Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a cluster of symptoms that affect more than 12 million Americans and perhaps as much as 6% of the world population. Women are ten times more likely to get fibromyalgia than men are and it usually shows up between the ages of 25 and 60.
According to the American College of Rheumatology, fibromyalgia is “defined by chronic widespread muscular pain and symptoms.” Those symptoms can include:
- fatigue
- sleep disturbance
- body, joint and muscle stiffness
- anxiety and depression
- migraines or tension headaches
- temporomandibular disorder – also known as TMJ
- irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS
How Reflexologists work with Fibromyalgia Clients
Some fibro sufferers visit their reflexologist to cope with the fatigue of not sleeping well, others seek a treatment to help manage pain symptoms. Most consider visiting a reflexologist to help with a grab bag of symptoms and to simply improve their overall sense of wellbeing.
In a recent Icelandic study, six women were given ten weekly reflexology sessions and found that the sessions decreased pain symptoms in multiple areas [“Effects of reflexology on fibromyalgia symptoms: A multiple case study,” Gunnarsdottir TJ, Peden-McAlpine C., Faculty of Nursing, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2010 Aug;16(3):167-172. Epub 2010 Feb 10.]
A qualified reflexologist will always work within the specific client’s needs and comfort level to create a custom session. Generally speaking, the reflexology practitioner will hear from the client about specific symptoms going on and then adjust her protocol for that client.
Special Considerations in a Reflexology Session for Fibromyalgia
Some reflexologists prefer to give short, more frequent sessions to the client diagnosed with FMS. For example, this may mean a 30 to 45 minute session instead of a full hour of work on the reflex maps. This gentle approach allows the body to take in the messages sent through the reflex points and to make gradual changes.
One reflexologist was working with a fibromyalgia client who had very severe symptoms and did not enjoy body massage because of the incredible pain she experienced after the session. The first reflexology session was very brief and applied to the reflex maps of the hands. It was a general treatment, lasting 20 minutes. Subsequent sessions included the feet and eventually the feet, hands and the ears. On “very bad days,” the client requested ten minutes of ear reflexology as that was “the only place on my body that doesn’t hurt right now.”
Reflexology can be very comforting to the woman with chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia symptoms and is often one of the forms of bodywork she can tolerate. Some clients will experience a healing crisis after bodywork treatments – a temporary worsening of symptoms. If the reflexologist knows about a brief crisis after a session he or she can adjust the length of the session and the frequency to help prevent strong session reactions in the future.
References:
- National Fibromyalgia Association website, accessed July 14, 2010
- What is Fibromyalgia? WebMD website, accessed July 14, 2010
- Fibromyalgia and Reflexology by Marianne Hunter, accessed July 14, 2010
- Patient Education: Fibromyalgia, American College of Rheumatology website, accessed July 14, 2010
Amy Kreydin - Amy Kreydin, NBCRT, CCAP, BD is a Board Certified Reflexologist and Clinical Aromatherapist.
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