Reflexology?

[cosmo]

I'm just feeling worse and worse and all but given up on medical help, so I'm looking at some alternate things to try to help me.

I'm thinking of trying reflexology and possibly reiki.

Has anyone here tried either of them and had good results or found it helpful?

 

[CantThink]

I have found Reflexology helpful for pain and general wellbeing (it was relaxing and so on). I also found it helped me to get rid of excess water.

I have had energy work done on me (different types of energy healing). One type helped me get rid of my migraine. Didn't do anything for the M.E. in general.

I found it helps acute issues rather than my longstanding day to day stuff. So if I have an acute pain problem it can help with that.

I found it depends on the practioner - their energy - as 3 different people have done various forms of it in me... One was Reiki (I found that particular one totally ineffective... I felt worse after as the therapy couch was super uncomfy and I was cold in the room). With the Reiki experience I also did not feel at one with the practioner. I felt as if the practioner was more likely sucking energy out of me than anything!

So if you do try it, I recommend consulting with a ptactioner to see if you feel comfy with them and to check out how they work and so on.

I did see some reaction to lymphatic massage - I herx after it. I found it helpful at one point as after the initial hortible herx I'd feel a bit better. It especially helped my chronic sinus issues as I'd get my face/head/neck/shoulders/arms done.

 

[Esther12]

I think that it's dodgy to sell these sorts of things as 'treatments', but they could well be a nice thing to do, and that can be valuable in and of itself.

 

[CantThink]

I think that it's dodgy to sell these sorts of things as 'treatments', but they could well be a nice thing to do, and that can be valuable in and of itself.

I agree. I view it in the same way as massage and other complementary therapies - therapeutic. I never paid for any of mine except the lymph massage - all the rest were offered to me for no payment.

 

[Martial]

can help allievate stress but don't expect a cure from illness with it. Ideally you want to keep researching and informing yourself, finding out exactly what is the root of your symptoms and treating it directly, cut to the root.

 

[LivingwithFibro]

I would go for these alternative treatments, if one thing doesn't work a combination of all of these definitely will! Keep trying new things, best wishes.

 

[cosmo]

I think that it's dodgy to sell these sorts of things as 'treatments', but they could well be a nice thing to do, and that can be valuable in and of itself.

I agree, I don't really want them as a cure, I really don't expect that. But if they ease a bit of pain or give a little energy I could see it as a little treat/pamper instead.

 

[cosmo]

I have found Reflexology helpful for pain and general wellbeing (it was relaxing and so on). I also found it helped me to get rid of excess water.

I have had energy work done on me (different types of energy healing). One type helped me get rid of my migraine. Didn't do anything for the M.E. in general.

I found it helps acute issues rather than my longstanding day to day stuff. So if I have an acute pain problem it can help with that.

I found it depends on the practioner - their energy - as 3 different people have done various forms of it in me... One was Reiki (I found that particular one totally ineffective... I felt worse after as the therapy couch was super uncomfy and I was cold in the room). With the Reiki experience I also did not feel at one with the practioner. I felt as if the practioner was more likely sucking energy out of me than anything!

So if you do try it, I recommend consulting with a ptactioner to see if you feel comfy with them and to check out how they work and so on.

I did see some reaction to lymphatic massage - I herx after it. I found it helpful at one point as after the initial hortible herx I'd feel a bit better. It especially helped my chronic sinus issues as I'd get my face/head/neck/shoulders/arms done.

Thank you for this, it's really helpful.

If I am honest I don't really 'believe' in reiki and I think it's like when you are small and you do light a feather, stiff as a board, sort of thing.
I think what you say is true about the coach especially. I had from my physio a massage that was supposed to help with muscle pain and while he was doing it, it really helped especially with my shoulders, he also found out that my bones do not sit in the muscle correctly like everyone else, so they are not supporting them. Anyway when I got to moving afterwards, the fact that I had to be laying on my stomach hurt my back so badly it was spasming all day and I couldn't sit down.

 

[ukxmrv]

Hi Cosmo,

I've tried both Reflexology and Reiki. Found both to be relaxing. The practitioners needed to be told that that I wasn't well enough to talk to them. It was hard to get across that if I did talk to them I would get PEM and feel worse off after.

The Reiki was best for me as the therapist I had was good at dealing with my sluggish stomach. Also her touch wasn't as painful as I find massage. It was good in dealing with tension in my shoulders as well.

It is the expense and having to travel and keep appointments that stops me from having these.

Overall though. I have obtained far better health benefits from antiviral drugs and immune modulators and I can't afford as many of them that I need so things like Reiki go into the nice but too expensive luxury category for me now.

If I was a working "well" person I'd like to do these every now and then but I'm not, so my time and money needs to be prioritised to the real things that make me feel physically better and increase my functioning.

 

[cosmo]

Hi Cosmo,

I've tried both Reflexology and Reiki. Found both to be relaxing. The practitioners needed to be told that that I wasn't well enough to talk to them. It was hard to get across that if I did talk to them I would get PEM and feel worse off after.

The Reiki was best for me as the therapist I had was good at dealing with my sluggish stomach. Also her touch wasn't as painful as I find massage. It was good in dealing with tension in my shoulders as well.

It is the expense and having to travel and keep appointments that stops me from having these.

Overall though. I have obtained far better health benefits from antiviral drugs and immune modulators and I can't afford as many of them that I need so things like Reiki go into the nice but too expensive luxury category for me now.

If I was a working "well" person I'd like to do these every now and then but I'm not, so my time and money needs to be prioritised to the real things that make me feel physically better and increase my functioning.

Thank you so much for this.

Does the person performing reiki actually touch you? Is it a light touch or is it a non touch and they touch the energy around you? That's some of the things I have heard.

I know exactly what you mean, I find keeping appointments and travelling to places really difficult.

I have tried to look at different meds, such as LDN and such, but if to be honest my brain fog gets so bad that I cannot make sense of anything really and end up confused. It's so frustrating as I was such an avid reader and would read books and novels and text books on everything, but now everything confuses me.

 

[ukxmrv]

I've had Reiki from someone who didn't touch me and only the "energy" around me. Another Reiki person did touch me and it was a medium touch but in a specific way (not like a massage) but more like a gentle manipulation with movement (sorry hard to describe). She also did the energy bit as well.

 

[cosmo]

I've had Reiki from someone who didn't touch me and only the "energy" around me. Another Reiki person did touch me and it was a medium touch but in a specific way (not like a massage) but more like a gentle manipulation with movement (sorry hard to describe). She also did the energy bit as well.

That's really interesting, thanks.

I think it may be nice to have a relaxing treatment, I'm going to call them up tomorrow and see if they can fit me in sometime.

 

[Little Bluestem]

I found a short lymphatic drainage session to be relaxing and don’t recall reacting particularly. (I am not surprised by some reaction to any massage.)

Trigger point therapy is helpful IF you have myofascial constrictions.

If find that it helps a lot to be well-hydrated before any type of massage and to rest and stay well-hydrated afterwards. A well-trained, experienced therapist is more likely to provide a positive outcome.