September 2024

Stress & Reflexology - Does it help?

Stress is something that everyone will experience at some point in their lives. For some it is seen as a normal everyday event that they find helpful or motivating, while for others it is a pervasive and debilitating experience.

Mind UK (2022) stated that stress is our reaction when we are feeling threatened or under pressure. It can be accompanied by a feeling of being out of control; that the situation has become unmanageable. The causes of stress are many and varied and can range from reacting to traumatic events (PTSD); to regular life events such as coping with relationships, bereavement, moving house and work based problems to name but a few.

The ways we react to stress is also as varied. For some the desire to stay in bed, pulling the blanket over their heads to hide from the world, is real. For others stress can be a motivator as it helps them to stay on track. It can also be helpful if we are trying to work through pain or difficult events (Mental Health Foundation 2021) I have certainly experienced a good range of responses from my Reflexology clients over the years. One client stated that she actually ‘felt energised’ by stress which has helped her to quickly turn her life around, while another client, conversely, has felt ‘dragged down’ by it and needed lots of support to take small steps in a more positive direction.

If we are to understand why we feel the way we do in response to stress, It is helpful to know a bit of the science behind it. Bear with me, I will attempt to make this as painless as possible!!

When we are exposed to stress, the Amygdala, the part of our brain that processes our emotions, sends a signal to the hypothalamus (Harvard 2024). This operates as a type of ‘co-ordination centre’ that sends messages to the rest of the body. This results in a number of changes, including an increase in heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate. The body is now prepared to ‘FIGHT or FLIGHT'

Sometimes the stress response induces a ‘FAWN or FREEZE’ effect. When we freeze, we cannot flee but are frozen in place leaving us unable to ‘flight’. The premise being that we freeze to prevent the trauma from worsening. The fawn response means the individual appears more acceptable, to avoid further conflict.

Our response to stress happens so quickly and efficiently that we are unaware of it. This is why we are able to react so rapidly without even thinking (Harvard 2024).

After the initial adrenaline stress response, the second component of the system is activated. This produces a chain reaction which results in the production of Cortisol (Cleveland Clinic 2024). This process enables us to continue to respond to the stress.

When the threat of stress has passed, our Parasympathetic Nervous system, reverses the changes: the heart slows; blood pressure drops and the Gastro Intestinal tract returns to normal. Sometimes, however, the inability to ‘dampen the stress, results in raised cortisol levels and adrenaline production. In the longer term, this can result in damage to the blood vessels, resulting in conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease and strokes. Persistently raised cortisol levels can also result in overeating, as the body tries to keep energy stores going (Harvard 2024). This will inevitably lead to struggles with weight, adding further, to the stress levels - a situation that many of us can identify with I'm sure! This all can further impact our emotional centre and nervous system causing conditions such as depression.

Long term stress can affect every body system and can be a cause of many problems:

• Menstrual irregularities and fertility difficulties

• Irritable bowel

• Chronic indigestion

• Chronic back pain

• Increase in Asthma and Eczema symptoms

• Behaviour changes such as smoking, drinking and drug taking

So how then, can Reflexology help us with stress?

Reflexology is a complimentary touch therapy that helps to promote good health through a process of deep relaxation. Guided by a treatment map I work on areas on your feet that correspond with different areas of your body. This helps to bring about balance in your body and enhance wellness.

At the first appointment, we will fill in a full health history together (including allergies) which you will then sign. I will then support you to feel comfortable on the couch or chair (you will only need to remove your shoes and socks!) and prepare you for treatment with your consent.

I will help you to relax at the start of the treatment using a gentle breathing technique and I will check that you are happy with the pressure I am using.

Following the first treatment, a plan is written to help target areas that are involved with stress and/or are affected by it. This will be updated at each subsequent appointment.

We also chat about different strategies that you can use to calm your stress in between appointments such as breathing exercises, relaxation techniques to name but a few.

What next? How can Lynne Bell Reflexology Help you?

If you struggle with stress, contact me and we can have a chat about your symptoms and arrange a treatment from there. My workspace is small and cosy and you will have a warm welcome. Mobile appointments are also possible if leaving the house is a problem.

References:

Cleveland Clinic. (2024), Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis (Online). Available from: https://www.my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-hpa-axis Accessed 27 July 2024

Harvard Health Publishing. (2024), Understanding the stress response (Online). Available from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response Accessed 27 July 2024

Mental Health Foundation. (2023), Stress (Online). Available from: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/stress Accessed 27 July 2024

Mind. (2024), Stress (online). Available from: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/stress/what-is-stress Accessed 26 July 2024

Women’s Health – Why I do what I do

Posted 19^th October 2024 – adapted from 2020 BLOG

Nurturing women has long been a passion for me. I think it probably started when, as a teenager, I started to have a deeper, more meaningful appreciation of my maternal grandmother. Up until this point I had really seen her as a typical nan. She was tall, gently rounded; always wore a pinafore and had long white hair that she plaited and coiled up into a bun. She represented a welcoming, safe space for the grandchildren that regularly frequented her home to drink tea and eat banana sandwiches. In time, through stories that she and my mother would tell, I would come to learn about, not only her life, but probably that of a generation of women.

My grandfather was a miner and they had 5 children. My grandmother literally was the family linchpin. She bought the house; managed the home and finances and raised her grammar school educated children. She did this with a backdrop of harsh times including the Great Depression, World War 2, and rationing. On the home front, she supported a family through some toe curling tragedies, mine closures (yes, they were closing mines even then!!) and loss. She was incredibly bright – a natural mathematician, very articulate and had a strong interest in current affairs.

Living in a different era, she would undoubtedly have added a career into the mix while continuing her usual multi tasking, nurturing family and domestic management status. Crucially, I cannot EVER remember her having time or space to call her own.

Moving forward a decade, after some time as a staff nurse in Gynaecology theatre I worked on a Gynaecology ward. Through my experience in theatre, I knew how much of a battering women’s bodies were taking when they had their surgical procedures. I also recognised, that as soon as they were home, they would find themselves back to their usual domestic chores– No timeout allowed here you see – I am woman

This was the era that saw the start of early post op discharge. Realising the road ahead for the women in my care, I quickly gained the reputation as too bossy for words when I refused point blank to let visitors bend the 2 to a bedside rule - ‘she needs rest’ I would say. The women regularly thanked me for it!

So, how have these early experiences shaped who I am and what I do? They helped me realise how much women give of themselves without always factoring in space and time to nurture themselves. This, of course, is not a little known fact, and I have seen it in a lot of different settings throughout my nursing career. However, for the first time in MY working life, I can now support women holistically with their life journeys through Reflexology – all to help them refill their empty cup!

Lynne Bell Reflexology offers you the space to relax and unwind. Contact me to discuss treatment options available and book your appointment.