Frequently Asked Questions

'The body contains the inherent ability and intelligence to heal itself provided it is given the opportunity to do so.'
Hippocrates, the "Father of Medicine" 450-357 BC

About your Therapist

Caroline qualified with the Association of Reflexology in 2000, this qualification is recognised by the NHS and Private Health Care Companies. Caroline is also a qualified Angelic Reiki Master Practitioner, Registered Healer with the British Healers Association and has trained in Hopi Ear Candling.

She has gained experience from running a busy practice for over 10 years as well as having undertaken further professional training which has given Caroline a breadth of knowledge in treating a wide range of conditions. 

What do you charge for a treatment?

I charge £30.00 for each treatment, however if you wish to combine Reflexology and Reiki, or Reflexology and Hopi Ear Candling there is no extra charge, the cost of £30.00 covers my time, not the treatments you select!

The ancient healing art of Reflexology has been known to man for thousands of years. The therapy was first practiced by the early Indians, Chinese and Eyptians. The earliest pictorial evidence is found in a pyramid in Saggara, Eygypt dated 2,500 BC. Reflexology was the chosen source to evaluate the health of patients.

In 1913 Dr William Fitzgerald an American E.N.T. surgeon noted that when he applied pressure to specific parts of the feet, this had an anaethetising effect on related parts of the body.

Dr. Fitzgerald divided the body up into 10 zones. Zones ran through the whole body ending in fingers and toes. Thus areas within the same zone effect one another.

Dr. Riley also from the world of medicine was impressed with Dr. Fitzgeralds findings as was a physio in his practice Eunice Ingham (mother of reflexology). She concentrated her work much more on the feet, which enabled her to map accurate and precise mappings of reflexes on the feet.

Reflexology was brought to the U.K in the 1960's by Doreen Bayly, who had trained under Eunice Ingham.

 

No, as a reflexologist we do not diagnose symptoms. I can say where there are issues or imbalances and help you to resolve them, and if necessary, refer you to someone who can give a precise diagnosis such as your G.P. or someone else in the complementary field.

 

It can help in many ways to relieve the symptoms of pregnancy such as
morning sickness, swollen feet or ankles. The relaxing effect of the treatments can help balance the hormones. It is good for the baby to! Reflexology has proved to help with conception and is used in some NHS hospitals to aid fertility treatments
 

Is there any scientific evidence that it works?

Research into complementary therapies has been slow but there are more studies ongoing now than ever before. Reflexology has had very few studies carried out but of those done, there have been some positive ones.

- Pregnant women were offered free Reflexology session while pregnant. Of those who received Reflexology the 20 - 25 year olds had an average time of first stage labour of 5 or 6 hours. The 26 - 30 year olds seemed to have the longest labours, whereas the 30 to 40 year olds, who included many first time mothers, had labour times of 2 to 3 hours.
Overall, the average first stage of labour was 5 hours, compared to the textbook average of 16 to 24 hours.
 

The second stage of labour lasted 16 minutes, compared to the textbook average of 1 to 2 hours, and the third stage of labour averaged 7 minutes.

Only 5.4% of the women who had reflexology treatment required emergency caesarian section compared to an average of 13% in Newham district where the study was conducted.

Dr. Gowri Motha and Dr. Jane McGrath, Forest Gate, London

- In the area of cancer care, Reflexology is considered a useful adjunct to medical treatment and is often found on offer in cancer care units.

- In Denmark it has been shown that babies are relieved of their colic symptoms by reflexology.

- A study has been carried out on Multiple Sclerosis patients and it showed that reflexology positively helped with the muscle spasms while not resulting in muscle weakness unlike the conventional drug treatment.

- A study was carried out as long ago as 1993 that showed a positive effect of Reflexology on PMS.
 

- A few years ago, researchers at Glostrop hospital, Copenhagen, demonstrated that reflexology can help relieve the acute pain suffered by patients with kidney stones.

- Researchers in Austria studied the effects of reflexology upon renal blood flow. 32 healthy young adults, participated in a placebo-controlled, double blind trial. The two groups showed significant differences; a highly significant decrease showed during and following reflexology. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that reflexology is effective in influencing renal blood flow and confirms the results of independent research that reflexology can significantly help kidney function.

 

How many treatments will I need?

This entirely depends on the clients needs. Some clients choose a 'one off' treatment for general relaxation, those with more complex needs such as high levels of stress or IBS for example may decide to book a course of treatments. The usual suggestion is one treatment every week for 3/4 sessions then 1 treatment a fortnight for a month. However the ultimate decision is always with the client and I prefer to encourage the clients to listen to their own bodies and the response they get from a treatment, usually determines their own treatment plan.

 

Children do benefit greatly from reflexology/healing, However children under 16 do require an adult to be present and would require a parent/guardian consent form before treatment can be given.

 

Call 01889 508291 or click here to email me if you require any further information