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VRT Hand Reflexology in the Workplace Study - 2002

Bristol, United Kingdom – 2002

VRT Hand Reflexology in the Workplace Study 

 This is a report on the results of 4 weekly treatments on the hands and feet lasting 20-30 minutes per session. Clients were asked to work on the weight-bearing hands for a few minutes twice a day during the treatment period. At the end of four weeks most reported improvement of over 90% on long term problems. It is suggested that this excellent result was possibly achieved because the clients used self-help VRT on their hands between treatments.

The following examples illustrate the variety of ailments that can be quickly and successfully treated within the workplace or office environment. These results are exceptionally positive and I suggest this may be partly because self-help hand reflexology was applied on a daily basis to help to trigger the body to help itself in between the professional treatments. Six members of staff in a large organisation were invited to take part in this small survey. None had been receiving reflexology before and in each case there was a positive response to the treatment within the first one or two weeks and after four weeks some conditions had improved by well over 90% even though some of the problems were long standing and had resulted in time off work. All members of staff reported major improvements.

Each person’s twenty to thirty minute treatment began with basic Vertical Reflex Therapy on the feet and the hands, then their feet were briefly treated with conventional foot VRT while using the hands synergistically. One female member of staff received mostly hand reflexology as she could not bear her feet to be touched and she was one of the employees who improved the most following a car accident. Their treatments culminated in a period of concentrated hand VRT including some specific nail-working. The client kept a record of their reaction/improvement to each treatment and was given VRT Hand charts marked with specific reflexes to treat with self-help VRT twice a day for a few minutes between the weekly treatments. All six results were exceptionally positive and after four treatments both the client and myself made an evaluation as to the progress made since the VRT commenced:

Client A

A female caterer had been badly hurt in a car accident seven months previously resulting in whiplash and had very restricted and excruciating neck movements that caused headaches and her sleep patterns were so disturbed that she barely slept for more than two hours at any one time.

Result: 50% improvement in neck mobility. Can now turn her head from side to side with no pain. No lasting improvement for headaches. Sleep 100% improvement. Levels of stress and tension greatly reduced.

Following her first treatment she had two days when the pain in her neck was worse and she had a continuous headache. After that the pain lessened and she began to develop a greater range of neck mobility. She could tilt her head backward and forward to a greater degree with no pain. I taught her Diaphragm Rocking self-help on the hands which she applied before she went to sleep and again if she woke in the night. After two weeks her sleep pattern had changed resulting in a 100% improvement. The sleep pattern continued to improve and at the end of the four sessions she was also able to report that her general levels of stress and tension were greatly reduced as the accident had greatly affected her. She had a 50% improvement in her neck mobility and can also now turn her head sideways with no pain.

Client B

An administrator suffered from long-term Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) and her shoulder and right side of neck were stiff and painful when the hand was held in a lateral position. This had become a chronic condition. She also reported painful knees that clicked, possibly due to early signs of arthritis. She also had a sprained right ankle.

Result: 90% improvement in arm, neck and shoulder in terms of reduced pain and increased mobility. Sprained ankle positively responded to VRT. Her knees did not improve. She also felt she had benefited holistically from the treatments.

At the end of her first twenty-five minute treatment her neck had more mobility to the right. By the following week her neck and shoulder had much improved and by the end of four weeks there was a 90% improvement in her arm, neck and shoulder. She had also recently sprained her right ankle and it was still swollen. I taught her how to work her referral area on her right wrist which would target the ankle reflexes. The VRT helped and following week the swelling dissipated but it may well have done so naturally. At the end of four weeks she reported that her shoulder and neck reflexes were still tender but the pain was reduced and mobility greatly increased by about 90%. She felt the treatments had also benefited her in an holistic way. Her knees did not really respond to the treatment. Although her improvements were exceptional I felt that her computer keyboard was not at the correct angle for her arm and assume that once this problem is resolved the condition will clear up completely.

Client C

An administrator had an extremely painful left elbow for three weeks and a right knee that every few days caused him to experience a momentary excruciating pain when he put pressure on it at a certain angle.

Result: Elbow improved immensely from the first treatment and was virtually 100% recovered by the end of four weeks. The clicks in the knee lessened and were not painful when they occurred. Immediate relief for hurt ankle.

