Avoid the spinal scream...the scream you might let out when you have "done your back in". Does this sound familiar? Our spine is the very backbone of our lives, keeping us upright, mobile and flexible, it helps innervate every part of the body and is therefore central to our health and wellbeing.
31 pairs of spinal nerves, comprising both sensory nerves (these give us information about touch, pain, pressure, temperature and body position) and motor nerves (these give us information about our voluntary movements controlled by our skeletal muscles) ensure the vitality of our vertebral spine.
It is easy to take our spinal health for granted until something goes wrong; a sudden twist when getting out of the car, too much time slumped on a couch with a laptop, carrying heavy loads unevenly or simply giving it your all at the gym. Whatever the reason for your spinal issues reflexology can be of help.
Reflexology can help your spine with the following:
neck pain
torticollis
shoulder pain / stiffness
middle back stiffness /pain
low back pain
sciatica / lumbago
tight muscles
and more...
As a reflexologist I have the choice of working on at least 3 spines. Yes, you read correctly!
I can work on the spinal reflex zones found on the lateral aspect of your hands, running from the top of your thumbs to the pisiform, the bone that protrudes from the medial aspect of your hand - a straight line down from your little finger.
Or I may choose to work your feet. The feet lend themselves very well to working on the spinal reflex zones. These are found on the medial aspect of your feet, from the top of your big toe beginning with the cervicals, along the bony ridge running on the inside of your foot, down to the inside of your foot to your heel where you will find the coccyx. A spinal foot twist is a must - it is simply blissful!
The third option is to work the reflex zones of the spine on the ears. Ear reflexology is a relative new comer to the health scene but has very real benefits. These zones are not massaged per se, but rather are stimulated with a blunt metal probe with a small point on the end. The probe is used to pin-point the area needing work, whereupon a tiny square of surgical tape with a single round vaccaria seed will be stuck to the reflex zone requiring attention. The reason why a vaccaria seed is used is because it is almost perfectly round and very hard. The seed is left in place for up to 3 days on the tiny square of surgical tape and is pressed several times a day for 30 seconds to a minute. Think of it as homework!
Each of those 3 options complements the other, thereby strengthening the effect of the reflexology treatment. The fleshy areas either side of the bony ridges which represent the spine are the spinal muscles. As a reflexologist I can work the spinal muscles and various areas of the spine with just as much vigour and attention as a massage therapist, only on a much smaller scale, and never directly on the actual affected area but rather on the reflex or indirect area. Give it a go and surprise yourself!