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By: Association of Reflexologists

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Facts About Restless Legs Syndrome
By Amanda MacMillan

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a real medical condition—but its funny name and strange-sounding symptoms have stirred up controversy. Some people question everything from the criteria used to diagnose it to the medications used to treat it.

Still, studies have found that about 7% of the population suffers from symptoms such as creepy-crawly feelings in their legs that interrupt sleep. Here are 12 facts you should know about RLS.

RLS legs don't move involuntarily:
RLS is characterized by sensations often described as itching, tingling, pulling, crawling, or cramping. These can cause a strong urge to get up and walk around, but people are always in control of their movements, says Michele Tagliati, MD, director of the Movement Disorders Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, in Los Angeles.

"The feeling drives them nuts, so they have to get out of bed or out of their chair and walk around," Dr. Tagliati says.

People with involuntary leg movements may have another condition called periodic limb movement disorder. Many people with RLS also have this disorder.

RLS is more common during pregnancy:
For reasons that aren't completely understood, pregnant women sometimes experience RLS symptoms that go away after they give birth. One possible explanation, Dr. Tagliati says, is that pregnancy is often associated with iron deficiency, and low iron levels are a contributing factor in some RLS cases.

A 2010 study found that women who suffer from RLS during one pregnancy are at a higher risk of having symptoms during future pregnancies, or of developing a chronic form of RLS later on.

Supplements can help:
Medications aren't the only treatment for restless legs. "Every time someone comes into my clinic complaining of something that may sound like restless legs, we check their iron," says Dr. Tagliati, who has received speaking fees from a company that makes RLS drugs. "If they're low, we treat it with supplementation."

Restoring iron levels in the body also can help restore dopamine in the brain, experts believe, which may help reduce RLS symptoms.

Folate and magnesium supplements may also relieve RLS symptoms.

Risk increases with age:
RLS can strike at any age, but it is more common in people 65 and older.

Symptoms typically get worse as you get older; many people with the condition will suffer from daily symptoms and significant sleep interruptions after age 50.

Exercise can curb symptoms:
Many people find that regular exercise helps keep RLS under control, or that the condition acts up more on days when they haven't moved around much.

Gentle stretching and massage may also help, either before bed or when symptoms start. Too much or too intense exercise, however, can make RLS worse.

RLS is not trivial:
People who don't have RLS have a hard time understanding what it feels like—and how much the sensations can disrupt daily (and nightly) life. RLS can cause serious sleep deprivation, which in turn may cause other health problems.

Studies have also linked RLS to high blood pressure and erectile dysfunction, possibly due to chronically interrupted sleep or factors involving dopamine in the brain.

RLS isn't hard to diagnose:
There isn't a blood test for RLS, but that doesn't fuzzy science is used to diagnose it.

There are four necessary criteria for people to be diagnosed with RLS: an urge to move their legs, usually because of uncomfortable tingling or crawling sensations; the urge must begin or get worse during periods of rest or inactivity; the sensations are partially or totally relieved by movement; and the sensations and the urge to move are worse in the evening or at night.

Using these criteria, it can be a straightforward diagnosis if your doctor is familiar with the condition. Your doctor may, however, order blood and other tests to look for underlying causes of RLS, such as iron deficiency.

RLS may be genetic:
In 2007, researchers in Europe and at Emory University, in Atlanta, discovered a gene variant that doubled a person's risk of developing RLS. In 2011, an international team of scientists discovered two genetic regions that seem to play a role as well.

That RLS often runs in families and appears to be most prevalent among people of Western European descent has long hinted at a genetic component of the condition.

Symptoms occur at night:
RLS follows a circadian rhythm, getting worse at night as the body and brain begin to relax and prepare for sleep.

Doctors believe this is due to dopamine that follows the body's natural sleep-wake cycle, as well as fewer mental distractions at night.

Some RLS patients try to schedule meetings (or naps) during the early part of the day because sitting for long periods of time is difficult later in the day. Others say that keeping busy with mentally stimulating activities at night helps relieve their symptoms.

RLS isn't a sign of Parkinson's disease:
Because the drugs used to treat RLS often are used for Parkinson's disease, it's easy for people to assume that the two disorders are somehow related, Dr. Tagliati says.

