Reflexology To Compliment Cancer Care

While spending some time with a loved one battling cancer in recent weeks, I pondered the best method to use of what I know to bring about pain, nausea, and anxiety relief from chemotherapy treatments and improve their quality of life during this trying time. The method that called out the most to be utilized was reflexology.

Reflexology is a method of applying pressure to the feet, hands, and sometimes ears with precise thumb, finger, and hand techniques applied to specific zones that represent the internal environment of the body that works to exert a positive change internally. The history and it's use dates back as early as 2704 BCE from China and evidence spreads across the globe from Japan, to Egypt, to Russia, and finally to the West by the 19th century.

Extensive research has been conducted in the West from the early 1980's in relation to using reflexology for complimentary care for cancer patients. It's one of the methods that can be done in any setting, being noninvasive to the patient, and is beneficial to provide education to family members to include as home care. Research has shown that a 40 minute reflexology treatment is equal to one pain medication dosage and its pain relieving effects last for approximately 3 hours. In addition to the pain relief received from reflexology, there are a number of added benefits to utilizing this as a complimentary cancer care tool.

With patients enduring chemotherapy treatments, reflexology has shown to greatly reduce nausea and vomiting from a 30 minute session. And for more advanced cancer stages the benefits can be profound at improving the patient's quality of life, fatigue, reducing anxiety and depression, and pain relief.

What I found with my family member is that before the reflexology treatment, they were having a pretty bad day. They were not feeling well, in a great deal of pain, and weren't able to communicate verbally well or rest comfortably. After starting the reflexology treatment, firstly it put them at great ease, bringing abundant relaxation. Fibrous tissue adhesions were found at the corresponding areas of their hands and feet, hands being the thenar eminence and surrounding area and on the feet strong adhesions, stress points, and dark energy emanating from the areas of the arch relating to kidney and bladder, these relating to the origin of their tumor growth. She commented how sore and painful the base of their thumbs always are, which relate to the kidneys and adrenals. I worked in sequence the hands and the feet with small circular pressure strokes beginning then ending with “happy strokes” (to make everything all well and good for any painful pressure applied to relieve imbalances), following the pattern of : Upper warmer right plantar side foot then left, middle warmer right foot then left, lower warm right foot then left and repeated on dorsal side of feet and same for hands.

The communication and energy much improved while working with the hands and relaxation and deep sleep set in while working with the feet (with the exception of palpating stress points). Pain was relieved, if even for a moment, I was thankful. Thankful to see them and hear them relax and enjoy feeling calm and at peace.

This is such a beneficial modality to educate caregivers and family members of cancer patients. It can help the patient feel more in touch with their loved ones, more in touch with their surroundings, instead of so isolated by the cancer. It is also a way for a loved one or caregiver to participate actively, i.e. instead of just visiting the person, sit with them, talk with them, and actively work on their feet or hands, providing physical, mental, emotional, and energetic stimulation, balance, and comfort.

My Grandfather passed several years ago of lung cancer, and by the last few days of his physical life, although on a large dose of pain medication, his breakthrough pain was unfortunately intense. He requested that I come and be with him and work on him, being a licensed massage therapist. He so wanted the comfort of touch in his last hours. That touch had to come through reflexology because the only area that provided relief was through his feet. Although anyone could have been a great deal of help to him, I was honored in his last hours to be the giver of body and energy work through reflexology to my loved one passing of cancer.

I encourage anyone whose lives are touched with someone living, battling, or passing of cancer to learn some reflexology techniques and bring this comfort to them. Both your lives will be blessed for it!

Hand Reflexology Workbook: How to Work on Someone's Hands

Complete Reflexology for Life

Complete Guide to Foot Reflexology