Friday, June 27, 2008

How to reduce America’s $14 billion allergy bill: Reflexology

© pdb1. Image from BigStockPhoto.com
How to reduce America’s $14 billion allergy bill: Reflexology

Our good friend and fellow reflexologist, Larry Clemmons is mentioned in this article. The reporter mentioned, Bob Condor once did an article on our book. We had a very interesting conversation about proprioception

So if the costs of sinus problems is 14 billon dollars and reflexology can at least help with the symptoms what are the cost savings compared to reflexology sessions? 

My first reflexology success story was with my wife, Barbara, , who had sinus problems that required medication. Not only was the medication expensive but she didn't like the side effects.

She also felt the medication didn't work very well either. It was not doing the job.

That was over 30 years ago.  A lot of money and misery were avoided over the years. And for Barbara it has been a life saver. 

Kevin Kunz

See Complete Reflexology For Life for complete details on how to work on the sinuses. 

Using the hands for tinnitus

One of my clients is very proud of being able to using a technique for shutting off her tinnitus using the ear area on the foot. You simply dig into the ear area with your finger. It has been quite effective for her and gives her a sense of control.

But recently I have been noticing with my own tinnitus that the hands can be quite effective. If you go for the segment of the ring finger and apply pressure it may help stop the noise. It has been quite effective for me and I seem to have with a concerted effort seemed to have turned it off for good.







Kevin Kunz



See Complete Reflexology for Life for more information

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Clients With Dementia

There are wonderful people in this world. Helen is one of them. She posted this lovely piece to our Reflexology Forum. I wanted to share this with you. 
Kevin Kunz
*******************************************************
I work with clients who have dementia and live in residential homes -Kevin -I can understand your friend's mum not wanting to be at her "facility". If any of you are considering or currently work with this group I strongly recommend reading "The Simplicity of Dementia" by Huub Buijssen it will really help your understanding of this condition.

I give foot Reflexology by sitting on the floor with their feet on a
pillow on my lap - this is a good height for them and gets over any mobility issues. The non-invasive nature of Reflexology is perfect in this situation and readily accepted and appreciated no matter how chaotic the mind. As soon as you put your hands on their feet they comment on how wonderful it feels. I give a shorter treatment than usual - up to 30 mins. I find it best to leave my "real world" at the door - walk in and accept each individuals version of "reality".

Don't be tempted to impose your real world on them - what does it matter that today is Wednesday and they say it's Friday? Be reassuring and soothing - with your words and touch and you will make a positive difference, hear wonderful stories, feel enriched and probably quite sad - shared institutional living can be brutal for such delicate, confused minds. 

Remember they live in a lonely world of functional touch - mainly washing and dressing. Reflexology gives them one to one caring, soothing, therapeutic touch - welcomed with big smiles, compliments and reminiscing chat. I'll never forget "J" in her final morphine-filled days saying "It feels like true love coming through you to me". I wish sometimes that I could wave a magic wand and create a better environment for them - less medication and TV, more complementary therapies, appropriate mental and physical stimulation and of course more staff....hmmm in my dreams! Thanks yet again Kevin for inspiring us.
Helen (UK)
********************************************************

If you would like to join the Reflexology Forum come to http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/reflexologycommunity/

Monday, June 23, 2008

A Search for Answers in Russert’s Death



© hyku- Creative Commons license
A Search for Answers in Russert’s Death - NYTimes.com
We were deeply sadden by Tim Russert's death recently. It came as a shock that a man with so much life in him was suddenly struck down.
The EMT's tried three different ways to revive Tim Russert.

Could another method had helped him? In an earlier post I talked about the reflex revival technique.  We have used it with success and hope someday that it will be studied and then adopted as a revival technique. 