"I don't think I've ever seen any of my RLS patients develop Parkinson's, and we know that's not how Parkinson's starts," he says.

A 2011 Norwegian study found that people with early Parkinson's disease were no more likely to have RLS symptoms than people without Parkinson's disease.

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From Health.com

By: Anatomy In Motion

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Doctors in Devon are the first in the UK to study the effects of reflexology on couples with infertility problems. Derriford Hospital is working with reflexologist Jane Holt who claims to have helped severel women conceiuve after using the technique.

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Jo Marchant: For some women there are small extra risks involved in having a natural home birth, but the benefits far outweigh them

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Vibration of Energy is one of the most important and fundamental aspects of the Universe and all life in the Universe. Here we take a closer look at the definition, characteristics and significance of vibration

Reflexology

The principal teaching behind reflexology states that the body is divided into ten vertical energy zones, inside which are encompassed the organs, muscles and skeletal structure of the physical body, all of which are reflected on the soles of the feet and palms of the hands. The occurrence of energy blocks in a human person, and the reasons for these are many, are likewise reflected on the hands and the feet in one or more of the zones located there. Through the use of specific pressure techniques, these energy blocks can be detected through the presence of pain or crystalline formation under the skin.
Position of the Chakras on the spinal reflex of the feet... and the hands
Although the chakras work mainly with the endocrine glands, they also have an effect on organs, muscles and bones which lie in their pathway.

Numbered in ascending order up the spine, the system of seven major chakras begins at the base of the spine with the first center, known as the root (Sanskrit: muladhara) chakra and ends with the seventh at the top of the head, known as the crown (Sanskrit: sahasrara) chakra.

Reflex areas for the chakras are located along the medial (inside) side of the sole of the foot.

The reflex area for the root chakra nestles on the inside of the heel.

For sacral energetic harmony, massage the lower extent of the foot's arch, just above the heel.

The upper extent of the arch, below the ball of the foot, tunes the solar plexus chakra.

For heart energy enhancement, the reflex area occurs on the ball of the foot, just above the arch.

A massage of the area where the ball of the foot joins the big toe harmonizes the throat chakra.

For third eye chakra attunement, the reflex area is located on the middle underside of the big toe.

The tips of all five toes are massaged for the energetic enhancement of the crown chakra.

For a quick stimulation of the full spectrum of the seven major chakras, massage the medial (inside) bones of the foot, from heel to tip of big toe.

Imbalances or blockages in chakras are considered to be prompted by emotional, mental, physical, or even spiritual disharmonies.


source: http://www.positivehealth.com/article/reflexology/integrating-colour-with-reflexology
http://stessily.hubpages.com/hub/Hand-and-Foot-Reflex-Areas-for-Enhancing-Healthy-Chakra-Energy-Flow

http://www.zenses-holistic-therapies.co.uk/pregnancy-massage/maternity_reflexology_portsmouth/

Reflexology, or zone therapy involves the physical act of applying pressure to the feet, hands, or ears with specific thumb, finger, and hand techniques without the use of oil or lotion. It is based on a system of zones and reflex areas that reflect an image of the body on the feet and hands. For more information check out my website http://www.zenses-holistic-therapies.co.uk

By: Zenses Holistic Therapies

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Is your handbag going to give you arthritis? Not to mention slipped discs and bad knees? How lugging around a heavy load can put years on your body!
By LAURA TOPHAM

Studies show half of women suffer pain from carrying heavy handbags — and now men are also suffering, according to new research by the British Chiropractic Association.

‘Heavy man-bags — weighing, on average, 6.2kg — put unbalanced strain and stress on the body, which can lead to pain, poor posture and health problems,’ says Rishi Loatey, of the British Chiropractic Association. ‘I’ve noticed a spike in patients experiencing pain in the neck and upper back due to carrying around heavy loads more frequently,’ he adds.

There, my movements while walking were recorded and analysed — both with and without my weighty 9lb-plus handbag — to see the effects. The results were startling.

‘Carrying a bag has a huge impact on posture and movement,’ says Bupa physiotherapist Russell Stocker. ‘Though you might not notice it, your body dramatically adapts and compensates. This was even more pronounced when wearing high heels.’

NECK

When you carry a bag, your neck naturally leans away from the load to help carry and balance the weight.

