Footnotes December 2012 - The Nova Scotia Association of

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Issue 15
Footnotes
December 2012
A Publication of the Nova Scotia Association of Reflexology Practitioners
Inside This Issue:
2012 AGM and Conference a Great Success
2012 AGM and Conference
a Great Success
1
From the President’s Desk
2
Editor’s Corner
2
Reflexology Therapy News
• Upcoming Reflexology
Therapy Training
• Educational Bundle for
Sale
• Sunshine Room
Reflexology Volunteers
Needed
• International Perspective Your Gut is Wiser than You
Think
• Client Treatment Study - 40
Year Old Female with
Bladder Infection
• Ask the Pro - Reflexology
Therapy with Cerebral
Palsy
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3
3
4
8
A large number of NSARP
members and guests gathered
together on September 29, 2012
for a successful day of learning
and networking.
Trudy Stoelting started the day
with an educational hands-on
workshop on Auriculotherapy.
The group then enjoyed a
delightful lunch prepared by our
esteemed Educational Events
Coordinator Melissa Mitchell.
In the afternoon, Donna Jones
delivered a very informative
workshop called “Save Your
Hands”, and included lots of
useful techniques and
demonstrations.
Finally, Melissa Mitchell delivered
a captivating talk on the
importance of nutrition including
lots of practical tips that the group
was able to take home to benefit
themselves and their clients.
The day was finished with an
active and positive Annual
General Meeting.
In summary, the AGM was a
great success!
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Business Development
• In the Black - Future
Trends for Small Business
Looks Good
10
Upcoming Events
12
Letter to the Editor
12
Nova Scotia Association of
Reflexology Practitioners
www.NSARP.org
Board of Directors
President - Melany Rand
Vice President - Catherine Whittaker
Secretary - Donna Jones
Treasurer - Cheryl Gaul
Director - Jeanette Gormley
Executive Director - Cheryl Gaul
Public Relations - Jeanette Gormley
Educational Events - Melissa Mitchell
Congratulations to Jeannette Gormley who received the President’s Choice Volunteer of the
Year Award at the AGM for her unique contribution to Reflexology Therapy in Nova Scotia.
Footnotes, Issue 15, December 2012
2
Editor’s Corner
Welcome to the 15th issue of
Footnotes, NSARP’s biannual publication. My
name is Catherine Whittaker,
and I’m the newsletter editor
for NSARP. Please consider
submitting an article that is
related to Reflexology.
Although not all articles get
printed, members and
subscribers look forward to
new authors, because they
offer a different perspective.
Do you have something to
say? How about a case
study to contribute? If you
do, let us know, or let us
interview you if you do not
feel comfortable writing the
article yourself.
If you would like to start
receiving the publication, or if
you have any comments,
ideas or submissions that you
would like to see included in
our publication, we welcome
your input. Please note that
articles may be edited for
content and length.
Sincerely,
Catherine Whittaker
[email protected]
Advertising and submissions:
Deadline for submissions are
October 31 and April 30.
Advertising rates range from
$20 - $120 per issue. This is
a great way to support
NSARP and grow your
business at the same time.
For more details, please
contact Catherine at
[email protected] or
leave me a message at (902)
632-2197
From the President’s Desk
Hello Members and
Friends,
NSARP is making
positive gains for the
future of Reflexology
Therapy. There
currently is no other
association in Canada
as strong and as
forward thinking as we
are right now. Our
growth, though it may
seem slow at times, is
steady. Within the
association we have
strong practitioners with
diverse backgrounds
helping to hammock the
many avenues that
need support as we
span our directions into
the future.
This year has proven to
have positive growth in
the direction of support
for students and new
members with the
development of the
mentorship program.
This program will
embrace the needs for
those who recognize
the importance of
guided mentorship from
more experienced
practitioners.
In the area of
professional
development and public
relations, NSARP was
able to obtain
government approval
for a Provincial
Reflexology Therapy
Week, which will occur
the third week of April
each year. Secondly,
members of the Board
have worked diligently
to develop a
reimbursement
sponsorship program
for lending out NSARP
display materials for
those members who
wish to attend events to
promote themselves as
well as their
association.
NSARP has been
recognized by a
significant extended
health care insurance
agency in 2012.
Several Reflexology
Practitioners have been
given a provider
number and therefore
their clients have
received
reimbursement for
services. There is still
a lot more to
understand with this
breakthrough as we are
not 100% aware the
parameters involved
however this is a small
but mighty step
forward.
As always, the basis of
the NSARP’s continued
duties strive on
throughout the year
including the biannual
newsletter, continuing
education, spring
“NSARP has been
recognized by a significant
extended health care
insurance agency in 2012.
Several Reflexology
Practitioners have been given
a provider number and
therefore their clients have
received reimbursement for
services.
workshop, fall
conference and AGM
tasks, office
administration and
more.
NSARP drives forward
with volunteer work
alone. Those who offer
their services and time
gain the satisfaction
that their hard earned
efforts are contributing
to a strong future. This
being said, the more
assistance the
association gains, the
more swiftly we move
forward, and the
stronger we will
become.
