Vivienne: My experience of reflexology

I’ve had hormone issues for many years; symptoms such as irregular cycles, pain and mood swings were common for me. But, when I started getting brain fog and night panics, I decided to visit the doctor.

After lots of investigations, it was confirmed that I had gone into perimenopause. At the time I was 41. I was quite young for this to happen, so it was a lot to get my head around.

My doctor said that I should have hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Because of my age, she told me that I would put myself at risk of osteoporosis if I didn’t do something to regulate my hormones. This was a scary thought, but even scarier for me was the long list of side effects and horror stories I had read about HRT.

That’s when I decided to look into complementary and alternative therapies. Reflexology kept coming up as a really good option, and I read lots of positive stories from other women who had given it a try. So, I decided to give it a go.

Finding a reflexologist was relatively easy. I researched practitioners in my area and checked certification and experience. I’m a strong believer in intuition so, if it feels right, I usually go for it. I was lucky enough to find a practitioner in my village who fitted the criteria.

You can find a reflexologist near you using our search tool.

My first appointment was a ‘getting to know you’ type session. My reflexologist asked lots of questions about my general health and explained to me how reflexology works. I was worried that it might tickle, but it felt more like gentle pushing and massage on various areas of the feet.

She also worked on the ankle and lower leg region. She was able to give me some feedback regarding areas that were sensitive. For example, tender areas can be linked to internal organs, and she worked a lot on the area of my foot that represented the adrenals – which can help with hormone issues.

I can honestly say that, within six weekly treatments, my night panics and brain fog had gone, and my sleeping pattern had improved significantly.

I would thoroughly recommend reflexology to balance hormones. It is also very effective for other health issues, too. Due to the success I’d had first time around, I went back for reflexology treatment for an old skiing injury on my knee, again with great success.

If you are looking for a complementary or alternative therapy that is both effective and relaxing, then I would say go for it!