For those unfamiliar with Multiple sclerosis, (also known as MS), it is a chronic disease that attacks the central nervous system . The cause for MS is still unknown . We do know that it is an autoimmune reaction that results in inflammation which damages nerves. Nerve damage is always a part of this disease and the pattern it shows up in differs from person to person. It can even change in how it shows up in the same person, fluctuating over time. In MS, the damage occurs in the covering, or myelin, of nerves. This process is referred to as demyelination. This damaging of the myelin sheath and the underlying nerve fiber causes various symptoms depending on which nerve fibers are affected.
For example:
If nerves that carry sensory information become demyelinated, problems with sensations
(sensory symptoms) result.
If nerves that carry signals to muscles become demyelinated, problems with movement
(motor symptoms) result.
Reflexology specifically works with the nervous system to stimulate all the various body systems through massage on specific pressure points in the feet. This allows the body to do a nervous system check-in, to enter into homeostasis and find equilibrium. Reflexology sessions also increase blood flow . This is valuable in bringing an increase of oxygen which nourishes the nerves throughout the body. Nerves need oxygen more than any cell in your body! (Nerves consume 20% of the bodies’ entire oxygen supply even though they comprise only 2% of the body’s weight).
The massage pressure applied in Reflexology can range from strong – for those experiencing numbness and reconnecting with extremities, this can be an especially fulfilling experience. Where as – a more gentle pressure is beneficial to those prone to spasms, high nerve reactivity and pain. As with any therapy, it is good to ask the practitioner their level of experience working on someone with MS. Other body systems show beneficial results as well, including those most commonly affected by MS.
Clients with MS that I have given a series of reflexology sessions to have reported back to me: improved bowel functioning; improved bladder control with a decrease in frequency; clearer thinking, clearer vision post session, an increase feeling in their feet – resulting in better co-ordination. They also report being in a better mood overall.
The following are two examples from the U.S National Library of Medicine and the U.K. Website for Multiple Sclerosis Trust, which have provided research study results for Reflexology and its ability to help those with MS.
First from:
US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health
“Reflexology treatment relieves symptoms of multiple sclerosis: a randomized controlled study. Seventy-one MS patients were randomized to either study or control group, to receive an 11-week treatment.
CONCLUSIONS:
Specific reflexology treatment was of benefit in alleviating motor; sensory and urinary symptoms in MS patients”.
Second from:
Multiple Sclerosis Trust – United Kingdom
“More recently, three separate studies compared the effects of reflexology and relaxation on fatigue, pain and psychological symptoms (anxiety, stress and depression) in women with MS. In each of these studies, reflexology was given to 25 women with MS for four weeks, twice a week for 40 minutes. Results were collected through a questionnaire completed before, immediately after and two months after treatment. In all of the studies, reflexology was found to reduce the severity of these symptoms and was recommended as an ‘effective technique’.”
Nicole Costello
Centreline Reflexology & Foot Massage
centerline.reflexology@gmail.com
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