Reflexology and Pain Management

Complementary therapies such as reflexology are increasingly integrated into pain management :)

Discomfort is never fun! Especially when it comes to chronic pain. With the last week of September marking World Reflexology Week, let's explore how reflexology can help in pain management. 😉

Reflexology and Pain Management

I attended a pain management program class at a local private hospital in Brisbane last year. The photo is from one of the learning materials that was used in the class. I was pleasantly surprised to find reflexology (together with Reiki) listed as one of the pain management tools during a management program class. 👣

Reflexology is increasingly recognised in conventional settings for its potential benefits in pain management, offering complementary approach alongside Western conventional medicine. While the term ‘alternative’ is still used in the handout from the hospital, the term complementary therapies is preferred to be used. The key is integration. It all comes down to integrating different modalities to complement each other’s strengths and working together with or without allopathic and allied healthcare. 😃

Reflexology has been used for managing various pain conditions, such as injuries, labours, post operative recovery, and chronic pain. A survey of American combat soldiers with chronic pain revealed that just one session of foot reflexoloy led to a 43% reduction in pain scores for men and 41% for women. The study concluded that reflexology, much like acupuncture, is affordable, effective and easy-to-learn noninvasive treatment (Kern et al., 2018).

Stress and Pain - how reflexology can help

You might have noticed that stress is connected to pain, making it worse and increasing how sensitive we feel to discomfort. 🤔 Pain sensitivity and the autonomic nervous system (ANS) significantly influence each other (Hohenschurz-Schimidt, D.J., et al., 2020). The ANS, along with the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis plays a crucial role in our body’s stress response. Understanding how stress interacts with the HPA axis and the ANS is essential for addressing chronic health issues like chronic pain, and improve our overall health and well-being (Wyns et al., 2023).

Research has shown that reflexology is an excellent way to manage both pain and stress. Since pain can stress the whole body, and it often affects the whole system, reflexology can help reduce the feeling of stress, which in turn reduces pain and eases the accompanying symptoms of pain such as fatigue, depression and anxiety. (Samarehfekri. A., et al., 2020; Want, W-L., et al., 2020). 😌

Facial reflexology - great for the body (& beauty), mind and spirit :)

Reflexology as a Natural Pain Reliever

One explanation why reflexology is effective for pain management might be it creates a meditative state. A mindful meditation itself is known to contribute positively to pain management for long-lasting chronic pain (la Cour, P. & Petersen, M., 2014). 😌

What makes reflexology truly special is the power of human touch. Manual therapies such as massage and other tactile therapies like reflexology, are known to release the anti-stress hormone, oxytocin to contribute to overall well-bing (Uvnäs-Moberg, K. et al., 2014). Reflexology also triggers the release of endorphins, which are the body’s natural pain relievers that support healing, and many people find that reflexology plays a wonderful role in their healing journey! (Embong, N. H., et al., 2015). 😃

Please remember... - about Reflexology treatment

Regular tactile treatments can greatly benefit both physical and mental well-being, regardless of age or gender (Uvnäs-Moberg, K. et al., 2014). Like anything in life—be it exercise, sleep, diet, supplements, or mindset—consistency is key! It’s all about achieving balance and harmony. :)

Reflexology is a type of therapy that uses gentle pressure on specific points, often worked on your feet ;)

Happy World Reflexology Week 2024!

Keep in touch at Tree of Life: Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Naturopathy & Reiki :) For more reflexology information, visit our website :)