Do you have Fibromyalgia………could Reflexology help?

 In my recent Webinar and eBook, I spoke about many areas of pain and how you could treat them using Facial Reflexology. However, what if the pain was everywhere? Could you still use these points and if so, how?

One such condition is Fibromyalgia.

In Fibromyalgia, Facial reflexology nerve points will help but there is a lot more involved in the treatment.

Fibromyalgia literally means fibrous tissue, muscle and pain which translates to pain that is felt in muscles and surrounding tissues. The pain experienced can occur all over the body affecting your muscles and joints. Your muscles may feel as if they have been overworked, even without exercise and sometimes they burn or have deep stabbing pains.

It is believed that painful sensations are increased because of the way the brain processes pain signals. There is an abnormal increase in levels of certain chemicals, (neurotransmitters) in the brain that signal pain . Also the pain receptors of the brain seem to develop a memory of the pain and become more sensitive, meaning they can overreact to pain signals.

Fibromyalgia is debilitating and exhausting and affects your sleep, memory and mood. It is also associated with tension headaches, jaw disorders, Irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression, hypersensitivity to cold or heat, inability to concentrate, dryness of the eyes and mouth, numbness or tingling in extremities, abdominal pain and incontinence, as well as that awful neck, shoulder, back or hip pain.

Everyone experiences the symptoms differently and not everyone suffers from all the symptoms.

The cause is unknown though there are thought to be genetic influences, infections that trigger the onset, or some physical or emotional trauma and some consider it to be an autoimmune condition.

Treatment involves a healthy diet, regular exercise, strategies to help you sleep, relaxation and stress relief. Complementary therapies such as Reflexology, massage, acupuncture, yoga and tai chi have also been shown to help.

So how can Reflexology help if you have Fibromyalgia?

Facial Reflexology looks at areas of your face related to Traditional Chinese Medicine, where the imbalance in your body first commenced. Fibromyalgia is believed to have a strong emotional basis and it has been said that 85% of illnesses have an emotional basis. A traumatic event or a severe stress will affect different people in different ways but it will definitely affect your hormonal system.

Our hormonal system reacts to any stress by releasing adrenaline, our ‘fight or flight’ response. Insulin levels also increase as our brains need glucose to react and make decisions. Facial reflexology treats the gland that is most affected by the stress response and also the whole hormonal system. The reason a sufferer has so many symptoms is because the hormonal system doesn’t act in isolation. If one gland is affected then another will be affected and so on.

The Brain is also treated. Within our midbrain we have what is called the Limbic system. This is where our emotions and memory are stored and our memories of pain. In turn, other areas of the brain are believed to be involved and this affects our tolerance to pain.

A Facial Reflexology treatment looks at the whole body and treats it accordingly. It has been shown to help improve sleep by relaxing the body and assisting the  Hormonal system to regulate your sleep pattern. It  reduces IBS symptoms by relaxing the colon, eliminating toxins and reducing inflammation. It helps with mental clarity and fatigue by working the areas of the brain affected and most importantly, it helps reduce the pain by addressing the reasons behind it.

Fibromyalgia is a complex condition but treatments are available and there are many support groups in each state.

Remember that if you take an active role in your illness and recovery, you will feel more in control of your health and will have a much better outcome and recovery.

Take care,

With love,

Judy xxx

References: www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-condtions/fibromyalgia. www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/fibromyalgia_reflexology. www.webmed.com/fibromyalgia/guide. Webinars of Lone Sorensen/Facial reflexology. Image ‘sad-girl’ dreamstime.com.

Disclaimer: Please note that all information in this article is the opinion of the author and obtained through her research and knowledge and the above references. It is not meant to replace medical advice and a medical opinion should always be obtained for any health condition.