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Reflexology

Reflexology is a form of 'alternative' or 'complementary' medicine and involves a method of treatment using massage to reflex areas found in the feet and the hands. Most commonly, the feet are used as the areas to be treated by Reflexology. In the feet, there are reflex areas corresponding to all the parts of the body and these areas are arranged in such a way as to form a map of the body in the feet with the right foot corresponding to the right side of the body and the left foot corresponding to the left side of the body. By having the whole body represented in the feet, the method offers a means of treating the whole body by Reflexology and of treating the body as a whole. This latter point is an important factor of a natural therapy and allows not only symptoms to be treated by Reflexology but also the causes of symptoms.

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Reflexology Links

Association of Reflexologists

Wikipedia Reflexology Article

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Reflexology Documents

Reflexology Article

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Reflexology in Dorset

Link to Dorset Reflexology Directory to assist in finding a Dorset Physiotherapist.

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Advice to patients wishing to try Reflexology or any Complementary Therapies
· Always start with your GP - regardless of which therapy you wish to practice always inform your GP. This will ensure that your total health needs are considered. Your GP will be agood source of information about the therapy.

· Know the dangers of each Therapy - a number of therapies have potential problems and you should be informed of these by your therapist.

· Seek evidence based assessments of each therapy - look for research which scientifically evaluates thru clinical trials the acuracy of any claims about cure success rates.

· Limit your treatment - make sure that you do not become a victim of therapists who try to extend treatment beyond that which is adding real benefit

· Look for a patients charter if there is one - some surgry / clinics publish a patients charter which explains your rights and sets your expectations.

· Check the clinics and therapists qualifications - this should be readily available. Some associations provide a tool on their websites to let you check that the therapist is actually qualified.

· Avoid therapies or clinics that purport to be a panacea, a cure all - clinics that offer a range of herapies are more likley to have accepted that one therapy alone will not cure all ills.

· Therapy associations - know what to expect from them

· Ensure your therapist conforms to the NICE guidelines: http://www.nice.org.uk/