Helping Children with Reflexology

These stories were received following the Reflexology eNewsletter Sent out by Bill Flocco regarding 74 Schools in Lambeth, near London, England that have people trained in Reflexology go into the schools to give students with behavioral problems sessions of Reflexology. To contact Bill Flocco, visit the Americian Academy of Reflexology in Los Angeles.

Unexpectedly, that Reflexology eNewsletter, triggered Reflexologists sending in success stories of how Reflexology was helpful in relieving a wide range of health challenges for children from 10 days to 16 years of age

3 Year Old with Cerebral Palsy & Extreme Pain
I currently am assisting a 3-year old boy with Cerebral Palsy, once/week, using Reflexology mostly, after some calming massage to begin. He really enjoys it, and his mom says results are extreme calm, followed by happy energy later. Less seizures are happening as well. Reflexology works? You bet! Cindy Rice, Oregon

10 Year Old Hyper
My nephew - 10 years old - got a few Reflexology sessions from me while I was visiting in Los Angeles. He was running on extra Duracell batteries and running my 54 year-old brother ragged. Amazing, how Reflexology works. Patricia Goldberg, Hawaii

Child With Seizures
We had a student whose' son could not attend grade school because of seizures. His medicine was unreliable. Once she learned how to work the pituitary reflex and found how well it worked for her son's seizures, she taught his teacher, the school Principal and nurse and his friends how to do the easy technique. He now attends regular school with his friends and his seizures have dramatically reduced. Bobbi Warren, California

Ear Aches - Ear Surgery Avoided
This is OUR first experience with Reflexology back in 1967. My brother had continual earaches during swimming season and the Dr. wanted to insert the tubes in his ear. Mom worked his ear reflexes every night for 2 weeks and when it came time for the operation ... there was no problem and he never had problems with his ears since then. Love this stuff and how well it works with kids! Bobbi and Muff Warren, California

10 Day Old Constipated And Hiccups
I have a friend who is 48 who recently gave birth to fraternal twin boys ... I was recruited to help out with burping and just the general juggling of feeding 2 at once. When I was holding adorable 10 day old baby Thomas, he became very fussy although he had already burped and was changed. He clearly was trying to sleep, yawning and closing his eyes - but kept on opening those baby blues and fussing more and more. I could feel gurgling - and his Mom said he hadn't had a bowel movement that day. I so gently stroked the center of each foot with the slightest of pressure and in about 3 minutes there was another burp, some gas and a bowel movement - followed by an 'oh so deep' breath, closed eyes and a sound asleep baby. This is a baby who reportedly does not like to have his diaper changed at all - we did it anyway when he fell asleep and he just didn't even wake up to notice. Later, after the next meal, Thomas got the hiccups - and they just would not quit - finally after about 5 minutes it occurred to me to use reflexology again. I gently applied the softest pressure to the rim of each ear - and after about 30 seconds they were gone! He looked straight up at me - I know babies this young cannot really focus as older babies can - but I know he knew something had happened! Annalise Evenson, New York

3 Month Old Constipated
Another friend and neighbor dropped into my apartment in NYC to introduce me to her friend who was visiting with her 3 month old baby - a beautiful baby girl - who was also fretting. The mother explained that she was constipated and had been since birth - with about 1 bowel movement a week. She said that the pediatrician said it was 'normal' for her but that she felt so badly for her little girl. As we chatted I asked if I could apply a little reflexology to the baby's foot. We chatted another 10 minutes as I worked on the baby's feet - plantar midfoot. When I first began to work on her, this little girl turner her head so fast to look at me - eyes opening very wide! Shortly my friend and her friend stood to leave - and as they walked down the hall to the elevator - all of a sudden we heard an explosion of gas from this adorable little girl! I later heard from my friend that the little girl had "pooped" all the way home in the car - but more surprisingly - had had 2 bowel movements a day for the next 6 days! When they came back to town to visit - I showed the Mom what I had done - and how to do it herself. Months later I heard that the little girl had stopped needing reflexology for that problem when she reached six months - but that it had been a gift for the Mom to learn for the 3 months in between. The Mom also said that she had not realized just how much the constipation had affected her baby until they experienced her being 'regular.' Annalise Evenson, New York

Children With ADHD
I wrote an article on Reflexology for Children with ADHD after seeing all of the new coverage for Reflexology for children.
http://reflexology.suite101.com/article.cfm/reflexology_for_children_with_adhd
Amy Kreydin, Massachusetts

