Health Benefits

Plantar Fasciitis, or Heel Spur as some people commonly refer to it, is inflammation of the plantar fascia.

Restless Legs or Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), also known as Willis-Ekbom disease (WED), is a common condition affecting the nervous system. As many as one in ten people are affected by restless legs syndrome at some point in their life.

Statistics suggest Raynaud’s Disease is very common, affecting around 10 million people within the UK alone, and population worldwide, and affects more women than men. It can start at any age but tends to initiate around the mid-20s.

Sciatica is the name given to any sort of pain that is caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body. It runs from the back of your pelvis, through your buttocks, and all the way down both legs, ending at your feet.

Stress is not an illness itself, but it can cause serious illness if it isn’t dealt with. It is important to recognise the symptoms of stress, recognising the signs and symptoms of stress will help you figure out ways of coping and save you from adopting unhealthy coping methods, such as drinking or smoking.

Tiredness and lethargy are a result of many things and are caused by factors only relevant to you, your health and your lifestyle, both physical and psychological. 

Varicose veins are swollen and enlarged veins – usually blue or dark purple – that usually occur on the legs. They may also be lumpy, bulging or twisted in appearance.

Reflexology aims to help balance emotional, hormonal and physiological changes within your body. It aims to restore the body’s equilibrium, putting you in the best possible condition to conceive and maintain a healthy pregnancy, while your body goes through significant and rapid changes. 

Eczema derives from a Greek word meaning ‘to boil’, a harsh description of the inflammation and redness so often seen in eczema sufferers. In severe cases, or if itching is not prevented, the skin can become broken and infected and causes huge discomfort. One in ten people are said to suffer from Eczema.*

Eczema comes in several forms, the most common forms are:
Atopic Eczema – seen as hereditary, and often associated with allergies, asthma, hay fever or urticaria, or high levels of staphylococcus aureas in the skin, and low immune systems
Seborrhoeic Eczema– mainly affects the oily areas of the body, i.e. scalp and face
Contact Eczema – exposure to a particular substance that causes irritation, e.g. soaps, washing powders, etc.

People can be affected by one or all of the above forms of eczema.
Conventional medicine tends to treat the symptoms by using creams and emollients, and whilst these can be helpful in calming the discomfort, they do not cure the condition, and some potent steroids can be prescribed which have long term adverse side effects. Long term use can cause resistance to the medication and therefore ineffective. Steroids or corticosteroids can also stunt growth, weaken bones, suppress the adrenal glands and cause many other problems.

There are many causes of skin conditions, both physical and/or emotional, and there are many natural ways to treat eczema, a combined, holistic approach being the most effective, e.g. diet and nutrition and allergy testing. You may also want to consider some complementary therapies such as homeopathy and reflexology treatments.
Reflexology is a drug-free, natural therapy that may help understand the root causes, rather than just treating the symptoms, and therefore aiming to remove not just reduce the condition, or at least treat it much more effectively.

A reflexologist would work your Thyroid and Adrenals; liver, kidneys, intestines and diaphragm, and the areas affected. As an alternative to a reflexology treatment, all of these areas can be worked with Revs® reflexology shoes as well. The foot chart shows all these reflexes that can be worked by the reflexology massage footbed of the Revs® shoes.

Why does it help to work these reflexes?

Thyroid and Adrenal Glands – to balance body chemistry and to reduce skin inflammation
Liver and kidneys – to detoxify, to help excrete toxins through the bloodstream instead of through the skin. Working the liver can also release emotions of anger or anxiety.
Intestines – for food allergies, and gut cleansing
Diaphragm – to relax nerves and tension, to help with the discomfort experienced by sore, inflamed skin.
Areas affected, e.g knees, or face – to release fearful insecurity and to allow healing to occur.
All other areas – to ease discomfort and induce a sense of calm.

All other feet reflexes will be worked as well, and often there is an element of surprise as to why some reflexes are sensitive that are not directly associated with skin conditions but may form part of the reason. Congestion in other areas can be attributed to skin conditions, and may even be down to emotional causes, not physical.

By wearing Revs® reflexology footwear you can receive reflexology massage on a daily basis, and can work through areas of congestion you may not even know you have, which could be contributing to eczema. For example, grief or loss may manifest in eczema symptoms or another condition, stress at work or in relationships or money worries may also manifest itself this way. It may be dependent on what your body is susceptible to at the time.

Eczema can be caused by emotional factors such as suppressed irritability at others getting under your skin. Emotions fester beneath the skin’s surface and erupt at times of extreme anxiety or even during periods of total relaxation.
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References: Patrick Holford and Natalie Savona: Solver Your Skin Problems, The Drug-Free Guide to Achieving Beautiful Healthy Skin; Chris Stormer: Reflexology: The Definitive Guide; Dwight C. Byers & Nancy S. Byers: Anatomy & Reflexology Helper Areas

There is a host of information available on Prostate problems, so this aims to summarize the general prostate problems that can occur and how reflexology may be able to reduce or alleviate the symptoms.

