Category: Manage stress with hypnosis

1. Reflexology and the treatment of pain.

   Posted on 6:29pm Tuesday 9th Apr 2013

   I work alongside many practitioners to help create programmes that will benefit clients in many different ways. I co-created a pain relief and relaxation system with Joanne Marie from Breathe Holistic Therapy in Kidderminster, using my voice and her skills with reflexology..so when I saw this article I was very interested to read more...

   article from the press association...

   Use reflexology to complement drugs in pain treatment, survey findings suggest

   Ben Mitchell

   Tuesday, 9 April 2013

   Reflexology may be as effective as painkillers, according to a new scientific survey.

   Researchers at the University of Portsmouth have found that people felt about 40 per cent less pain, and were able to stand pain for about 45 per cent longer, when they used reflexology as a method of pain relief.

   Dr Carol Samuel, who is a trained reflexologist and who carried out the experimental procedures as part of her PhD studies, said it was the first time this therapy had been scientifically tested as a treatment for acute pain.

   She said the results suggested that reflexology could be used to complement conventional drug therapy in the treatment of conditions associated with pain such as osteoarthritis, backache and cancers.

   Participants attended two sessions, in which they were asked to submerge their hand in ice water.

   In one of the sessions they were given reflexology before they submerged their hand, and in the other session they believed they were receiving pain relief from a Tens machine, which was not actually switched on.

   The researchers found that when the participants received reflexology prior to the session they were able to keep their hand in the ice water for longer before they felt pain, and that they could also tolerate the pain for a longer period of time.

   Dr Samuel said: "As we predicted, reflexology decreased pain sensations.

   "It is likely that reflexology works in a similar manner to acupuncture by causing the brain to release chemicals that lessen pain signals."

   Dr Ivor Ebenezer, co-author of the study, said: "We are pleased with these results. Although this is a small study, we hope it will be the basis for future research into the use of reflexology."

   Reflexology is a complementary medical approach, which works alongside orthodox medicine, in which pressure may be applied to any body area but is commonly used on either the feet or hands.

   In this study reflexology was applied to the feet.

   Dr Ebenezer, from the Department of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, and Dr Samuel used a small study of 15 people to determine whether reflexology would be more effective than no pain relief at all.

   Dr Ebenezer said: "Complementary and alternative therapies come in for a lot of criticism, and many have never been properly tested scientifically.

   "One of the common criticisms by the scientific community is that these therapies are often not tested under properly controlled conditions.

   "When a new drug is tested its effects are compared with a sugar pill.

   "If the drug produces a similar response to the sugar pill, then it is likely that the drug's effect on the medical condition is due to a placebo effect.

   "In order to avoid such criticism in this study, we compared the effects of reflexology to a sham Tens control that the participants believed produced pain relief.

   "This is the equivalent of a sugar pill in drug trials."

   Dr Samuel added: "This is an early study, and more work will need to be done to find out about the way reflexology works.

   "However, it looks like it may be used to complement conventional drug therapy in the treatment of conditions that are associated with pain, such as osteoarthritis, backache and cancers."

   The study has been published in the Journal of Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice.

   A spokeswoman for medical research charity Arthritis Research UK responded to the study with caution.

   She said: "Fifteen people is a very small number of people on which to base a claim that reflexology reduces pain, and the study needs to be replicated in considerably larger numbers before it can be substantiated."

   PA

    

   If you would like to find out more about Reflexology you can go to the Breathe website here... www.breathetherapy.co.uk

2. Help with exam stress and anxiety

   Posted on 11:54am Wednesday 3rd Apr 2013

   Where can I get some practical tips for helping with exam success ?

   As the exam season looms on the horizon many parents are faced with children who are worrying about what they can do in order to get through this very trying and difficult time. As a clinical hypnotherapist I am already seeing quite a few clients who are looking for help with dealing with this problem. When I work with anyone under the age of 18 I always need to have a parent or guardian in the room with them and in fact the older person often finds that they are learning techniques that they themself can use for their own worries. As a parent it is easy to get caught up in the worry and end up not knowing how to help your child.

    

   I am even working with a number of school to help teach both students and teachers and tutors techniques that can help.
   

   So, what do I do with clients when they come to see me saying "what can I do about this stress and anxiety?"
   

   I like to use the expression that "We get more of what we think about".

   I say this to most of my clients fairly soon into any session and then we go on to explore it in more detail.

   Put simply if you imagine something will happen then it is quite likely that you are right.

   If you decide that you will be nervous in an exam and that you will fumble your papers and struggle to get through it then walk out half way through...then you have started to mentally rehearse this scenario and the chances are that it will happen!

   This is why I work with my clients to teach them that they can visualise a calm and tranquil surrounding, and think about walking into that exam room full of confidence knowing that they will do the best that they can.

   Taking a deep breath seems simple and obvious, but people still don't always do this. It is always a good thing to do. We may breathe all on our own for all of our lives but that extra breath will really help to calm you down.

   Taking time out for yourself and thinking that you will be calm is a really positive start, and of course there are many other things that you can do, but always remember to picture in your mind success and you will find that it is much more likely to happen.

   If you would like to find out more about working with me to wash away those exam nerves then you can call me on 07980 233160 or email me by clicking HERE