Scottish Institute of Reflexology

ADAPTING REFLEXOLOGY FOR BACK PAIN

Introduction:

As a physiotherapist working in primary care in both the NHS and private practice, I deal with patients of all ages, backgrounds and conditions, with back pain of short and long duration, high and low intensity and varying degrees of severity. I know, having suffered the debilitating effects of back pain myself, what a miserable experience having back pain can be. For the last 8 years, I have used adapted reflextherapy to treat patients with chronic and acute spinal pains. This treatment has proved measurably effective in increasing patients’ spinal mobility, reducing pain, decreasing anxiety and irritability.

What is adapted reflextherapy?

Adapted reflextherapy is a treatment based on reflexology and related to the rationale of modern neurophysiology and neuroimmunology. The treatment is applied as pressure on the skin of the feet (hands can also be used if more appropriate) using five particular handhold techniques clinically developed from findings and outcomes of treating patients.

The clinical setting:

Who can be treated? Age is no barrier, provided the client meets the normal inclusion criteria for treatment. Children as young as 4 have been treated as well as a 90 year old lady, who had back pain and movement dysfunction. However, a patient’s other illnesses have to be considered in case of a contraindication.

Indication for adapted reflextherapy is any one who suffers from any sort of pain which medically can not be explained in any other way. A local knee pain can be interpreted as a local knee pain or in fact, as a referred pain from an old injury to the spine some time ago.

Contraindications are rare but have to be considered as part of any treatment regime. Patients suffering from conditions such as fever, TB, psychotic disturbance or schizophrenia, infectious diseases, thrombosis and phlebitis should not be treated with adapted reflextherapy. ‘Red flag’ symptoms are those needing immediate further investigation by a GP or consultant due to the possibility of the serious nature of cause of symptom e.g. fracture, neoplasm, infection, TB or other.

Medical history

We can all recall acute episodes of pain easily. But our memory often fails us on recounting old injuries. Previous falls and accidents could however be an integral part of a patient’s present pain pattern. Research shows that over time an unresolved injury, changes in the quality and quantity of peptide content in nerve cells can lead to a build up of noxious stimulation that maintains pain and, or, increases irritability in the tissues. This is particularly noticeable in cases after road traffic accidents when symptoms do not resolve. From observations made after using adapted reflextherapy, it is tempting to draw the conclusion that perhaps this type of treatment is changing the peptide content of the nerve cell. It certainly has the effect of unravelling layers of problems whether they are of neuro-, psycho- or myogenic in origin.

Examination of the feet

Most reflexology foot charts (Fig.1) are in full agreement of the location of the spine on the feet.

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