The longest neuron in the body runs from the center of the big toe into the brain stem. It has no breaks and connects into an area which is related to consciousness. There are interruptions in this neuron. It has a straight shot into the metabolic areas of the brain. A strongly applied pressure can cause a strong stimulation to the electrical system of the body. It may be able to kick start the nervous system. We have done it twice where there seemed no signs of life.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a leading cause of death in the United States, claiming more than 250,000 lives each year. I lost two of my brothers to it.
It is not clear that a new revival technique would have saved Tim Russert. But with these kind of statistics it seems like it would be worth investigating.

We will miss you. Tim.

Kevin Kunz

Friday, June 20, 2008

Social Network, Cognitive Function, and Dementia Incidence Among Elderly Women

© photo credit- Kevin Kunz
Social Network, Cognitive Function, and Dementia Incidence Among Elderly Women 

A recent study found that social exposure helped with cognitive functions among elderly women with dementia. The simple act of social exposure seems to impact dementia in positive ways. Could this lead to a revolution in the way dementia and Alzheimer's is treated?

What are the social costs of dementia? And then to be a little bit cold blooded what are the monetary costs. A friend of ours is paying $10,000 a month  for his mother's Alzheimer's care. And yet the stress is still incredibly high. His mother doesn't what to be at the facility. 

In reflexology the head area is represented by the thumb and big toe. Anecdotal stories abound with partial cognitive recovery using reflexology. There is  one dementia study which points to the need for more research.  

"RESULTS: Analysis of variance for repeated measures demonstrated a significantly greater decrease in symptoms of pain, depression and physiologic measures of stress for the residents given reflexology treatment than for those in the control group. CONCLUSION: These clinical findings support the use of reflexology in nursing home residents with mild/moderate dementia." Nancy A. Hodgson, RN, PhD, CS1, Susan Andersen, BS2, and Heather Felker. “Efficacy of Reflexology as a Palliative Treatment in Nursing Home Residents with Dementia: A Pilot Study”

What if there was a program to work with dementia patients with reflexology? If as social contact study shows there was only the social contact it potentially could it help the dementia patient. But what if  there more to the benefits than the social contact that reflexology provides. 

Years ago we met a George Leger in Canada who had gotten permission to go through an Alzheimer's ward to see if he could find a common stress cue. He found a stress cue similar to the photograph above. Out of 21 patients he found 20 had this sign. 

While the feet shown above are not those of an Alzheimer's patient the subject's mother did have Alzheimer's. And a woman in the class that George Leger spoke at also showed a similar stress cue. Again she did not have Alzheimer's but her mother did. 

Note in the photo that the big toe has a kind of outcropping and the second toe rests on it. Often I find people with memory problems frequently have significant contact with other toes. It is as though the constant steady pressure blocks the circuity impinging  on the memory. If a fMRI study can show that pressing on certain parts of the toe s can light up very specific parts of the brain doesn't it stand to reason that the effect of constant steady pressure from toe to toe contact would have an opposite effect.

How can you lose with a program of reflexology? The social contact alone may be of value. But the greater value may be in stimulating the memory that have grown dim. 

Kevin Kunz
 






Tiger Woods Should Try Reflexology

Tiger Woods should try reflexology to speed his recovery. It won't fix his knee problem. Surgery sounds like his next step. Nor will it help him overcome his stress fractures. He has basically a broken leg. No way around that. 

Reflexology, however, can very effectively lower the stress levels in the body. Stress slows down the healing process. When we are under stress the body goes into the "fight or flight" response. If the stress response continues for a long period of time the body's resources become compromised. The body can no longer adapt. Wear and tear sets in.

Reflexology acts to break up the continuity of stress which depletes the body's resources. By interrupting the body's stress patterns the stress mechanism resets itself at a lower level. The body moves from a state of survival to a state of renewal where things begin to repair themselves. 

Tiger Woods has an extraordinary capacity for dealing with stress. The US Open demonstrated that.  He seems to thrive on high levels of stress.

But there is a limit. Without lowering the his stress level it could be a long time before we see Tiger Woods out on the greens again. He should really try reflexology.

Kevin Kunz





 

BBC Responds

http://www.reflexology-research.com/bbcresponse.html

This is the BBC's defense of their program on reflexology for Open University by Dr. Sykes. It is a really long response. Abruptly Matthew Barrett quit without allowing us to respond.