As we get ready for a
new year, I look forward
to the opportunities
ahead, and to striving
together to meet our
professional best. A
bright future is ours to
create!
All my best,
Melany Rand
NSARP President
Footnotes, Issue 15, December 2012
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Reflexology Therapy News
Upcoming Reflexology Therapy Training
Footsteps School of Reflexology 300
Hour Professional Training Diploma
Program
March 22-24 and April 13-14, 2013
June 17-21, 2013
July 11-15, 2013
September 5-9, 2013
Kentville, NS
Yarmouth, NS
Summerside, PEI
St. John’s, NF
Hand Reflexology Therapy
Certification
September 10, 2013
Halifax, NS
Footsteps School of Reflexology
Anatomy and Physiology Component
(pre-requisite for RDC)
May be started anytime pre course
date
By correspondence
Educational Bundle for Sale
NSARP is pleased to announce that the
professional Reflexology Therapy
presentation bundle is for sale to all
Reflexology Practitioners. This popular
bundle is useful to both new and
established practitioners. The bundle
includes two CDs: an easy to navigate
power point presentation with your own
set of notes available for each slide, and
the display board (a printer ready file that
can be printed at your local print shop).
The bundle is available for $25 CDN for
both CD’s, or $15 CDN for one CD,
shipping included. Please contact NSARP to order your copy!
Sunshine Room Reflexology Therapy Volunteers Needed
The QEII Sunshine Room is recruiting Reflexology Therapy volunteers to assist cancer patients. The shifts
are 2.5 hours with a once a month commitment, Monday to Friday, 10am-3pm. If you are able to volunteer,
please contact Gail Ellsworth at (902) 473-3811 or by email at [email protected]
More details are available at http://www.cancercare.ns.ca/en/home/nscancerservices/supportgroups/
sunshineroom/default.aspx
For details of events, training, member directory, CEUs, visit us online at www.NSARP.org
Footnotes, Issue 15, December 2012
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International Perspective
Your Gut is Wiser than You Think
New research shows that we have two brains, not only the one we know in
the head - but also one in the gut. The gut may become depressed or
develop a manic-depressive psychosis. This exciting knowledge about the
relationship between the nervous and digestive systems opens new
possibilities for supplementing classic reflexology with specific attention to
the nervous system when dealing with digestive problems.
Why do we talk about having “butterflies in my stomach” before a
performance or an exam? Why does bad digestion often lead to
nightmares? Why are MDs beginning to administer anti-depressive
medications for stomach-intestinal illnesses?
About the Authors:
Dorthe Krogsgaard and Peter Lund
Frandsen, Denmark. Dorthe
Krogsgaard has lectured at
international conferences and
served as a board member and vice
president of ICR. Peter Lund
Frandsen is an international
lecturer and author of many
articles on various aspects of
Reflexology. Touchpoint provides
lectures, seminars and continuing
professional development for
complementary therapists.
More information can be found on
www.touchpoint.dk
Until very recently it has been generally accepted that the nervous system
is divided into two parts: the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord)
and the peripheral nervous system (cranial nerves and spinal nerves and
their branches). Newer research shows that yet another component should
be added, namely the “gut brain” or more precisely “the enteric nervous
system”. We have two brains - the head brain and the gut, or abdominal,
brain. The two brains are connected like Siamese twins, when one is
irritated, so is the other.
Figure 1: Schematic view of the layers in the
stomach-intestinal walls. The nerves are colored
yellow.
Research supports alternative knowledge
This knowledge actually is not so new to alternative practitioners, who
have known for a long time how important it is to include the digestive
system when dealing with a variety of problems - some even suggesting
that all regeneration is initiated in the digestive tract. But it is exciting that
this knowledge now is supported by research. A completely new research
field - neurogastroenterology - has been born. The prolific development of
this field is driven primarily by money supplied by the pharmaceutical
industry, which naturally sees great opportunities in the treatment of
stomach-intestinal illnesses with new types of nerve medicines, but the
connections that have been discovered can nonetheless be very useful in
a reflexology session.
Footnotes, Issue 15, December 2012
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International Perspective
Your Gut is Wiser than You Think - Continued
Figure 2: Shape similarities between intestinal folds (A)
and brain convolutions (B)
Some gut brain philosophy
That there are close connections between the digestive and nervous systems has been expressed
in our language for centuries. We talk about “digesting knowledge”. One can be “hungry for
knowledge”, and one can even be “saturated with information”. We also talk about “spiritual food”
and about “feeding the brain”. On the psychological plane we have expressions like “digesting one’s
feelings”, “I have to chew on that for a bit”, or “I trust my gut.” If we look at the brain and the stomach
from a morphological point of view, we also can see the strong similarity, which Hanne Marquardt
and others talk about, between the convolutions of the brain and those of the small intestines.
