Monday, July 26, 2010

Fibromyalgia and Reflexology

Our July Fibromyalgia Support Group Meeting was graced by Charlene. I was very pleased to once again feature Charlene Books, a wonderful healer in the arts of Reflexology and Reiki.

Charlene has had many clients with Fibromyalgia, both in the hospital in Chicago where she worked for several years, and here at The Advanced Healing and Reflexology Center on Emmons Rd in South Bend, IN. She understands that each and every case of Fibromyalgia is different and each needs to be addressed specifically for the person she is working on at the time. This alone tells us she knows how to help an individual’s pain. This is an important factor in choosing a Reflexologist.

Charlene spoke of stress. Not just the stress we all know about – the emotional stress — but also the stress the body holds just by being chronically ill. Someone who falls down and skins their knee, breaks a bone or has a cold is experiencing stress (physical stress, body stress)along with the emotional stress of the original condition. When you have a chronic illness (or two, as is often the case in those with Fibromyalgia) this creates physical stress on your body, along with the emotional stress of all that comes with it. So what we have here in a nutshell, as people with Fibromyalgia, is Emotional, Physical and Chronic Stress!

All this stress settles in your body adding insult to injury by creating knots, blockages and clumps of toxins collected at key locations within the body. This stress tightens up and blocks up nerve, muscle and system pathways, literally creating more pain, adding to that of your chronic illness!

Charlene had once explained that these blocks and knots are like traffic jams at the nerve endings. The nerves begin at the feet and end in the head and thus travel all through the body. But when there are traffic jams (blockages and knots), it’s like a tourniquet has been applied to stop the proper flow of energies to release those toxins that have built up.

These toxins and blockages build up in virtually everyone during a normal day or week, but most especially in those with Fibromyalgia. These blockages are often in the form clumps of lactic acid and other toxins in the muscle and other tissues, literally tying knots at the nerve endings. This is why regular treatments are necessary…they build up on a daily basis and must be released regularly, especially in those with Fibromyalgia due to the chronic nature of the condition.

Reflexology works well in tandem with other healing modalities, such as acupuncture, Charlene says. In fact, while in Chicago, she often had clients who had finished their acupuncture treatment, and then came across the hall to her for their Reflexology treatment. Not only are toxins released (during both of these two treatments) but, relaxation of muscles and mind are among the prime benefits. Reflexology treatments can loosen and relax all internal systems so that other therapies can work to their full potential – acupuncture, massage, chiropractic, etc!

Your feet are direct reflections of your body — a mirror image so to speak — as are your hands. As Charlene pointed out in her chart, each reflex area on the feet corresponds to each organ or part of the body. Stimulating and working the nerve endings in each of these areas of the feet (or hands) not only improves circulation in each organ, gland and the entire body, but also unblocks those nerve impulses where stress has caused a traffic jam. Working these traffic jams loose, allows the toxins to break loose and the blocked systems to begin flowing freely and return to normal function.

[Charlene demonstrated foot Reflexology on Terry, and hand Reflexology on Jo Ann, so that everyone could see just how it was done. This is a hands-on therapy with no other instruments or devises needed, so here in our library meeting room, it was quite easy to demonstrate. Terry and Jo Ann were most grateful for the demonstration!]

Releasing these stresses and tensions unblocks the free flow of many of the body’s systems, improves circulation throughout the body, improves nerve impulses and normalizes these systems within the body, all of which in turn stimulate the body’s own healing system.

Reflexology, like acupuncture, massage, etc, is a maintenance and preventative measure, working to help your body help itself. With regular treatments, once a month or more, stresses and toxins don’t have a chance to build up to a critical mass, which can cause unbearable pain and inability to function.

Drink Water afterwards. This is a key point to remember after each session (acupuncture, massage, etc too). Once these toxins are broken loose, and the highway is free and clear, you must flush the toxins out of your body by drinking at least one bottle or more of water. If you don’t, these loose free-flowing toxins will latch onto another muscle of organ or gland and begin creating more havoc right away. The idea here is to get rid of the toxins!

The release of knots and toxins can be a huge help for Fibromyalgia pain. Try it!

Charlene Books is a Certified Reflexologist who has been practicing this 5,000 year old therapy since 1990. She had practiced Reflexology and Reiki in Chicago for several years at the Galter Lifecenter, and has returned to this area to open The Advanced Healing and Reflexology Center, at 52303 Emmons Rd., Suite # 25, South Bend, IN 46637. Call her at 574-277-2323.