I have a 16 year old female client who has been referred to me by her step-mother for problems relating the girl's sleep problems and mental health issues (anxiety, elements of psychosis and depression). Both of which are being addressed by the NHS and for which she is on medication. My primary goal is to help my client relax and improve her sleep. Now today upon her first treatment, despite not presenting with any hip/knee or lower back problems and denying any existence of them when asked - I found crystals on her pelvis, sacrum, hip and glutes.
Any ideas on this? (of note she was on day 6 of cycle).
I look forward to your replies with eager anticipation! 😀
That's interesting.
I am a yoga teacher training student and a new Reflexologist. (so am soaking up all this interesting stuff!)
I have been learning in my yoga classes about how some people hold negativity in their hip area. So when stretched and relaxed it is released. I wonder if it could be more emotional rather than physical? Or even (if you are interested in them) connected to chakras?
I wonder what side effects the medication may have, anything connected with the pelvic area?
Has she been sat a lot, depressed, not wanting to move, pressure on that area?
Just thoughts, hope that helps! 🙂
I have a 16 year old female client who has been referred to me by her step-mother for problems relating the girl's sleep problems and mental health issues (anxiety, elements of psychosis and depression). Both of which are being addressed by the NHS and for which she is on medication. My primary goal is to help my client relax and improve her sleep. Excellent!
Now today upon her first treatment, despite not presenting with any hip/knee or lower back problems and denying any existence of them when asked - I found crystals on her pelvis, sacrum, hip and glutes. Sorry I doubt this is crystals, a very old fashioned idea with no evidence to back it up. More likely fibrotic adhesions from years of wearing shoes.
Any ideas on this? (of note she was on day 6 of cycle).
I look forward to your replies with eager anticipation! 😀
You need to be careful using reflexology as a system of diagnosis. If the feet really could tell you every thing, it couldn't because medication can mask palpation. Before leaping to conclusions, to try and understand a client you need to take a case history. Not just the boring medical bits but listen to their voice, looking at their body shape, their smell and so forth. Then palpating the reflex points can be added as an extra piece and information to build an overall picture. Just treat the poor girl and see if over a period of time she responses or not. And as Karlin says symptoms may be a reflection of your client's emotional states, and the chakra system is a useful one to work with. The root (base) chakra can be related to fear and survival issues. Sacral chakra can be related to trust, sexuality, (pro)creativity and movement (like belly dancing, lol 😉 ).
RP
I agree with reiki Pixie. I was puzzled who you could diagnose crystals using reflexology . If you know what medication she is on I will be happy to advise you if any could cause joint problems .
For the record I am ALWAYS happy to give information about drugs if it will help other therapists treatments. No point in having a tame pharmacist around and not making use of her!!
I have to say it kind of disheartens me when I get a new reflex client who tells me their last therapist could tell them ALL their health and mood issues by doing their feet. If a good thorough consultation is done then these things have usually been established first.
I am quick to point out that no reflexologist should be claiming to diagnose or treat specific conditions and that, to me, the treatment helps to balance the body and bring about equilibrium.
I agree that the crystals thing has no evidence and I do remember 10 years ago being told by a reflexologist I had hip problems, I didn't and, at 50 and post menopausal, still don't...it kind of made me lose faith in her as she was so insistent that SHE could feel this (to the point of doing reiki on my hips).
As an ex-nurse, my own opinion is that a good reflexology treatment will help reduce stress levels which balances cortisol production. Cortisol levels that are too high or low can have a plethora of medical and mood symptoms. As I said, my opinion but biochemically it makes sense to me.
Delighted, I would concentrate on providing a nice relaxing treatment which will possible alleviate other issues indirectly. Job done.:)
Patchouli
Reflexology is great for stressed teens.
Your mention of (an albeit loving) stepmum who's trying to help her makes me wonder if there has been some kind of parental marriage break-up or loss in this young girl's life. I imagine the various diagnoses she's had have involved quite a bit of stress, and may have convinced her that she is somehow 'not quite right' or 'not good enough'.
