By Kevin and Barbara Kunz

Chair dweller lifestyle, meet your inner cave dweller metabolism. Consider: every footstep is a potential nutrient feeding metabolism and muscle thrown into chaos by sitting too much. The reflex diet tells you how much and how often to use the nutrient potential of and imaginative approach to sitting, standing and walking to re-set the metabolic rhythm and muscular pattern designed by the body’s ancient ancestry. The result is weight control and a lessened risk for chronic, degenerative disease.

Our bodies are designed to move more than is common in our sitting cultures. By following Barbara and Kevin’s guide to un-sitting your life, the reflex actions involved in moving you about get the workout for which they were designed. As a result, metabolic and other processes are practiced adequately to maintain the operation of the body as it is meant to be.

With this book, the focus is on techniques proven by research to elicit healthful responses. Described are how much and how often to put to use techniques for moving more to achieve a sought after result: improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol and other measures of metabolism; reduced risk for heart disease (stroke and heart attack), diabetes, cognitive decline and more; approach to muscular pain, reduced waistline and weight control. Techniques include sitting smart, taking steps, taking breaks, forest bathing (immersion), reflexology mat walking, and reflex therapies (reflexology, yoga, tai chi).

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Consider the possibilities of reflexology:

• Connecting with others using reflexology as you help them be well;
• Taking control of your own well-being using reflexology;
• Helping your family members or friends through difficult times of health problems with reflexology;
• Developing a career of hands-on work with others in the field of reflexology.

Fond family memories, stories of personal resilience and friends helping friends result from reflexology work. Being bribed with lox and bagels to work on her father’s feet on Sunday mornings was among fondest memories of one radio commentator. One woman was called “Foot” instead of “Aunt” by her young niece who delighted in her reflexology work. From friends helping friends in the hospital to individuals seeking to help themselves, reflexology offers help at hand.

Relaxation

Some 40 years had passed since his mother had worked on his feet when he went to bed every night, “but my client had not forgotten”, says Kevin Kunz. “My reflexology work on his feet would put him to sleep in seconds with a smile on his face. He slept so soundly that only his own snoring would interrupt his slumber.”

Pain reduction

Eating particular food while paying pastoral visits would send this minister’s wife to the emergency room with abdominal pain. Learning a reflexology technique allowed her to avoid gastric distress and politely eat the food important to her Indian hosts.

Improved symptoms for a health concern

Desensitized to her asthma medication and unable to breathe at three every morning, Twyllah utilized a self-applied hand reflexology golf ball rolling technique to breathe freely.

Improved post-operative recovery

Concerned that his friend’s release from the hospital after surgery was delayed by constipation, Bob found a reflexology chart on the Internet using his mobile phone, applied reflexology technique to the friend’s hands, and successfully helped his friend go home.

Complement to cancer care

Concerned about helping her sister when she entered hospice care due to cancer, our friend used reflexology to reconnect with her previously estranged sister.

Create easier pregnancy, delivery and postpartum experiences

Jan stepped in to use reflexology successfully when her niece was not adjusting to motherhood well following delivery of her baby.

Enhancement of medical care

Stroke survivor Nadine walked out of the rehab center to her new life at an assisted living facility after reflexology helped her move from being bedridden with a nursing home in her future.

Adjunct to mental health care

A trouble shared is a trouble halved and reflexology proves to lighten the load. The safe, non-invasive touch of reflexology facilitates communication during its use whether by family, friend or professional.

Read more: Possibilities of Reflexology, Stories of Success.

Consider the researched and proven potential of reflexology:

Reflexology has been found to be effective during research conducted through hundreds of studies positively impacting:

• relaxation,
• pain reduction,
• recovery from surgery,
• easier pregnancy,
• symptoms of physical and mental health concerns,
• post-operative recovery,
• cancer care,
• medical care and how the body works.

Relaxation

From the moment the reflexologist’s hands start their work, the relaxation begins as found by research measuring brain activity by EEG. All together, 24 studies demonstrate reflexology’s relaxation effects.Multiple studies using a variety of measurements show that reflexology relaxes the body. The stimulation of reflexology’s pressure techniques creates change in the body’s basic level of tension as demonstrated by research using measurement of: brain waves (EEG), blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, pulse rate, and anxiety. One study of a single session noted that reflexology has a “… powerful anxiety-reduction effect ….”