4 Months Old Plagiocephaly
I'm writing to share with you my experience with my nephew, Connor. He will be two next month. He has a twin sister whom received most of the nutrients within my sister's womb, leaving him small, weak and with a few physical issues. As a small infant, he had digestive problems and about 4mos. I noticed his head was showing signs of Plagiocephaly. Without going into details, my sister chose not to do anything about it. I decided to give him Reflexology when I'd see him, & it's been enough to have calmed his stomach issues and his head looks MORE normal. Motor skills are fine and seems to be on track for his age. Now when I see him, he comes up to me several times during a visit and offers his ear(s) to me, sits in my lap and melts into me (what a glorious feeling). I have even glimpsed him working on himself. : ) I'm still finding appreciation, gratitude and love for this work. Thank you again, for sharing this incredible modality with the world. Sherae Kim, California

6 Year Old Sleep
My 6 year old grandson request reflexology foot, hands and ears every night before going to sleep. It relaxes him and he goes to sleep. Barbara Fukuda, California

16 Year Old Hyper
I have a 16 year old niece that had problems with slowing down. When she was 7 years old she had excessive energy and it was very difficult for her to go to bed in the evening at 9:00PM. A jabber mouth, She would be up at 6:00AM and zoom, like a rocket...all day until bedtime which was a major event to the point that her father would pick her up and take her to her room and put her in bed. She was not diagnosed with ADD but had many of the symptoms we hear about. I started working on her and in about 5 minutes she was quiet, not even talking. After 10 minutes she was calmed, relaxed and just stared at me. It was quite a sight to see especially when her parents came into the other room to see why she was so quiet. (They wondered if I tied her up or taped her mouth.) I could not see her on a regular basis, but when I would work on her, she became quite 'normal,' as the expression goes. I did about 10 minutes on each foot the first time. All of the other sessions were about 30 minutes. I haven't worked on her in about 2 years now, but She enjoys it a lot when I do. It's amazing how Reflexology how reduce stress in Parents. I also have attended Children's fairs in Santa Fe Springs and Whittier to introduce Reflexology to parents to show the benefits. Randy Osuna, California.

Oil / Lotion Recommendations

I've been through quite a number of lotions and oils in my day, and I've got some advice. I always recommend using the highest quality products whenever possible. Using harsh, clogging chemicals on the skin on a regular basis can be hazardous to your health.

Let's look at a few questions that will certainly affect your oil/lotion decision. What is the objective of your treatment -- Relaxation or therapeutic? Is there a shower available? Is price a factor in your purchase? What style of massage do you fancy?

Before I get into it, I'd like to offer a thought of caution to the beginning therapist. Don't be a grease monkey. Many schools today start you off with basic Swedish techniques where oil is used and I feel too much oil on the body becomes a bad habit. I find many therapists reach for the oil right from the start of a treatment and would probably have trouble giving a massage without it. Learn to work without the grease. I suggest the first part of your treatment should be done without lubricant. This will allow you to assess the muscles and joint systems much more effectively and will give your treatment a more dynamic look.

Since I'm not planning to give an exhaustive dissertation on this topic, I suggest you get more background at this following site. I found this site in the massage magazine and it's sponsored by Biotone. Biotone is one of the leading names in the lotion and oil business and I've used there products for years -- I feel they can be a good commercial source for most of your needs.

Of course there are more natural and pure companies such as Aubrey, but their lotions don't hold up well during a massage. I love Aubrey Organics, but not for the massage gig.

Here's an interesting article that covers popular oils used today for massage -- Click here Besides their recommendations, I have experienced hazelnut oil and found it to be a nice base that mixes well with essential oils. Regarding essential oils, the Young Living Essential Oil blends are fantastic.

I have a great cream for the foot rub. It's called Sole Solution and it's made by NuSkin. When massaging the feet, you need a very thick goo to achieve the proper traction. Don't even consider giving a great foot rub with oil -- it just doesn't work. Also, Sole Solution is a great treatment for cracked skin at the bottom of the heels.

If you are interested in this product, send me a comment and I will help you order it. Since NuSkin is a direct sales company, you must order it through a distributor in the company -- That would be yours truly. I've been a distributor now for 5 years and it's one of the voices calling me away from the touch therapy business. It's a fantastic business opportunity and soon I will feature some entries explaining the benefits of getting involved.

