Reflexology and the Health of Future Generations : Starting With Children

Like many other recent consultation papers, The National Children’s Bureau’s report ‘Supporting Families’ recognizes that a good start in life is a crucial part of an individual’s future health and well-being. Through expanding the work that they do with children, Reflexologists can play an important part in securing the health of future generations.

Reflexology has become one of the UK’s leading complementary therapies. Yet, at present, comparatively few children in the UK receive regular reflexology treatment. Many parents and children are still completely unaware of the wide variety of conditions that can be successfully treated using reflexology. Very few MD’s actively promote reflexology as part of the medical treatment of children’s ailments. The majority of parents, children and medical professionals are still unaware that reflexology is one of the most effective and safe complementary therapies and that children enjoy it!

An excellent example of the benefits that reflexology can have for children is the set of results obtained from the Child Asthma Reflexology Study. All children participating in this research reported that they enjoyed their reflexology treatments. The combined clinical and audit results showed that children who were treated with reflexology for three months exhibited an improvement in their asthmatic symptoms, their general health and their behavior.

Encouraging children to observe reflexology treatments helps them to learn about reflexology and to develop a trust in the work that Reflexologists do. This is especially true when the individual receiving treatment is a parent, a relative or a close friend. Once they have observed a treatment, children can become more involved in deciding for themselves whether or not they would like to experience some reflexology.

Here are a few guidelines to follow when treating children. Always organize a meeting to discuss these guidelines with parents, the child’s MD and any other health professionals significantly involved with a child’s health care before commencing treatment:
You will always give priority to the child’s safety and protect their anonymity.
Before treatment can be started, consent must be given by parents and by the child’s MD. In some cases you may feel that it is wise to have the parent’s consent in writing. The parent should always confirm in writing that they will continue any regularly prescribed medication for the child.

Parents must stay near at hand (not necessarily in the same room) during treatment. The treatment period must not be viewed as a useful time for Mum to pop down to the shops!
Each reflexology treatment will only be given if the child is happy that day for treatment to be given.

You will not give any reflexology to a child who has recently developed a fever, sickness, sudden pains, headaches, fits, rashes, an aching spine or shortness of breath.

You have the right to refuse treatment of a child if you feel that it is in your best interest or the child’s best interest.

Each treatment will last no longer than 30 minutes.

Although symptoms may improve after the first few treatments, there can also be a short ‘healing crisis’ during which time symptoms actually get worse. Continuity of treatment is therefore very important. Parents are advised to make a strong commitment to ensuring that children attend regular treatments for at least 3-6 months.

In some cases children benefit when their parents are taught how to ‘top-up’ your work themselves, treating certain reflex points that are particularly relevant to their child’s condition.
The MD is responsible for the overall medical treatment of the child. Parents are responsible for the child’s general physical and mental well-being. You are responsible for complementing (not replacing) the work of traditional health care professionals and parents through giving the child regular reflexology treatments.

From the first treatment onwards, you are well-advised to carefully record the effects of reflexology treatment on each child’s condition. These records can then be used to help the child’s MD and other health professionals to recognize the benefits of using reflexology to treat a particular condition. Carefully keep comprehensive records of sensitive points that arise when giving treatment. This will prove very helpful information for other Reflexologists. It is especially important to note down how relationships between sensitive reflex points and the child’s condition change with time.

Keep a clear record of any outside influences that may play an important part in changes in each child’s condition. Emotional episodes at home or at school can have a big influence on a child’s health. One in five children in the UK now regularly suffer from stress-related illnesses. The work done by individual or small groups of Reflexologists in recording and monitoring the results of treating children with reflexology will not only be valuable for the individual children that they treat but will be of great help to those involved with any future research projects examining the benefits of reflexology treatment.

Types of conditions in children that can benefit from regular reflexology treatment:

Where MD’s, nurses, social workers etc. have already been working with a child previous to their first reflexology treatment, or begin to work alongside you, it is essential to integrate all these health professionals and their expertise into your program of treatment. This will prevent you from becoming isolated from traditional health care professionals and will also ensure provision of a still better quality of care for each child.

Treating children with reflexology has the potential to alleviate a whole host of childhood illnesses and conditions. It introduces children to the benefits of complementary medicine and encourages them to take more responsibility for adopting a healthy lifestyle throughout their lives.

References:
J. Carlyon. ‘National Children’s Bureau’. Issue 5. Aug ’99. Dr. A. White. Speech at Association of Reflexologists Research Day London. Feb ’99. The Child Asthma Reflexology Study was a comparative non-randomized audit research project carried out from Autumn 1996 to Spring 1997 with 37 Reflexologists monitoring 47 research case studies from 20 regions across the UK.

For more reflexology information enjoy reading How Does Reflexology Work in the Research & Articles Section.