Autoimmune conditions and Reflexology

In Autoimmune illnesses, the immune system may be working too vigorously which can result in it wrongly attacking your own body.

The immune system should work to fight against germs such as bacteria and viruses and when it senses these invaders, it will send out an army of cells to attack them. However, in an autoimmune disease, the immune system mistakes part of your body — like your joints or skin — as foreign. It releases proteins called autoantibodies that attack healthy cells. This may be on a localised level such as in the skin or at a systemic, deep organ or joint level. Some autoimmune diseases may target only one organ such as Type 1 diabetes damages the pancreas. Other diseases, like Lupus, affect the whole body.

These are just some of the over 100 Autoimmune conditions and numbers are increasing all the time:

• Lupus
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Graves Disease
• Hashimotos
• Vasculitis
• Mulitiple Sclerosis
• Addisons Disease
• Psoriasis
• Diabetes Type 1
• Ulcerative Colitis
• Crohns
• IBS*
• Coeliac Disease

Currently, there is no cure for autoimmune diseases and treatment can only improve symptoms.

This is where Reflexology can help

The theory behind Reflexology is that systems are brought back to their normal level which may help the body to reduce its over-reaction to the “enemy” which in turn, results in a reduction to symptoms.

Clients with Autoimmune conditions find Reflexology can really help them as they help to balance and calm down an overactive immune system. Reflexology doesn’t just work on one particular area, but it can work on whole body systems, such as the digestive system (70-80% of your immune system tissue is based here), the respiratory system and the endocrine system.

It really helps to rebalance and harmonise the whole system and it does this in a way that facilitates relaxation, thereby triggering the parasympathetic nervous system. This can cause a lowering of stress hormones, and increasing the healing and relaxing effects.

The detoxifying effect of Reflexology may also be of help as during an immune reaction, many unnecessary breakdown products can be released and these will need to be cleansed out of the system, so treatment of the liver and kidneys is very important.

We have had some extremely positive feedback from clients with Autoimmune conditions and how Reflexology has really helped alleviate symptoms so why not give us a call and book an appointment today?

Reflexologists do not claim to cure, diagnose or prescribe.