During his first VRT treatment he could feel a sensation in the actual elbow as I worked the elbow reflex. Soon after he left the clinic he experienced a series of slight shooting pains or sensations across his rib cage and diaphragm for a few minutes. I had particularly worked the reflexes for the diaphragm and muscles around the ribcage to help them relax as his body was tense due to having to constantly protect his elbow as the slightest touch caused great discomfort. After the first treatment his elbow immediately began to improve. By the second treatment his elbow was much less painful and he had no recurrence of headaches or thirst that he experienced for the first two days. After four weeks his elbow was virtually back to normal. His knee had not clicked at all in the first two weeks of VRT and now clicks occasionally but without pain. On the third treatment he reported that he had slipped and hurt his ankle – the VRT gave him immediate relief.

Client D

A care assistant who had suffered from right lower lumbar back pain for seven to eight months. Her work necessitated standing all day and as the day wore on her back became increasingly sore. She had taken two weeks off work on the onset of the pain and a further month off work five months later. She also had chronic eczema in her ear which caused discomfort and irritation.

Result: Back had improved considerably over four weeks with little soreness remaining. Her long term ear problem became worse before it got completely better. Her sleep was much improved.

Her ear eczema became temporarily worse as the reflexology sessions continued and the ear wept more and then began to gradually dry up. I warned her that this can happen when the body”s immune system is stimulated as it attempts to finally throw off a chronic low level infection. Soon after her last VRT treatment she developed a bad ear infection which soon cleared up and she has had no more ear problems since. Her back gradually improved over the four weeks to a considerable extent and she was able to stand for most of the day without a back ache or feeling of soreness. It can still feel sore when she is tired. Her sleep also improved and she has slept better most nights.

Client E

A nurse had left neck/arm problems that gave her limited mobility so that she could not raise her arms behind her back any distance and also had an old right hip injury from many years ago. She had badly sprained her left ankle three months previously, resulting in crutches and then a stick for a while and was still suffering from weakness and soreness. She also said that her foot was permanently at an awkward angle and she felt she could feel the bones almost grating as she walked.

Result: Immediate increased mobility in arm at the end of first treatment. Can now stretch arm straight. Immediately after the first treatment she had more backward arm movement which has further improved. Long term problem with left foot improved and virtually pain free and walking was easier. However self-help was not enough and it requires professional VRT to maintain this situation on the foot.

Immediately after the first treatment she had more backward arm movement which lasted for two days. This continued to improve over the four weeks and she has retained greater mobility and now finds she can perform certain tasks again that were impossible before. Her foot was particularly painful and I concentrated on working on the corresponding area on her left hand to try and ease the pressure on her foot. This was extremely effective and, at the last treatment, she reported that her foot was almost pain free, there was no feeling of grating and she could walk with her foot a more normal angle. This was very encouraging as her doctor was sending her to discuss orthotics to help support her foot and she hoped that there could now be a less drastic solution.

Client F

Administrator had whiplash injury and low back/hip and neck pain. All these conditions were long standing problems that occasionally flared up. She was regularly treated by an osteopath.

Result: Neck is now generally much improved but a little stiff. Entire body is much more relaxed than it has been for a considerable period. Hips are much improved. Her osteopath noted these improvements and suggested a longer gap between treatments for the first time ever. VRT self-help techniques also helped her holistically.

After the first VRT treatment she experienced more hip and back ache and this continued for three days during which time she applied self-help VRT to her hands twice daily as instructed. She deduced that the self-help VRT twice per day was too intense so stopped and the pain ceased. Her back and hips gradually felt better than they had done for a years and she re-introduced a single short hand treatment every other day. Her neck problems flared up one weekend but the VRT treatment on the Tuesday eliminated them almost immediately. Her osteopath was so impressed with the improvement in her back that it was suggested that she extended the time between her regular osteopathic treatments for the first time ever. It is interesting that I chose not treat any of her conditions specifically in the first two treatments but aimed to simply balance the body by helping the skeletal and muscular system to adjust. Once there was a general positive response throughout her body it was possible to precisely help her hips, neck and shoulders to respond quickly and naturally.

Conclusion

All staff reported that they felt the reflexology had been of great benefit and all said they would continue to use self-help reflexology when required. One person did express doubt that the self-help VRT on the hands would not be powerful enough to achieve this level of results without the added input of a full VRT treatment. This is a very valid point as in the case of Client E self-help VRT was not good enough and her foot only improved when I professionally worked her hand. However, the general opinion so far is that when the hands are worked in a weight-bearing position the body is particularly responsive whether the person has been treated professionally or not.

Lynne Booth
16th September 2002

This report was published, in a similar format in June 2003 in “Vertical Reflexology for Hands ” by Lynne Booth, Appendix 2