Now after all that advice, I'd like to give you the straight poop. For the most part stick with a professional massage lotion and oil company like Biotone. I suggest that you order it directly from the company, because a second party like a store or distribution center. The products are more likely to sit around longer and the quality will be compromised.

Stick with an unscented product and my choices from the Biotone catalog are dual purpose massage cream (works very much like an oil, but less greasy) and their unscented deep tissue lotion for deep tissue massage and structural integration.

Torch Meeting Report - 1-11-09

For the last several months, I've been holding informal trainings with my therapists and today a major shift occurred. I invited 3 new therapists to our meeting and an idea that's rumbled in my thoughts for a long time is now taking shape.

The idea is to create a staff or affiliation of highly skilled and professional body workers (my vision sees a solid 8 individuals with 4 alternates) that can grow and work together for the sake of the team and for the sake of their own individual growth. The right team is always better than the sum of the individual parts.

As I pass the torch, I want to help my therapists live their dreams. What I hold in my heart is that if I can help them and thousands of folks on the planet, then my dreams can come true.

If they want to learn to be the best therapist they can be that's fantastic and I completely support that -- But I've encouraged them to go further and reach higher. At the same time I will encourage all of you to stretch yourself outside of your comfort zone. That's where growth occurs. Think big and big things will happen!

I understand the road of a massage therapist. I've lived it for close to 30 years. I want you to put aside all the love and healing you do for a living and let's talk business. Robert Kiyosaki, author of numerous books on wealth has said it best in his best seller, Rich Dad, Poor Dad -- You can never attain true wealth just working for yourself or working for someone else. There's not enough hours in the day to create wealth and true freedom -- see a quick youtube presentation . Robert will explain the realities of being self employed and my advice is that you can be more as you continue your massage therapy business. I encourage you to investigate some of the options I've chosen for myself -- just drop me an email at dapassingthetorch@gmail.com.

Well our meeting today was great. We had my regular therapists -- Risa, Dov and Elaine joined my brand new folks Amanda, Chris and Brian. The new therapists brought great energy and have over 60 years of experience collectively.

The topic today was trigger point therapy addressing the hip and lower back. I ran my brand new video camcorder (Wow -- Sony SR11 with a 60 gig hard drive on board). I hope to get some video up asap (As soon as I learn to do it).

We discussed trigger point therapy and with the beauty of the web you can gain instant access to most of the literature we covered -- see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigger_point. It's amazing to have this info at your fingertips.

Here's a few excerpts from this site:

The term "trigger point" was coined in 1942 by Dr. Janet Travell to describe a clinical finding with the following characteristics:

• Pain related to a discrete, irritable point in skeletal muscle or fascia, not caused by acute local trauma, inflammation, degeneration, neoplasm or infection.
• The painful point can be felt as a tumor or band in the muscle, and a twitch response can be elicited on stimulation of the trigger point.
• Palpation of the trigger point reproduces the patient's complaint of pain, and the pain radiates in a distribution typical of the specific muscle harboring the trigger point.
• The pain cannot be explained by findings on neurological examination.

What I find most interesting is how different histologically a trigger point region is from normal tissue. Biopsy tests found that trigger points were hyperirritable and electrically active.

Now what does all that mumbo jumbo mean. From my understanding, there are muscle cells that are functioning abnormally and fractured components of the cell cannot properly process the flow of electrical ions thus creating and sustaining focal, localized muscle cell contractions (biochemists feel free to chime in and help me out).

What's most important to know is that massage methods can come to rescue and bring relief to these type of problems. In our class today we covered elbow, knee and forearm compression to the lower back and hips. I demonstrated myofascial stripping of the paraspinals and we (Dov and I) even did a little tandem treatment to the hips.

With our model on the side position, we looked at some press and stretch techniques applied to the psoas and iliopsoas. I feel the side position is one of the best ways to treat this area. Then we applied this stretch and press techniques to the adductors.

It was a tremendous class and I'm certain this is the beginning of great things to come. Stay tuned for some video clips from this meeting.

Consider A Holistic Approach To Your Practice

Why is this important? Why would I discuss such a topic on a site that is dedicated to touch therapy and improving your career?

If we use a holistic approach to our practice, we can elevate our career and enhance our overall well being. If we think holistic, we acknowledge that any aspect of our life affects the whole. Here I will explain the holistic model and how it can impact your practice.

I like to use the rocket ship model to help explain this story. I view ourselves as a rocket ship and there are 3 major components that define the life the rocket ship takes.

