Reflexology for Pain Relief - It Works!

Reflexology works. Looking at it with Western logic, it shouldn't work - it really shouldn't. I mean, how can foot massage possibly cure pain in your neck, shoulder or hip? Don't ask me, I can't explain it! But I can say reflexology worked for me.

Many years ago, I I slipped on a soapy wet floor. I flung out my arm to save myself,and landed with all my weight on one hand. The doctor said most people would have broken their wrist, and it was a pity I hadn't! Instead, the shock shot up my arm and into my neck, herniating a disc.

For those who don't know what that is, let me explain. Between each bone in your spine there's a gel-like disc. When a disc herniates, the surface breaks and the jelly inside oozes out. Sensitive nerves run down either side of your spine, and if the gel protrudes enough to touch the nerves, it's agonizing.

Once the jelly has escaped from a disc, you can't put it back in. Surgery on the neck is risky (think paralysis!). So I spent years looking for alternative treatments. I tried chiropractic, osteopathy, acupuncture, traction, various kinds of massage - you name it. The thing that helped most was manipulative therapy, but even that didn't make the pain go away completely.

Anyone who has continual nagging pain will tell you, they're willing to try anything. So when I went on a blind date and the guy told me he'd cured his frozen shoulder with reflexology, I dismissed it at first - I knew reflexology used the same meridians as acupuncture and acupressure, and I'd already tried both of those - but by the end of the date, I was asking him for the name of the therapist (that was the only thing I got out of that date, by the way - he never called..).

On my arrival at the clinic, I discovered the reflexologist had limited English. She asked me "Where is pain?" and I pointed to my shoulder (one of the odd things about herniated discs is that the pain turns up in funny places - it's called "referred pain"). I started to explain that it was caused by a damaged disk, but she interrupted me and wouldn't listen, bustling me over to the massage bed. Good start, I thought.

Lying on the bed while she frowned and prodded the side of my foot, I couldn't help feeling stupid. Here I was, having my feet pummeled to fix a problem at the other end of my body. Was I serious?

At that point, she took hold of my big toe and I nearly hit the ceiling.

"Ah," she said, beaming with delight at her discovery. "You have problem with neck!"

That was the start of a very painful half hour, as she worked mercilessly on my toe. At the end, still feeling silly and now tortured as well, I meekly made another appointment but swore silently that I wouldn't be back.

The next morning, I woke up and turned my head to the left for the first time in two years.

Now, before you rush off to book an appointment, take care in your choice of therapist.

First, make sure you choose a practitioner who's a member of a recognised association. As I've discovered, there's a big difference in the results you'll get with a fully trained, specialist reflexologist like my miracle-worker above, and someone who's done a short course.

Also, keep in mind reflexology is not acupressure, although it uses the meridians in a similar way. The obvious difference is that acupressure treats the whole body whereas reflexology only works on the extremities, but the techniques are also different. Don't assume that an acupressurist will automatically be good at reflexology.

You also need to be aware that reflexology doesn't work for everyone. About 25% of people simply never feel benefit from it at all. And even if it works for you, it usually takes three or four visits to see significant results. I was just very lucky!

Finally, I should clarify that, of course, reflexology didn't cure my herniated disc. I've still got it, and the pain still flares up occasionally. What reflexology does, very effectively, is block the pain and stop the spasms for long periods of time, so I can move normally. When it starts to recur, I know a visit or two to the reflexologist will fix me up. And after years of daggers in my back, that's good enough for me1

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All text copyright Marisa Wright. Spine model by PlanetC1.