Does therapeutic reflexology help for painful feet? This is the question we’ll unravel in today’s post.
The overall answer is: Yes, therapeutic reflexology can help with your painful feet, because therapeutic reflexology is a healthcare modality known to assist with pain relief, but the cause of the pain in your feet may need to determine what healthcare professional you should consult with for the best results. Your therapeutic reflexologist is professionally trained to evaluate your situation and then to treat you or to refer you to the relevant healthcare professional to assist you. As the patient, you are the highest priority during a therapeutic reflexology session and sometimes it may be in your best interest to rather refer you to another healthcare professional. Let’s have a look at this.
WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF YOUR PAIN?
To understand your pain, it is first necessary to understand your feet. It should be noted that your feet consist of various blood vessels, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, nerves, nerve endings, sweat glands, and tendons.
It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that the pain in your feet may be caused by any of many reasons. It may be necessary to go to a medical doctor to get a proper diagnosis in order to understand what the cause of the pain is. Once a diagnosis is made, then the appropriate form of treatment may be recommended.
* Broken Bone
If a bone is broken, then therapeutic reflexology will not alleviate the pain as there is a structural cause of the problem and to perform treatment on a broken bone is painful and may cause more harm and is thus not recommended. When a bone is broken, you will need to see a medical doctor that will most probably put your foot in a cast in order to give the broken bone time to heal, unless it is a severe break that may require surgery, in which case you will need to see the relevant surgeon.
* Torn Ligament
If a ligament is torn, excruciating pain may be experienced and you may need physiotherapy in order to deal with it as infrared treatment and specific physiotherapy may be needed.
* Corns, Calluses, Ingrown Toe Nail and Plantar Warts
If the pain is caused due to a physical reason like corn, callous or plantar wart growing on the foot, then you may need to visit a podiatrist in order to have the actual cause of the pain removed.
* Skin Disorders
Sometimes a person may have a skin disorder like a fungal infection, Athlete’s foot or even eczema on the feet. These disorders are usually not painful, but every person experiences things differently and some may experience a certain amount of pain when this occurs. When such conditions are present, the first line of treatment is usually some over-the-counter products and if it does not work, you need to see a medical doctor for a prescription product to deal with the problem.
* Heel Disorders
Heel disorders may also occur like a callus, fissure or spur which may be very painful. It may be necessary to see a podiatrist or medical doctor in order to have this dealt with.
* Arch Disorders
You may experience pain in your feet due to having flat feet or high-arches resulting in constant pressure on certain parts of the feet. It may be necessary to see a podiatrist for these disorders in order to have a customised prosthesis or insole manufactured to put in your shoe in order to alleviate the pressure on the feet.
THERAPEUTIC REFLEXOLOGY AND PAINFUL FEET
It may sometimes be necessary to refer you to another healthcare professional in order to obtain specific medical care as mentioned above, but just because you have been referred, does not mean that therapeutic reflexology cannot assist.
Therapeutic Reflexology is a recognised and registered complementary healthcare modality in South Africa, which means that it is an ideal therapy to use in conjunction with any other medical care you are receiving. Therapeutic reflexology works very well within a multi-disciplinary healthcare team alongside medical care, physiotherapy, and podiatry. Therapeutic reflexology does not replace medical care but supports it.
All the above conditions mentioned may need medical care, but all of it provides valuable information to the therapeutic reflexologist about what is underlying in your body and where you may be experiencing stress. A corn or callus may cause pain if you step on it and for that you may need to have it removed with a specific healthcare professional and you will be referred for that, but the fact that a corn or callus is present as well as the location of it, is very relevant in therapeutic reflexology and provides valuable information about what your body, mind, and spirit is dealing with; all important information to the professional therapeutic reflexologist.
So, you may have to be referred to a healthcare professional to have the corn or callus removed, but therapeutic reflexology may provide supportive therapy dealing directly with what caused the body to develop a corn or callus on your foot in the first place. Having the corn or callus removed is a quick fix to remove the pain, but dealing with the underlying reason it developed in the first place, may be helpful in preventing it from reoccurring in the future.
That being said, therapeutic reflexology is also helpful in alleviating pain while therapeutic reflexology is in certain instances, the primary therapy to consider to deal with the specific pain:
* Tired Feet
Sometimes your feet may just be tired and sore due to physical pressure. This may occur if you have been on your feet for a long period of time or if you stand for extended periods of time during the day; often due to your work. This may be the result of strenuous activity like jogging, running a marathon or dancing. Sometimes your feet experience more pressure than usual due to wearing high-heel shoes or sometimes you may be slightly overweight causing your feet to take some strain. Your feet may be tired due to your lifestyle and since you are not able to change your lifestyle, it may be necessary to just deal with the painful feet on a regular basis.
Therapeutic reflexology is the ideal therapy to deal with tired feet. It is a therapy where you may put your feet up and have it pampered, massaged and reflexes (nerve endings) stimulated which may result in your feet feeling much better. Doing this on a regular basis will be the ideal spoiling session for you to treat your feet to the attentive care they need in order to carry you around all day.
* Healthcare Conditions
There are various conditions that may cause pain and weird feelings in the feet, like metatarsalgia, plantar fasciitis, and plantar neuroma. The pain and associated symptoms may be alleviated by regular therapeutic reflexology sessions; the therapeutic reflexologist is trained to know when to refer the patient to other healthcare professionals and when to continue offering therapy for conditions like these. Often, therapeutic reflexology may be offered in conjunction with other healthcare being received.
* Foot Disorders
You may experience pain and tired feet due to certain foot disorders mentioned above already like high arches, flat feet, and heel disorders. Therapeutic reflexology may not be able to heal such a condition; therapeutic reflexology does not heal, but assists the body to relax and then heal itself, or at least attempt to balance itself, from the inside out. So, you may have to get special healthcare for such disorders and have an insole put in your shoes or have your shoes adjusted and so forth, but after that is in place, your feet may still feel tired and painful at times and therapeutic reflexology is the ideal healthcare modality to assist with this.
CONCLUSION
Therapeutic reflexology is an ideal healthcare modality to help with the alleviation of certain kinds of painful feet and it is one of the best supportive therapies to complement other medical care and healthcare you are receiving.
Considering therapeutic reflexology may be a good idea to deal with pain in your feet and since registered therapeutic reflexologists are professionally trained and regulated to function within a specific scope of practice, they will know when to refer you to another healthcare professional, when to cease treatment and when to continue treatment alongside any other healthcare you are receiving.
References:
Dougans, I. (2005) Reflexology: The 5 elements and their 12 meridians – a unique approach. London: Thorsons.
Institute for Creation Research (2015) Guide to the Human Body. Eugene, OR: Harvest House.
Scheepers, C.A. (2019) Christo Scheepers Therapeutic Reflexologist. [Online] Available from: https://www.christoscheepers.co.za [Accessed 11 July 2019].
—
Christo A. Scheepers: Therapeutic Reflexologist
Dip.T.R.(Cum Laude) [IARAMT]
AHPCSA: A11945
Pr. No.: 1080000737453
Tel. 072-800 7243