Tinnitus is a ringing, or buzzing, or singing noise in your ears. You have no control over the noise and it can happen all the time, or sometimes just at night. it is very frustrating and can affect your sleep, concentration and hearing.

Fibromyalgia (or sometimes referred to muscular rheumatism, or fibrositis) can be a long-term, debilitating and chronic condition. This condition is diagnosed by widespread pain and tenderness over much of the body. Other symptoms include insomnia, or difficulty sleeping, stiff joints, headaches, tingling limbs, especially the hands and feet. For females they may also suffer from more painful periods. Memory and concentration can also be adversely affected, known as “fibro fog”.

It is difficult to diagnose as the symptoms can be confused with other conditions until numerous test have been done. It is said to affect 25% of us, the majority being middle-aged women. It has also been suggested that people with other conditions are more likely to be affected, such as those with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing spondylitis (spinal arthritis), stressful or traumatic events, RSI, or genetic conditions.

Fibromyalgia doesn’t cause any lasting damage to the body’s tissues but it’s important to keep active if possible to avoid weakening of the muscles (deconditioning) which could lead to secondary problems.

Can Reflexology Help with the Symptoms of FibroMyalgia?
Reflexology stimulates nerves in the body to encourage blood flow and circulation and is therefore thought to prevent and stop pain. This treatment also aims to release tension, detox and increase energy levels.

We would suggest a holistic approach to treating fibromyalgia, including a review of diet and exercise.

Reflexology for Fibromyalgia

It is always advisable to go to a trained and experienced reflexologist, we always recommend people to consult the AOR (Association of Reflexology) or the IIR (International Institute of Reflexology) to find someone who is properly accredited in their area. If you can’t find a reflexologist in your area, or you want to add to your treatments, you can also wear Revs Reflexology footwear to help reduce the symptoms and relieve the pain. Revs Footwear works in the same was a reflexology treatment does by targeting the reflexes on the dorsal areas of your feet. These reflexes correspond to each part of your body so by massaging and stimulating them with the nodules on the soles of the shoes you will be helping to bring that area back to a normal and healthy balance. Using reflexology to treat fibromyalgia is easier if you understand how your body works and why treating certain organs and glands helps you achieve relief. The symptoms below can be treated by reflexology in the following ways:

- Aches and Pains

If you are suffering from joint or muscle pain the reflexology points which a reflexologist would focus on would be the adrenals., and the specific reflexes for the muscles or joints concerned. You can check the reflexology chart below to see where these will be in your feet.

- Fatigue

One of the main symptoms of fibromyalgia is fatigue and low energy. By treating the reflexes on the feet that correspond to the adrenal glands and the pancreas, this may be reduced or even disappear. Be aware of the healing crisis, where you may feel a little worse before you see the benefits, so don’t be alarmed if you feel more tired for a couple of days. If your fatigue is down to low blood-sugar levels, working the pancreas may help to regulate blood-sugar levels. Working the adrenal gland reflex points may also help you by improving the production of adrenaline, which increases energy levels and building the strength of your immune system. Whether it is mental or muscle fatigue, or both, the overall boost to your circulation and the increase of blood flow to all your organs, glands and muscles which reflexology provides is also highly likely to allow organs and muscles to work more efficiently and increase energy levels. Reflexology also has a detox effect, which again will have a knock-on effect on your energy levels, giving them an extra boost. Drink lots of water to get the maximum benefits from Reflexology.

- Lack of Concentration

If you are feeling the brain fog caused by Fibromyalgia, then working the toes, especially the big toe, will stimulate the brain reflex.

- Morning Stiffness

Fibromyalgia patients often feel stiffness all over the body due to soreness of muscles. Press your thumb deep into the arch area of each foot to relieve back stiffness. Repeat at least 5 to 6 times on each foot.

- Stress and Tension or Depression

The symptoms can be debilitating and depressing, and it is understandable this illness can you bring you down. You may also get anxious and worry about the severity of some of the symptoms. Reflexology can help ease tension and create relaxation. Working the diaphragm and all the glands of your body should help to promote relaxation and help with the emotions.

- Irritable Bowel Syndrome

IBS is a common issue for Fibromyalgia sufferers, mainly because their body becomes susceptible to everything, so it affects the bowel movement as well. By stimulating and massaging the colon, along with the gall bladder and liver, the IBS should ease.

For more information on where to find a reflexologist in your area, you can go to the AOR (for UK) and IIR (for International and UK). You can also read more information about Revs Health Benefits, How Revs Work and to Buy Revs here.