I think you'll help her best by maintaining a calm, quiet and relaxed environment in which she doesn't feel judged at all, and can just be totally at ease for that hour. Might be best not to mention what you 'find' in her feet, or ask her lots of questions based on what you detect as this may only reinforce her notion of being at odds with the norm. (You'll have gleaned plenty of information from the initial consultation questionnaire to guide you as to what needs she has, and what diagnoses have been made). Instead keep doing what you're already doing, and concentrate on creating a place for her to just be totally relaxed and quiet. Comment on how well she is relaxing, how much better she is at it than many people you see, and if you think it's appropriate get her to take 3 or 4 deep breaths on the couch at the start of the treatment, and then do that again at the end and you may find you can comment on how much deeper she is managing to breath by the end. Without being insincere (or heaven-forbid patronising), try to find ways to build her self-esteem, and praise her wherever and whenever you can.
Leave it to her to decide when she wants another treatment, so that she takes back some control of her future. Leave the door open so to speak, and I'll bet she will want to come back again.
All good wishes.
Regarding the 'crystals' on the pelvis etc. I don't claim to know what they are but they are not a theory they certainly exist whatever they are, and this kind of texture can be found beneath the skin all over the feet and hands and frequently not in places where fibrosis would occur such as the pads of the toes (always found when the sinuses are irritated for example).
Crystals are just one of many textures found in reflexes beneath the surface of the skin: e.g.lumpiness in the large intestine (would seem to indicate congestion i.e. accumulation of dehydrated waste matter) puffiness around the uterus (poor shedding of the endometrium), swelling over the ovary (around ovulation especially if polycystic) being amongst many others which I'm sure one day will be understood and their relationship to the reflex on which they're found will be properly explained.
I have to totally disagree with Patchouli in thinking that reflexology is mostly just a nice relaxing treatment that balances cortisol levels. It can do that but to see it as only that is a very limiting view of its amazing potential. My clients would tell you that some of their most powerful treatments have actually been quite painful & not necessarily that relaxing! (see also Tony Porter one of the most inspiring and successful reflexology teachers).
But I'd say in this case its a complex situation and I'd stop trying to analyse stuff & just go with your intuitive healing sense - I'm sure you can do a fantastic treatment without trying to understand what's going on with your client. Just keep it simple & holistic.
All the best,
Angela
OK Angela, here's a question for you: if reflexology is a reliable system of diagnosis, how come there are so many variations of charts and methodologies, variations to the point that it can't be scentific. On one chart a certain part of the foot is the heart and on another chart it's the thyroid gland? On one chart a reflex point may be described as a knee reflex and on another the hip reflex. The list of these discrepances is as long as my arm. And with overlapping reflexes how do you distinguish?
If you start going into the realm of Chinese medicine, the ankle area also contain points for the head and neck.
So how can you validate all of this? Luckly guess work? Clairvoyant abilities? Good old fashioned cold reading? But personally I wouldn't totally dismiss medical intuition as I'm not a skeptic.
My theory of reflexology is based on the following:
We were not designed to wear shoes. Shoe are restrictive physiologically.
The basis of reflexology is fundamentally to massage accumulative tension in the feet.
To improve proprioceptivity therefore gait and biomechanical improvement.
Myofascia manipulation of the feet and the stimulation of the bio-electric energy (Qi) though the connective tissue.
General stimulation of nerves and circulation.
Stimulation of the part of the brain corresponding to the feet being next to the area to the gonads, therefore a hormonal response.
Endophins.
The "relaxation response" and balancing homeostatic mechanisms vitiated by "stress".
The psycho-drama of the ritual on entering a clinic and being told by the "nice" therapist that this part of the foot corresponds to part of the body, providing a placebo effect (which is pretty damn good form of healing to me). The professional relationship between client and practitioner being very important.
And not forgetting the more esoteric side of things, bio-energy follows the intention to heal.
To me they are all interconnected!
RP
Hi Reiki Pixie,
Where did I say reflexology was a reliable system for diagnosis?? I didn't because I don't think it is actually.
Why not? For all the reasons you gave, but also because it is an holistic mind/body/spirit healing treatment not a clinical methodology. So as we are never, ever going to completely understand how the human mind functions nor how the vast complexities of our clients psychological history & wellbeing are impacting precisely on their physical health, reflexologists really shouldn't even think of trying to 'diagnose'.
What I did say is its a lot more than just a nice relaxing treatment to balance cortisol levels.
I also said a lot of textures found in the feet will in the future be explained and I stand by that.
How do I think it works? well I absolutely agree with every one of your explanations. Thanks for listing them so brilliantly! plus a few more besides on - as you put it - the more esoteric side of things. Personally I love both the scientific and the more 'out there' theories. The more the better as far as I'm concerned to be proven or disproven as we go along.
