Should reflexology be painful?
Pain makes people feel better with regards to reflexology and the autonomic system. Sound crazy? Not to the experienced reflexology client. They realize, as I do, that pain is a qualifier and a response that proves reflexology is actually working within the system construct. There should always be some congestion resulting in pain due to our imperfection or our level of activity. This does not mean that there is something seriously wrong because pain exists, rather it is an issuance of the need for internal reminders through this external diagnostic mechanism (foot reflexes). Just like putting a note on the refrigerator as a reminder of responsibilities of the day, so too, the reflexology treatment acts as a series of notes prodding the body to maintain homeostasis; pain is just that – the note.
Also,
Isn’t it interesting that the first four or five treatments bring about complaints of pain and ‘when will it end’ and ‘just feel good’ but subsequently months later, they complain about NOT receiving pain and it feeling too much like a general massage. This is what led me to a critical understanding that despite the fact that clients complain about pain, the homeostasis needs that are derived through the nervous system supersedes our general comfort zone and the body understands what’s good for it.
Make it clear to your client that reflexology is a form of therapy not to be confused with standard massage used for relaxation only. We’re not sadists trying to cause unnecessary pain, but I believe that through pain we reach the dominant reflexes that unlock the entire human physiological system. My clients tell me that they feel cheated when they don’t feel pain. I’ve been accused of not using the same pressure as in the beginning treatments. That’s funny because we know as reflexologists that the more treatments they receive correlates to better health and thus there is less pain response from the nervous system
- from Doug Holland’s book on reflexology