Pain reduction

Pain reduction is a significant result of reflexology work. Twenty-seven studies show positive outcomes for reflexology work ranging from “significant difference in” pain to “reduction in” pain.Of note is the broad range of individuals whose pain is impacted by reflexology work. Included are individuals of all ages and health states: birthing mothers, menstruating women, phantom limb pain sufferers, lower back pain sufferers, kidney stone patients, senior citizens and individuals with pain resulting from surgery. Such a range speaks of impact on an underlying mechanism at work.

Improved symptoms for health concerns

Reflexology was found to be effective for 93% of health concerns in one analysis of 8,096 case studies with 63 concerns and another analysis of 168 studies with 78 concerns. Concerns ranged from allergies and aggressive behavior in children to vertigo and uroshesis (urinating after surgery).

Improved post-operative recovery and pain reduction

The value of reflexology for patients post-surgically is demonstrated by fifteen studies conducted in eight countries. As reported in Medical Applications of Reflexology: Findings in Research about Post-operative Care, Maternity Care and Cancer Care (Kunz and Kunz, 2011), patient pain, anxiety and recovery are all aided by the application of reflexology post-operatively. Researchers note the value of reflexology post surgically: speeding recovery time; adding to nursing interventions to ease pain when medication alone is not enough as well.
Complement to cancer care (pain, nausea, vomiting, anxiety)

Results from 24 studies conducted by nurses in ten countries are reported in Medical Applications of Reflexology: Findings in Research about Cancer Care (Kunz, Barbara and Kevin, RRP Press,2011). The results show that reflexology helps cancer patients improve the physical and emotional symptoms of the cancer experience. From chemotherapy to symptom management and from postoperative

Easier pregnancy, delivery and postpartum recovery

Women who received reflexology experienced shorter labor times and used less analgesia. In addition, reflexology showed a positive impact on postpartum depression, anxiety, urination and bowel movements. Reflexology work during pregnancy or delivery creates easier birthing / delivery: lessened use of analgesia; reduced duration of labor and labor pains, improvement in primary inertia and retention of placenta. Chinese researchers have found reflexology to be beneficial for women throughout the child- bearing experience from conception to post-partum concerns.

Enhancement of medical care (e. g. diabetes, phantom limb pain, and hemodialysis patients)

For cancer patients, phantom limb pain sufferers, hemodialysis patients, diabetic individuals, neuropathy patients, and many more categories of patients are among those whose need for help exceeds that available through medical practices. Research has demonstrated that reflexology use enhances medical care to help where medicine can’t, for example, lessening or cessation of pain for those with phantom limb pain.

Adjunct to mental health care (e. g. depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder)

Reflexology programs and research show that reflexology aids the mentally ill, providing needed benefits unique to reflexology work. Mental health workers report that reflexology work furnishes many advantages including facilitating communication and allowing for the client to be “touched during treatment in a safe non-intrusive / abusive manner.” Studies demonstrate from reflexology work proves to be useful or provides positive results for: aggressive and anti-social children, autistic children; those needing emotional support; individuals with post traumatic stress syndrome; individuals with severe and enduring metal illnesses. Research demonstrates that reflexology can reduce depression (11 studies) and anxiety (9 studies).

Improvement in how the body works (e. g. blood flow, blood pressure, kidney function and cholesterol

Improvement in blood flow is one of multiple mechanisms of action at work in reflexology technique application. Research shows that reflexology work applied to a reflex area reflecting a body part prompts an improved blood flow to that body part: kidneys, intestines, and the brain (fMRI). Research also shows improved blood flow to the feet.

Research shows that reflexology work influences physiological measures of the body. Measures include and demonstrate positive impact on: alpha amylase, blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, pulse rate, blood uric acid level, carbon dioxide (exhaled), cholesterol, cortisol, Doppler sonogram, ECG, EEG, fMRI, free radicals, hemoglobin, oxygen density, oxygen saturation, serotonin, triglycerides, uric acid and white blood cell count as well as immune system, intestinal, kidney and pancreas function. Such measures document that reflexology has an effect, providing an objective yardstick to measure reflexology’s effects and offering evidence of reflexology’s potential benefits.