Best wishes,
Angela
Reflexology is simply a healing modality at the end of the day that is being forced to comply with a medical healing model to make it more acceptable to the medical profession instead of its own model. The connections do not exist outside of the practitioner to connect the feet with all aspects of the body.
If we taught someone to perform Reflexology upside down, with the head at the heels and the body drawn in reverse upon the feet, then it would still work. Wherever the practitioner pictures the organs upon the feet is where they are. If a practitioner chooses to work with heat and cold to indicate where the problems are that need healing, then that is what they are going to create and perceive, if they choose to perceive lumps and crystals to represent where the problems that need addressing are, then again that is what they are going to create and perceive.
I do not think that it is a case of if Reflexology is good or not good for diagnosing and healing problems in the body, it is more a case of if the practitioner has developed the healing skills of tuning into the recipient and creating the right image onto the feet to allow them to do it utilising the Reflexology model that they have been taught or learnt.
If anyone wishes to test this out for themselves, then find someone who has lost their legs and see if they will let you perform Reflexology on their missing feet as an experiment, visualise the feet are there, work them in the normal way that you would and see what you pick up and what they can feel in their body whilst you are performing Reflexology. 😉
Great post Paul. I don't agree with all you said, but its still a wonderful explanation of how and why in your opinion reflexology works.
Ultimately we aren't here to diagnose and cure, just to tune in to the client and work together to help them heal.
Great post Paul. I don't agree with all you said, but its still a wonderful explanation of how and why in your opinion reflexology works.
Ultimately we aren't here to diagnose and cure, just to tune in to the client and work together to help them heal.
Even better , IMO, would be if all clients/people took responsibility for their own health into their own hands and learn to both prevent ill health and HEAL THEMSELVES 🙂
Wow.. not having alerts to tell me that new posts had been attached to the thread
means that I have missed all of this until now!
Right, I shall take it step by step, so bear with me 😀
You need to be careful using reflexology as a system of diagnosis. If the feet really could tell you every thing, it couldn't because medication can mask palpation. Before leaping to conclusions, to try and understand a client you need to take a case history. Not just the boring medical bits but listen to their voice, looking at their body shape, their smell and so forth. Then palpating the reflex points can be added as an extra piece and information to build an overall picture. Just treat the poor girl and see if over a period of time she responses or not.
Woah steady RP!! 😀 I just asked if anyone had any ideas! I was not trying to diagnose a condition or leap to any conclusions! And for the record, I did take a case history. I would like to think that having been a therapist for a number of years (17 at the last count :eek:) that I was taking into consideration all of the above factors that you mention - crikey, please give me some credit.
I think the way in which I worded the original post has confused some of you. I am not tearing my hair out desperately trying to fix my client. I was merely wondering if any other reflexologists had any ideas as to what 'crystals' (that's what we were taught to refer to them as Tashanie :)) around those areas could signify (i.e. because she is on her period or indeed something to do with the root chakra because of fear/insecurity etc) - with my young daughter my tutor mentioned it could be because she was still growing but at 16 I assume growing has generally finished. I always think about foot wear and the general physiology of the foot and how it might be affected by walking etc etc.
I wasn't trying to over-analyse or misconstrue or whatever else. I did provide a relaxing environment and in fact she fell asleep - (so I wasn't performing a Spanish Inquisition either!).
Thanks Fitfeet and Angelat - the things you mention are already being done - and in fact, the situation has changed now so she won't be coming back - long story. I might also mention that I actually know this girl personally too but not very well. However, I made sure that it was a very quiet and considered consultation and the conversation was simply about the consultation as opposed to talking about her situation.
Paul - as ever, intention is key 🙂
Phew! I might just not bother posting next time!
Ah... I see..
I see now where the following ' denying any existence of them when asked' may have raised eyebrows.. I forget that some of the terminology I use (which comes from having been a medical secretary for many years) can seem a bit odd to those that haven't come across it before.
When I said she denied existence, I wasn't holding a gun to her head demanding to know why she had crystals 'presenting' themselves on her feet - I merely asked if she had any backache or knee/hip related pains (I only asked once honest guv :D) - as I mentioned in my previous post - she spend the majority of the treatment with eyes closed and at some point fell asleep.
Sometimes Delighted it is hard to advice on forums with very little info. I don't subscribe to the "crystal" theory based on my experience of reflexology, but what do I know since I've only been doing it for 15 years :p But I did give advice so wasn't totally having a go at you. That is just the joys of internet forums, it very hard for us mortal beings to keep on topic :rolleyes: