When I was getting my Master’s in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MAcOM) from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM), you could choose between two different bodywork tracks - Tuina and Shiatsu.  There was a minimum requirement to complete, but if you liked the bodywork aspect of Chinese Medicine, you could complete the full courseload towards attaining a separate and additional certification in Asian Bodywork, should you desire.  I absolutely loved it.  I completed the full Tuina course, did two (extra!) internships in the OCOM Massage Clinic and completed the Foot Reflexology addendum.

I have always included bodywork in all of my Acupuncture sessions from day one, therefore, and Foot Reflexology especially.  I find that Foot Reflexology is a powerful tool that can be used to greatly enhance Acupuncture results and can be very fruitful alone.  In fact, I’ve had excellent results treating Headache and Constipation especially using Foot Reflexology only for the needle shy.

Hence - the post you are reading right now! How does reflexology for headache work? What part of the foot do you focus on for headache specifically any why?  Read on to learn more.

Headache is one of my favorite things to treat using Foot Reflexology.  Why?  Because headaches often have several components to them and can have many triggers - stress primary among them.  

In Chinese Medicine headaches are often tied to disturbance of the Heart (energetically, not physically!) and Gall Bladder with underlying causes in the Kidney, Liver and Spleen.  Don’t worry - if you suffer from cluster headaches, migraine headaches, tension headaches or any other there isn’t necessarily anything physically wrong with these organs, these are simply the energetic organs that tie to, or have direct energetic channel lines on, the face and head.

Through the feet, not only can we treat each of these organs and energies in the body by applying pressure to organ-specific reflex zones, we can also treat the head itself by massaging the “head” zone on the feet!  Foot Reflexology can improve circulation, improve detoxification and support lymphatic flow.  Plus, Foot Reflexology is VERY RELAXING so if there is a tension trigger to your headache, that headache better watch out, yo! A good reflex treatment in the feet can melt that tension right away.

I really think the best combination for treating Headache is a combination of Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs and Foot Reflexology.  With this trifecta, you can treat all kinds of headaches physically, energetically, internally and externally with amazing results.

If you have questions or want to know more please don’t hesitate to call or email me any time.  You can book online 24/7 using the “Book Now” button at the top of the page!

Until next time,

~Rebecca

Most of these require the use of a cloth masque - you boil a tea and then soak the tea in the cloth masque, apply cloth masque to face.  If you don’t have a cloth masque, you can easily make one with an old t-shirt or just use gauze.  

**To use a T-Shirt - cut out a circle that is the size of your face and under chin area - you can extend all the way to the collar bone to encompass the “decollette” area if you like. Soak in tea, apply!

**To use gauze - pick up some large squares or a roll of gauze in the first aid department of the drug store.  Open enough packages, or cut enough strips, to cover the face.  Soak in tea, apply!

Anti Aging Facial Masque Ingredients and Indications:

• Chinese Yam (Shan Yao)- Wild Chinese Yam is ideal, but any yam has mild hormone balancing effect.  Excellent for hormonal imbalance acne, dry skin, redness, irritation, fine shallow lines.  Boil, steam or bake yam and mash into paste - apply as masque to dry skin or fine line problem areas.
  

• Dried Rose - look for whole bud dried roses to encompass the rose hip, where a high concentration of anti-oxidant rich Vitamin C is found. Boil for 20 minutes into tea, use tea for base with cloth masque. Overall blood moving meaning it will brighten the complexion, mild detoxificant, excellent for skin clarification, acne, general base for any combination masque you’d like to make.
  

• Chrysanthemum Flower - boil for 20 minutes into tea, apply with cloth masque. This herb is detoxifying, heat and wind clearing energetically. Use for areas of redness, inflammation, acne. Wild chrysanthemum flower is best, but any white or yellow chrysanthemum will do.
  

• Goji Berri - Yin Tonic Chinese herb. Boil berries for 20-30 minutes, use tea as base for cloth masque or can concentrate drops of tea through cloth onto specific areas of dry skin/fine line concern.  Same indications as Wild Yam but slightly more moving - complexion brightening - action.  Can also mash cooked fruit into masque for problem areas.
  

• Ginseng - King herbal for anti aging.  Especially good for sagging, puffiness, deep lines, general loss of lustre in the skin. Use Korean or Chinese Ginseng for Yang Deficiency - overall sensation of cold, fatigue, low energy. Use American Ginseng for Yin Deficiency - overall heat sensation (menopause), dryness, redness.  Combine both if you feel “neutral” in temperature. Fresh Ginseng is best, but dried also works well.  
  
• Fresh Ginseng - steam in double boiler 1 hour, mash into paste and apply to whole face for overall anti aging, or to specific sagging/wrinkling areas.
• Dried Ginseng - boil for 2 hours, use tea with cloth masque to concentrate on problem areas. Can also mash remaining root and apply as compress.  Dried ginseng can be boiled and used 2x.
  

The Year of the Ram starts February 19th, 2015 and with it a new and inspiring Lunar New Year!  

2014, the Year of the Horse, seemed to bring challenges for many but the Year of Ram should promise new direction.  As a Wood element year, its a great time for creative passions to manifest - so if you have a project waiting on the back burner for inspiration to strike, expect it to come soon! The Ram itself is known as sensitive, considerate and honest so we can expect 2015 to also be a year of personal growth and self discovery.

As a seasonal energetic medicine, Acupuncture is an excellent way to harmonize the body with the seasons, not to mention a proven method for reducing pain, increasing energy, improving digestion and reducing stress!

To ring in the Year of the Ram I am offering a 3 Treatment Special for the month of February - purchase a package of 3 one-hour Acupuncture sessions for $200 instead of $231!  A great way to save some funds while meeting your deductible if needed, OR an excellent gift for a friend.

Click the button below to purchase online via my "gift certificate" service.  If you're purchasing it for yourself, just gift it to you! This offer is available all month (as many as you'd like to bank!) until February 28th.