This causes tension on the carrying side of the neck and compression on the opposite side.

‘Craning your neck means increasing the distance between the neck and the shoulder,’ says Russell.

The problem is that this is just where a bundle of nerves come together (forming the brachial plexus) before running into the arm; the strain can lead to neck pain and muscle inflammation.

Over time, this could trigger an ‘acute episode’, he says — the muscles can spasm, restricting movement and causing pain.

SHOULDERS AND BACK

The shoulder bearing the load is rotated backwards and raised all the time, explains Russell.

This affects the muscles running down the upper back, the shoulder blades and those supporting the spine — they tire and spasm.

As Bupa orthopaedic physician Dr Leon Creaney, explains: ‘Fatigued muscles won’t hold the spine correctly, so it will slip into poor posture — slumped with curved back and shoulders.’

Long term, this can lead to painful arthritis in the facet joints. These are tiny joints running all the way along the spine on either side The vertebrae and the discs — the ‘cushions’ of cartilage that sit between the vertebrae — could also be affected. "The side of the body not carrying the bag leans away from it, crunching the lower back on this side, while extending it further on the other,’ adds Russell.

This compresses the vertebrae, wearing them down.

Carrying a heavy bag can, over time, also cause disc degeneration and prolapse, says Dr Creaney. This is when the soft tissue inside the disc ruptures out of it, pressing on the nerves.

‘This can be agonising, and even require surgery’ he explains — ‘and carrying a heavy bag could lead to faster disc degeneration.

‘Bearing a heavy load on one side could also cause the spinal nerves to become irritated or compressed — possibly leading to sciatica (pain in the buttock and thigh), which is also very painful.’

ARMS

The arm carrying the bag remains very static while walking to keep the load still and balanced.

‘This is quite different to the natural swinging movement we make when walking,’ says Russell.

‘Without the normal arm swing used as a balance mechanism, this can make you slightly unsteady and actually mean you need greater effort to move forwards.’

The nerves in the arms can also become irritated by the pressure of the bag, leading to chronic pain.

HIPS AND LEGS

In the long term, women can develop arthritis from increased pressure. ‘Carrying a bag makes you walk differently, and that changes the way forces act through the skeletal system, which could cause problems and pain,’ says Russell.

The greater the load of the bag, the more pressure on the leg joints. Over a long period, force on the knees can cause wear and tear and joint problems.

‘With a heavy bag you also take shorter steps — an adaptation your body probably makes to control the load better and remain upright,’ he adds.

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By: Anatomy In Motion

Body and Mind Zone (Complementary Therapies)

What is the difference between reflexology and Thai foot massage? Reflexology is the technique of applying pressure to the feet using thumb and fingers. The reflexologist seeks out disturbed or imbalanced reflexes which relate to corresponding organs or parts of the body. It is deeply relaxing, and stimulates our own healing processes. Thai foot massage is a more general and vigorous treatment and is both invigorating and deeply relaxing, using fingers, knuckles, palms, massage stick, plus stretching and acupressure. Can't decide between reflexology and Thai Foot Massage? I've devised an hour's treatment combining both, just £28.00.

http://www.bodyandmindzone.co.uk

Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT) - Education and Events - CPD training programme

http://www.fht.org.uk

CPD seminars and workshops for beauty therapists, complementary and alternative health workers and sports therapy.

Simonne Therapies

Don't be afraid to check out that your Reflexologist is a qualified member of an accredited body and insured to practise.
A detailed consultation should be taken before your first treatment in order that the Reflexologist can assess the suitability of the treatment at that time.

During treatment the Reflexologist should check that the pressure is appropriate. Don't be afraid to give honest feedback to the therapist so that adjustments can be made. It's an important part of the treatment to assess what's happening and to identify changes occurring when you return for your second treatment.

Reflexology is a wonderful treatment that can benefit you on so many levels, so go ahead and find yourself a therapist that you feel comfortable and confident with. It makes all the difference.

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http://forum.facmedicine.com/forum.php

By: Faculty Of Medicine

Mobility Exercises to Treat Reflexology to Others and Yourself

http://www.modernreflexology.com

There are many thumb and ankle mobility exercises to treat reflexology. If you wanted to practice reflexology on others of yourself, follow them carefully.