1) Our mind and thoughts are the engines and the steering mechanism guiding us through our daily activities.

In regards to our thoughts, we have thousands upon thousands each day and although the experts disagree as to the exact tally, one thing is certain -- what we think about doesn't change. We tend to think the same thoughts day after day after day. To improve this part of our rocket ship, consider personal development. In my last entry, I spoke of goal setting and I recommended a great website that refers to several of the top leaders in this arena. Visit Jim Rohn and browse the different CDs, DVDs and reading suggestions. Find something that interests you or choose a product or service that will support any area that you feel can be strengthened.

The mind and thoughts will affect our attitudes, posture or presence, conduct, beliefs, speech, goals and dreams. Can you think of other areas in our practice the mind and thoughts can affect?

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2) Next we have the structure of the rocket ship itself. We can view the rocket ship we live in as our armor or shell -- This encompasses our physical health. As our rocket ship travels through time, we want to fortify and strengthen it and always be aware of how we use it.

This is my favorite part to discuss, and in future entries I will go over in grand detail the strategies you can utilize to help give you the edge in your practice. One of my major influences in my career was the time I spent with R. Grant Ramey, inventor of the Embodi-Cloud. I suggest you visit Embodiment to view his method.

The Embodi-Cloud is a product that will put the major joint systems of the body in a more centered or neutral position. This innovation particularly brings important attention to the position of entire upper extremity as it relates to the torso.

The big picture is that body positions give us a feeling and if we can identify more intellegently how we are feeling, then the whole process of our treatment will be enhanced.

Our armor or shell will affect our postures and body positions and determine the quality of our treatments. Can you think of other ways the body can affect our practice?

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3) Last but not least we have our rocket fuel that propels us forward on our journey and this encompasses our nutritional health. The nutritional factors that affect our life are air, water, sunlight, food, supplementation and sleep/rest. Can you think of how these components can affect your practice?

In my practice I specialize in nutrition and wanted to share a few items that has influenced my career.

Regarding supplementation, I would like to share a extraordinary technology that I use in my practice all the time. It's the BioPhotonic Antioxidant Scanner. I will save many details for another entry, but feel free to click on the name above to get an overview.

Second I credit Dr. Tim OShea, D.C. and his programs for giving me such valuable insight in the general field of nutrition. His methods and programs can be found at here.

This entry covers a vast amount of information and I welcome your comments.

Dr. Allan to Start Teaching Again

I've always loved to teach. Whatever I get into, I found a way to teach it. To me it's sharing and helping folks and in return I get a profound sense of understanding what I already know. I don't believe you really know something until you can teach it.

I put down my teaching gloves after 19 years (1982-2001). At that time I needed a break and knew I would return to the field some day -- when the right opportunity opened up and my heart was back in it.

Well, the teaching Gods are calling and I've throne my hat back in the ring. My good friend and colleague Dr. Paul Schwinghamer, owner of the California Healing Arts College in Los Angeles has coaxed me to join a new program that will be coming to the school next month in February of 2009. I'm slated to teach reflexology and possibly some of my other innovative techniques.

I've always admired Dr. Schwinghamer for his dedication to the massage industry and profession. His school has stood the test of time and is the first accredited school in the state of California to offer a 1000 plus hour program. As this new program unfolds, you will be the first to hear about it.

Visit the California Healing Arts College for more information.

Setting Your Goals & Dreams for 2009

I was in a training session with my therapists last weekend and we each took a few minutes to discuss our goals and dreams for 2009.

It's extremely important to do this and most of us let this fall by the wayside. I know I've done that most of my career. Guilty! Guilty! Let me explain a little more here. Discussing goals and dreams I've done on a regular basis, but I have not sat down with any regularity and set the ink to paper and then followed through. There are very specific details when it comes to goal setting.

Now I look at you as all my children (I do have two of my own), and I never want my children to struggle what I went through so listen closely.

If you want a stellar career as a therapist, you need to have a road map. You need a specific strategy to follow and then stay motivated to see it through.

If you are still with me on this entry, I will not let you down. If you are guilty of not writing down your goals for 2009, there's always hope and here's the next step.

Go to this website to pick up a copy of the greatest goal setting book of all times called Think and Grow Rich -- and it's essentially free. No, I'm not part of this link and have no financial interest at all. I know the folks behind this operation and they are great quality people that you can trust.

