I have been treating patients with cancer for many years with reflexology.
I find it is especially helpful when received on the day of a cancer
treatment such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy. It can help to relieve
the symptoms or negative side effects. It is a gentle treatment without
contra indications (this means things that would mean you could not do
it), so is relaxing and the gentle touch is soothing at a time when not
everything feels nice being done to your body. It can help sleep, anxiety
and in improving energy levels.
I myself was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago and received regular
reflexology treatments plus continued with my daily meditation/yoga
practice to help me get through a difficult time and come out positively
into a wonderful life, where my thoughts and ideas had shifted/changed.
In my experience, Cancer made me stop and think about my time and
how I wanted to spend it from that moment on.
Yoga can help physical strength, mobility and flexibility after operations or
treatments and help a student feel more empowered over your body,
where the medical interventions can leave you feeling unempowered.
Breathing techniques (pranayama) can improve the amount of oxygen in
your body and calm the mind and soul, reducing anxiety and worries.
Meditation, mindfulness and relaxation can help to reduce stress levels
and the unwanted hormones that go along with that, helping to improve
sleep patterns and a feeling of being refreshed by it.
Some people find they feel more spiritual and more settled emotionally
generally with life, improving the control they feel over their bodies and
lives. These things are similar to any general exercise and improvement
in diet plus sleeping well.
There are many studies on the effect’s alternative therapies (ones that
work alongside the traditional medical treatments offered privately or by
the NHS for cancer) such as reflexology or yoga can have on the
outcomes of cancer treatments. Nothing has proven that they offer
anything concrete. They are not to be used instead of conventional
medicine, which has also taken hundreds of years to develop, but they
may help as outlined above. There are many reasons someone can get
cancer, genetic, environmental, lifestyle choices and emotional triggers
such as stress or trauma and I don’t think we know enough to know what
conclusively will cure it: everyone’s journey is unique to them! Most of the
studies however state that those who practice yoga have better outcomes
both in quality of life and better survival rates by managing symptoms
better.
It’s your time, so you decide what you want. I can provide any recipe to your needs. All treatments
start with a free 15 consultation on first appointment, so we can be sure you will get what you want
and need. There are some contraindications to some essential oils or techniques, so it is important
that I get an idea of your medical history.