We want to start an email protest of the BBC's treatment of reflexology. Besides the questionable science we felt Dr. Sykes demonstrate extreme culturally insensitivity towards the culture of reflexology by attending a "cuddle party.'

Kevin Kunz

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Detox pads- the results are in

I got up this morning and peel off the detox pads. They look dark and have a pungent odor to them. Don't really feel different. Not very conclusive in my book but take a look.




The pads look like used tea bags that have been sitting around for awhile. It is a little disappointing. But I will repeat the experiment tonight to see if there is any difference. My guess is that there probably won't be.

Kevin Kunz

http://www.reflexology-research.com

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Do foot detox pads really work?

Oh joy. It is time for a new fad to drag reflexology into it's product promotion. Foot detox pads are now the rage. The latest blitz of advertisement shows a reflexology chart as some type of justification for it's claims. You probably have seen it on TV as the ad is played every 5 minutes or so.

I haven't had so much fun since the grow taller people used our web site to make their case for reflexology actually making people taller. Of course there isn't a shred of evidence to back this up. But these are mere details.

There are people who think these pads are wonderful because of the fact they turn brown when you apply them overnight. I can tell you one thing. These pads will turn brown when wet. I wore a pair into the shower as an experiment and they did turn brown. I was trying the quick and clean detox method.

A web site touting their claims very happily dragged our foot chart into the fray. It is really nice to have someone else dragging us into their promotional efforts.

If you would like to read a very heated debate over the pads go to http://www.wanderings.net/notebook/Main/KinokiDetoxFootPads#comment22People seem to be split down the middle. Some think they are the biggest scam ever. Others swear by their healing powers.

And if you would like to review some rather confusing research studies try Kenrico's site. http://www.kenrico.com/research.html#BLOODANALYSIS (Hey, they look scientific.)

So I am going to conduct a thorough scientific investigation tonight. I have a set from a friend and plan to wear them to see what happens. I will post tomorrow what I find. And I will even do a follow up study the next night. You guessed it. I have two sets.

If the results are dramatic enough I will post pictures. Stay tuned. This could be exciting. Or not.

Kevin Kunz

http://www.reflexology-research.com

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Who Started Hand Reflexology?








Question: Hi Kevin & Barbara,

Just as everyone credits Eunice Ingham (along with Drs. Fitzgerald and Riley) in pioneering Foot Reflexology, who is credited with Hand Reflexology? Who mapped out the reflexes on the hand?

Thank you,
Kathy

Answer: Hi Kathy

Good hearing from you.

I think Mildred Carter started hand reflexology on a larger scale. Her charts were more energy based like acupuncture. I don't know of anyone before her doing hand reflexology.

We took two years to map out a reiterative chart or mirroring the body on the hands. It wasn't easy. The hand is different than the foot in topography. But the chart was pretty well adopted by everyone.

All the best,
Kevin Kunz

If you want a free chart of hand reflexology go to http://www.reflexology-research.com/handchart.html

or if you want an Interactive Chart try http://www.dk.com/reflexology

or for a fun little hand reflexology widget for your desktop or blog http://www.clearspring.com/widgets/46dd6d7d25ffd441?p=46dd6d7d25ffd441

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

The Wellness Culture

© shiyali. Image from BigStockPhoto.com


I recently wrote about how reflexology could help save the health care system. I just received a bulletin from the Foundation for Integrated Health. In it was an article which caught my eye. the article is called, Creating a National Wellness Service. It focuses on an issue that is key to cutting health care costs, shifting from a focus on illness to an emphasis on wellness. In essence creating a "wellness culture".

"The priority for healthcare in the 19th century was public health. The priority in the 20th century was universal access to medical care for infectious and acute diseases. The priority in the 21st century is increasingly the management of chronic diseases, in an emerging partnership between individuals, social networks and medical services. This implies some radical changes to how health is organised." David Boyle

Mr. Boyle argues that the the National Health Service (NHS) has become a "sickness service" and should now move onto a "wellness service". We have done wonders with infectious and acute diseases but fallen short in addressing the chronic degenerative diseases that plague our societies.

