Reflexology for Decreasing Menopause Symptoms

Constadina Zarokostas-Vasiliades

First published in June 2013 at: http://menopausemission.com/reflexology-for-decreasing-menopause-symptoms

Are you going through menopause changes and are so overwhelmed with trying to get in touch with your body that you don’t know where to begin?  Consider going to a reflexologist or trying a few reflexology methods on your own.  Reflexology provides the opportunity to work on trigger points that can influence hot flushes by working on points connected to the thyroid and pituitary glands, nerve and blood supply for better circulation, as well as organs such as the uterus, the ovaries, and liver that can affect your hormone levels.  Touching these trigger points may get you more in touch with which menopause symptoms your body is most sensitive to.

If you are unfamiliar with the term reflexology, it is an ancient method of massaging acupressure points, most commonly in the hands and feet.  It dates back as far as ancient Egypt, where hieroglyphs have been found showing figures having their hands and feet treated. The methods in which reflexology has been practiced as a therapy has transformed over centuries and in different countries, but the main purpose has pretty much been the same, to provide the body balance and relieve it from stress and tension internally, externally, as well as emotionally.

Some people are uncomfortable with having a stranger touch and rub their hands and feet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try a few popular methods on your own.  The following methods are a few you can try in the privacy of your home.

For the thyroid and neck area, to help control hot flushes and circulation: Use your right thumb to work across the base of your first three toes, starting with your big toe and rub three times.  Next, support your right foot with your left fist and use your index finger to work the base of your toes on the top part of your foot.  Do this three times across the joint. Now do the exact same movements on the left foot using the opposite thumb and fist placements.

For the pituitary hypothalamus and pineal areas, to help control hot flushes and circulation:  Use your right thumb to work the bottom right side of your right big toe. Do an upward stroke from the base of the big toe to the top of the big toe.  Next, use your left thumb to work the bottom left side of your big toe, rubbing three times on each toe.

For the ovaries, to help balance the sex hormones and to protect against heart disease and/or osteoporosis: Use your left index finger to work on the right foot from the exterior edge of your heal towards the exterior ankle bone.  Work the area up and down several times, supporting your right foot with your right hand.  Next use your right index finger to work over the exterior edge of your left heal towards the exterior ankle bone. Work the area up and down several times, supporting your left foot with your left hand.

For the uterus, to help balance the sex hormones and the body’s ability to cope with the loss of menstruation:  Use your right index finger to work in a straight line from the inside heal area towards the inside ankle bone of the right foot, working three times.  Next, use your left index finger to work in a straight line over the interior heal area towards the interior ankle bone of the left foot, working three times.

For the liver, to help decrease stress, overwhelming emotions, and release toxins from the body: Use your right thumb to work the whole center area of the bottom right foot in a crisscross (diagonal) direction from the interior foot area to the exterior area.  Support the right foot with the left hand.  Next, use the left thumb to work the whole center area of the bottom right foot in a crisscross (diagonal) direction from the exterior side to the interior foot area.  Support the right foot with your right hand.

All of these techniques combined will also help with the improvement of sleep, balancing mood swings, help regain sex drive and minimize painful sex.  These are just a few useful acupressure points that are of benefit to menopause symptoms. Some other acupressure points of benefit during menopause can help with urinary and kidney strength, cholesterol and insulin balancing, as well as memory enhancers and other symptoms women suffer from. Begin with these and add others that apply to you.

When you play around with the reflexology pressure points on your feet on a consistent basis you will begin to see a shift in your menopause symptoms. Pay attention, and even keep a log on what pressure points you are working on and how quickly you see changes on the physical and emotional level.  This is a method to help you become more aware of your body and what symptoms affect your daily life the most, allowing you a clearer understanding on what symptoms you may need to seek more help with.  Plus, rubbing your feet and maybe adding essential oils to your hands while rubbing them, will at the very least help you relax on a day you are feeling overwhelmed.

 

Photo Courtesy of satit_srihin at Freedigitalphotos.net

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