Do you visit a therapeutic reflexologist with unrealistic expectations in mind? Not intentionally, you may think, but since therapeutic reflexology is often the last resort of treatment, you may actually have unrealistic expectations of the therapist. In today’s post we’ll consider unrealistic expectations of your therapeutic reflexologist.
Therapeutic reflexology is a recognised healthcare modality in South Africa, not only effective in preventative healthcare, but also very effective in treating your body within the scope of practice issued by the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA), the statutory council regulating the profession in the country.
Many people are fully aware of the benefits of therapeutic reflexology and make use of the modality on a regular basis for treatment purposes or for maintenance purposes. Therapeutic reflexology may assist in the treatment of certain conditions in that it helps the body to relax and balance itself from the inside out. Therapeutic reflexology is also ideal for maintenance in that it can assist the body to keep chronic or long-term conditions under control.
We are all aware that stress is seen as the condition of our time and that the majority of illness conditions in modern society are caused by stress and those that are not caused by stress, are usually worsened by stress. Keeping your stress levels under control is therefore very important in order to maintain good health and wellness. People are aware that therapeutic reflexology is one of the best healthcare modalities to use in order to manage stress levels, because it helps the body to relax, destress and balance itself in the midst of a constantly stressful environment. Patients that have been using therapeutic reflexology regularly in order to keep stress levels under control, knows the value of this healthcare modality.
On the other hand, there are many people that only make use of therapeutic reflexology as a last resort. When these people struggle with a certain condition, they may spend thousands of Rands going for the one medical test after the other and from the one practitioner to the next therapist. Eventually when nothing seems to work, they would end up at the therapeutic reflexologist and then expect miracles to happen within one session. That refers to unrealistic expectations.
Therapeutic reflexology offers many benefits and having been involved in this modality since 2003, I am able to speak about many positive results patients have experienced. However, therapeutic reflexology is a healthcare modality and not a miracle cure. Any person promising you miracles through reflexology, is obviously not formally registered and regulated by the AHPCSA and probably also not adequately trained. Therapeutic reflexology may offer benefits and may assist your body to heal itself, or at least attempt to balance itself, but it is not a miracle that you should expect within one session.
When you go to the physiotherapist, you expect to have your muscles worked on in an attempt to improve your mobility, but you do not expect miracles. When you go to your medical doctor, you expect the doctor to diagnose and treat you with medication, but it takes time and you do not expect a miracle. When you go to a chiropractor, you expect the practitioners to adjust your spinal vertebrae that may affect positive change in your body, but you do not expect a miracle. The same should be true when you visit the therapeutic reflexologist; we shall work on the reflexes (nerve endings) on your feet and sometimes on other body parts like the hands and ears in an attempt to assist your body to relax, destress and balance itself, but we do not offer miracles.
Each person reacts differently on therapeutic reflexology treatment and sometimes it takes a few sessions before any results are experienced. Do not have unrealistic expectations when visiting your therapeutic reflexologists; we are therapists, not miracle workers.
A good rule of thumb to keep in mind, is that if your incorrect lifestyle of the past 5 years caused you certain illness conditions or health challenges, allow yourself at least 5 years before expecting to feel like you did before getting involved in the wrong lifestyle choices.
Does that mean that you may have to get therapeutic reflexology for the next 5 years? No, that is not what is said. What is said, is that you should not have unrealistic expectations of a healthcare modality. If you have a very stressful work or live in stressful circumstances, it may be beneficial for you to get regular therapeutic reflexology session in order to control the stress. What is meant with regular sessions will vary from person to person. Some patients get two sessions per week, others get one session per week while others get one session per month. It depends on your condition, what you would like to accomplish with the therapeutic reflexology sessions and also what you are able to afford. Each person’s situation is unique. It is always beneficial to speak to your therapeutic reflexologist to discuss duration of treatment.
AHPCSA registered therapeutic reflexologists will not continue to treat you if you are not experiencing any benefits from the sessions. There are strict guidelines as to what therapists may ethically do and not. Continuing treatment just to make money from a patient is unethical. Continuous treatment is possible if it benefits a patient, for example, if the patient wants to deal with stress effectively.
If you visit a properly qualified and professionally registered and regulated therapeutic reflexologist, then the best interest of the patient is always the major focus during treatment. The therapeutic reflexologist will do no harm and always act and treat in the best interest of the patient.
When visiting a therapeutic reflexologist, you should have expectation. You should expect a professional healthcare service. You should expect ethical behaviour from the therapist. You should expect to receive the best possible treatment from a qualified and registered therapist and you may expect to feel relaxed and feel destressed during and after the session. You may even expect to pay a reasonable fee; at my practice medical aid rates are charged in order to not exploit the finances of patients, but to charge a reasonable fee for the service as prescribed by the medical societies.
What you should not do, is have unrealistic expectations!
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Christo A. Scheepers: Therapeutic Reflexologist
Dip.T.R.(Cum Laude) [IARAMT]
AHPCSA: A11945
Pr. No.: 1080000737453
Tel. 072-800 7243