"Without this clarity, the NHS will remain at the mercy of factors like pollution, stress, diet and patient isolation. Its delivery systems are not well-designed to tackle the growing problem of chronic disease (80% of GP consultations and 80% of the NHS budget now go on this), for which mutual support, social networks and complementary therapies are frequently more critical." David Boyle

80% of the problem is being addressed reactively and not proactively. It is like the highway department helping to build more body shops in response to traffic hazards. We aren't addressing the root causes.

The figure 80 % is interesting because it also extends to stress related disorders. This isn't a mystery. Some of us age well while others go into serious decline. Chronic degenerative diseases are accelerated by stress.

Reflexology addresses stress in a proactive way. It can help someone before the onset of some troubling disorder. Studies have shown that reflexology acts on cortisol. Cortisol is a well know stress hormone and is linked to our fight or flight response. Stress is a killer and by lowering cortisol levels we lower our risks of developing something more serious.

Reflexology also provides nourishment to the tacitly deprived. In other words, it can help people out of isolation.

We used to have an elderly lady who wore her mink stole to the office. She even brought her own hanger for the stole. We were her human contact for the week and the mink stole was her prize possession. And she wanted to share it with us. She felt connected.

High tech has done wonders for acute problems. There is actually a theory that the reason the murder rate has dropped has more to do with advanced medical procedures than with people shooting each other less often. So high tech medicine has done wonders with saving lives when an acute event has occurred.

But to cut costs and save our health care system it maybe time for "high touch". Instead of fighting sickness we need to embrace a culture of wellness. We need to reach out to the stressed and the lonely with reflexology and the other high touch modalities.

And to those who feel this is just a touchy feely sort of solution think of the money you will be saving. Remember that 80%.

Kevin Kunz

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Brain Changes and Reflexology


Just finished the last newsletter, Reflexology Impact on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. There are studies going on to see if reflexology can effect the devastation caused by this disorder. There is real hope for those who not only face the mental scars of war but also community and domestic violence. See http://www.reflexology-research.com/ptsd2.html

We also finished our series on functional MRI and the effects of foot reflexology on the brain. fMRI's can actually display what part of the brain is effected by pressure applied to specific parts of the feet. See http://www.reflexology-research.com/fmri5.html

And finally for the fun of it try Google Translate to find the hidden world of reflexology in other countries. There are some really interesting trends which we will be writing about in the future. See http://www.reflexology-research.com/google.html

Kevin Kunz

http://www.reflexology-research.com
Interactive Charts
Hand Reflexology Widget

Thursday, June 5, 2008

The Barefoot Baby Brain

© Buchanan Design. Image from BigStockPhoto.com


Barbara was working with Google's translating search engine and she came across a Japanese web page with the curious title, Fitness and Barefoot Baby Brain. It was translated from Chinese so the language is a bit awkward but also very amusing.

We had heard in the past that schools in Japan were having their students go barefoot to develop themselves physically. What we did not know is that it had extend to barefooted baby brains. The article Barbara found was a Japanese article about how kindergarden schools are removing concrete floors in their gyms and replacing them sand.

They are doing this because Japanese child care experts are convinced that being barefooted has important effects on a child's development. "Child-care experts believe that barefoot training for the children's physical and intellectual development brings enormous benefits - barefoot exercise is the biggest contribution to the brain's puzzle, can enhance children's intellectual level."

The web page goes on to outline the various benefits of the barefoot baby and the impact on the nervous system. They see it as a healthy environment for developing parts of the brain left untouched by shoes.

Japan, Germany and China are all advocates of barefooted babies. Are we losing the barefooted baby brain race? Will these barefoot baby brains out performed our Western shoed baby brains?

I have always said that health is but one of the wonderful things about reflexology. We have felt that the impact on the mental side of our lives has never been really thoroughly addressed.

