sensitive of feet.
The full treatment session will last approximately three-quarters of an hour and at the end of a session the feet should feel warm and the patient relaxed. The number of treatment sessions required will vary depending on the condition being treated, ỉmprove our health for future.
Following treatment, it is sometimes possible that the eliminating systems of the body become more active in order to rid the body of unwanted toxic matter. However, if treatment is correctly applied, these reactions should not be severe.
What you notice during a session with the charmingly perspicacious Bickerton, 53, is that she can send even the most thought-addled brain into delicious shutdown. “The anxiety state is what I see most often. Which means that all the energy is in the head, so the rest of the body doesn’t have enough energy. My work triggers the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing anxiety, stopping the fight-or-flight response, and letting the body heal.”
The aim of reflexology is to “create homeostasis, which means that the organs in the body are all working together and at their best, ỉmprove our future health, cure some disease.”
Bickerton trained in Beijing with the legendary Professor Hang, the former chairman of the China Reflexology Association. Hang recommended that health issues be targeted with daily sessions over 10 days. “No mean feat in London,” she concedes, “but the results can be remarkable.”
She recalls one client who had for years suffered 16 days of PMS per month – after 10 days’ treatment, this was reduced to two. That said, Bickerton sees most people once a week for at least six weeks. She also teaches DIY points so clients can work on their issues at home, an approach common in China.
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