Here you will listen to Vic Johnson explain all the details. Vic's a great spirit and motivating teacher. I purchased his online seminar course on Think and Grow Rich (that can be found on www.jimrohn.com) and it's fantastic.

Also on this site you can download the classic personal development text for free -- As A Man Thinketh. That's what I like F R E E!

Here's the bottom line -- As you develop your skills as a professional body worker, you want to make sure you are growing your internal consciousness. Goal setting is part of that process and part of your personal development.

I am presently involved with several activities that are growing my internal consciousness. In future entries, I will go more into detail and describe what I'm doing now and share some of my goals for this glorious year of the Ox - 2009.

Movement Principles -- Employing Good Biomechanics

Massage therapy can be a physically demanding profession. That's why it is critical to pay attention to how we do our treatment as well as the consideration of what we do.

Using principles of physics, we can learn how to minimize the strain of most movements. I've come up with 10 movement principles that will help make your treatment less taxing and more effective at the some time.

There are always exceptions to the rules, but overall these principles can be utilized in most circumstances.

FYI: I intend to have video support soon to drive the information to you with more clarity. Do check back frequently as I will be adding and updating this blog on a regular basis. Here you go...


MOVEMENT PRINCIPLES

1)HANDS MOVE - BODY MOVES -- Get your body moving with your hands. Your body should move as a whole, and not as a collection of parts.

2)DIRECTION OF DRIVE -- The direction of force should be perpendicular to the contact point. Get your body to support your hand movements. Pay attention to the direction of force on any given move and the objective is to have the body supporting the line of drive as much as possible.

3)PUSH OFF FROM YOUR FEET -- Feel the energy coming up through the feet, up through the body, and out your hands.

4)FLEX AT YOUR KNEES AND HIPS -- Avoid bending at your waist.

5)KEEP HEAD CENTERED ON TORSO & try to maintain your spinal curves. Pay attention to where your head is in any given posture.

6)STAY CLOSE TO CONTACT POINT -- For most pressure movements, get up close to the contact point to maximize your leverage.

7)HEAD AND SPINE ELONGATE AS FORCE IS APPLIED -- Feel your head and torso lengthen as pressure is delivered. In simplified terms, besides the forward movement that occurs on any given move, consider up and down movement to create a lengthening in the torso.

8)THE BODY NEVER MOVES IN STRAIGHT LINES -- Create a wave like or rotational motion as force is released from your body.

9)IN A CHAIR - SIT FORWARD WITH LEGS STAGGERED -- Utilize the same principles used in standing. Sit at the end of the chair and sit in an upright posture. This will be the starting place. Create a wave like motion in the torso (up and forward and down and back).

10)BREATH AWARENESS -- Coordinate your breath during your treatment. Exhale on exertion.

Reflexology Defined With Comment

I was asked to define reflexology for a textbook entitled Touchabilities - Essential Connections. written by my good friend Iris Burman of Educating Hands Massage School and Sandy Friedland. For legal purposes, this material is copyrighted 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning - part of Thomson Corp.

Having been involved with reflexology early on in my career, I've had the pleasure to watch the profession grow and take part in several beginning phases from the creation of the national certification board to many of the associations in place today.

Here is my definition from Touchabilities:

Reflexology is a practice based on the principle that manual pressure with specific thumb and finger techniques applied to the hands and feet will create physiological, chemical and emotional changes throughout the body.

In Reflexology, an overlay of the body image is positioned over both the hands and feet. Stimulation to the hand and foot points reflexively affects corresponding body parts and can produce positive health benefits.

At face value we have appendages with five digits attached that are made for touching, feeling, standing and walking. Looking more closely at the hands and feet, an entire world emerges. There is a display of lines, colors, toe and finger shapes, skin texture and temperature, as well as sensations as pressure is applied. Healthy hands and feet should not be tender to firm pressure and when they are, it's a warning sign that the health of the hands and feet or the overall body is compromised.

From a holistic perspective, the body functions as a whole and is therefore affected by everything we do and say. Reflexologists not only see and evaluate the body through the body image on their hands and feet, their direct application of pressure to specific points reflexively affects the entire body.

Reflexology is versatile and simple to use as a self-help modality. It is a wellness and therapeutic practice that brings relief to many ailments and provides important sensory stimulation at the point of application. It is noninvasive and provides nourishing pressure and joint movements to everyday "abused hands and feet," relieving them of local pent-up stress and reducing overall stress levels throughout the body.