It looks like the stimulation to the unshod foot has more than health at it's core as well. It may extend to the barefooted baby brain as well.

Kevin Kunz

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Can reflexology save the health care system?

© briank. Image from BigStockPhoto.com


Recently the quackbusters in England have been raving about complementary therapies. The question is whether the NHS is hurting the health care system by taking away from other "proven therapies" money that could be better spent. The argument goes that if you are spending money on things like reflexology you are taking away from things like chemotherapy. Not a proven point but one that allows them to rave on.

This started me started thinking about how in fact reflexology could be used to help save the health care system. If you use cost as a factor than the less time a person spends in the hospital the more the savings. If reflexology could cut the time spent in the hospital the cost savings could be major money.

When we first published The Complete Guide to Foot Reflexology we worked with a printer who weight in at over 400 pounds. Dick went in for a stomach stapling operation to try to save him from his morbid obesity. He almost died.

In fact, the doctor expected that the next call he received was that Dick was dead. To make a long story short I went in and worked on him several times a day in an effort to see if I could help. Dick made it. His aunt, a former nurse, could see that I had an impact on his vital signs as she was monitoring him.

But here is the kicker. Not only did Dick recover but he did it in record time. Normally at this time the projected stay in the hospital for a stomach stapling operation was seven days. Dick made it out in 5 days.

Okay so this was an isolated incident. But there have been others. The most dramatic was an AIDS patient who was going to be recovering from a gall bladder operation for at least 4 or 5 more days. He was very sad because when I saw him it was his birthday and who wants to spend their birthday in the hospital.

They released him that day. I was a bit shocked but he apparently met the criteria for release. And he had a very happy birthday.

Imagine the cost savings of each of these cases (much less the human element). If reflexology could help lower health costs by cutting the time spent in hospitals what would the savings be. And imagine the cost savings for an AIDS patient in a special AIDS ward.

Now this would be easy to test in a controlled way. All you have to do is have one group receive reflexology and then have a controlled group that doesn't. Then see if in fact the patients left the hospital earlier. Pretty simple. Or if you are a quackbuster you can continue to rave on.

How can you see reflexology helping to save the health care system? Let me know your thoughts.

Kevin Kunz

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Self-Taught Ballerinas Go Online


© Steve Pepple. Image from BigStockPhoto.com


Wall Street Journal had an article this morning on self-taught ballerinas producing videos for YouTube of their efforts.

"Aspiring ballerinas are recording videos of themselves dancing and posting the results for people to look at and critique on the Internet."

"Young hopefuls put video cameras on their kitchen or bathroom floor, then do simple exercises in pointe shoes. The videos, which generally aren't more than a minute long, attract viewer chat pointing out mistakes and offering tips."

On Their Toes and Asking for Trouble, Self-Taught Ballerinas Go Online
YouTube Peer Review Horrifies Dance Schools; En Pointe Accidents Waiting to Happen
By EMILY STEEL
June 3, 2008; Page A1 Wall Street Journal

The predictions for injuries to these self-taught ballerinas are dire and most likely correct. But even a carefully tutored ballerina is potentially headed for injury because the foot was not meant to toe point.

Toe point relies on the locking wedge of the foot. It is a mechanism in the middle of the foot that helps to lock and unlock the foot when we walk. It is centered around the middle cuneiform which locks into position to help stabilize the foot. It wasn't meant to be jammed from the top.

"Possible injuries include stress fractures, sprained ankles, tendinitis, damage to the growth plates in the feet, shinsplints and bunions. Shoes that don't fit properly can permanently deform young feet."

If our young ballerina has a longer second toe (which is fairly common) even more force is applied to the locking wedge. The force goes right down the shaft of the toe directly into the locking wedge of the foot.

But judging from the article there is little or no way to dissuade these ballerinas or aspiring YouTube ballerinas from applying forces to their feet that can cause lasting damage. It is about like telling a young woman about high heels and the damage they cause. Good luck.

Kevin Kunz