The gut brain and the vagus nerveal walls, where it constitutes two layers: one between the two
layers of the intestinal wall, and the other one right below the mucous membrane. It follows the
entire digestive tract from the esophagus to the anus (Fig 1). It is common knowledge that the
activity of the digestive system is directed by the autonomous nervous system, and that the intestinal
walls contain nerve cells that coordinate the peristaltic movements of the intestines. We also know
that the intestines in and of themselves can create peristaltic movements in brain dead patients or in
patients who after an accident have lost the nerve connection between intestines and brain.
But it is only within the last decade that we have come to realize how inclusive this system really is.
We have known for a long time that the vagus nerve (the most important parasympathetic nerve that
innervates digestion) contains approximately 1000 single nerve fibers, but when recently trying to
“count” the nerve cells in the intestinal system, it was discovered that there are over 100 million.
That’s more than what we have in the entire spinal cord! If the sympathetic nervous system and the
vagus nerve are directing the digestive processes, for what purpose are those hundreds of
thousands of additional nerves?
A depressed intestinal tract
The knowledge that up till now has been collected about the gut brain or “the little brain” shows a
picture of an independently working system. It contains a complex network of nerve cells, receptors,
auxiliary cells, and neurotransmitters, which in many ways resembles the cranial brain in its
construction. The gut brain supervises and directs all break-down and absorption of food, but it has
many other functions.
The American researcher Michael D. Gershon has been studying the appearance of
neurotransmitters in the digestive tract, and he discovered that the tract contains vast quantities of
serotonin. We used to think this material was found only in the brain, but it has now been shown that
95 % of all serotonin in the body actually is found in the nervous system of the digestive tract!
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Footnotes, Issue 15, December 2012
International Perspective
Your Gut is Wiser than You Think - Continued
Serotonin is needed, amongst other things, for maintaining a normal psychological balance and
appears to be involved in depressions. This is why today anti-depressives are often prescribed for
abdominal illnesses. We know now that the dozens of neurotransmitters and hormones found in the
brain and the spinal cord also exist in the intestines.
Gut dreams
An interesting connection can be observed in sleep studies. It is well known that the brain function
during sleep happens in cycles of approximately 90 minutes. During sleep, when the brain doesn’t
receive any sense stimulus, we produce slow brain waves interrupted by periods of rapid eye
movements (REM sleep). Exactly the same thing happens in the intestines when there is no food to
digest: the intestinal muscles make slow contractions interrupted by quick muscle movements
occurring at 90 minute intervals. It is quite obvious that the two brains affect each other during sleep.
It is quite common for people, with a variety of intestinal problems, to have sleep disturbances.
How do you balance the gut brain?
All reflexologists work with digestive problems. A research project in
Denmark from 1993 shows that digestive problems are the second
most common ailment we encounter as reflexologists, exceeded only
by joint/muscle problems. Because of the placement of the enteric
nervous system in the abdominal walls we automatically affect it when
working on the classic reflexes of the digestive system, but with our
new knowledge we have gained a few more possibilities for
understanding and using the connections between digestion and the
rest of the body.
Balancing via the nervous system: Nerve Reflexology
All organs are governed by the nervous system, so it is only obvious
to supplement the classical organ reflexes with reflex points that
specifically affect the nervous supply of the organs. This is where
Nerve Reflexology comes in (see box below) Here are some
examples from Nerve Reflexology for your personal experimentation:
Figure 3: Nerve points for communication
between head brain and gut brain via the
sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous
systems.
The parasympathetic connection is treated via nerve reflex points for
the vagus nerve. The sympathetic connections to the abdominal brain
can be reached via the celiac ganglion and the mesenteric ganglia
(superior and inferior). These are the so-called pre-vertebral ganglia, which are wide spreadings of
sympathetic nerve fibers that spin themselves around the big arteries in the abdominal cavity and
follow them into the organs. As always with Nerve Reflexology, a specific treatment technique with
static pressure is applied for a maximum of 15 seconds.
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Footnotes, Issue 15, December 2012
International Perspective
Your Gut is Wiser than You Think - Continued
About Nerve Reflexology
This method developed in the 1960´s by German Walther Froneberg and his daughter Ellen is a natural
extension of the classical reflexology of Eunice Ingham and (in Europe) Hanne Marquardt.
Specific nerve reflex points all located on the periosteum of the foot skeleton are worked with a very
accurate technique. When the nerves absorb the impulse they react immediately and the clients
experience instant responses in muscles, organs, etc.
New research results that uncover more of the secrets of the enteric nervous system are continuing to be
published, so this most certainly won’t be the last we hear about our “other brain”. Think gut brain the next
time you work on the reflexes of the digestive system.
Dorthe Krogsgaard and Peter Lund Frandsen . . .
Both experienced reflexologists present a series of continuing education workshops through their Touchpoint
Institute are returning to the North West in April 2011. Dorthe and Peter are international lecturers and
authors of a number of articles and educational manuals on various aspects of reflexology.
Bibliography
Pauly, Nico: Kompendium i Nerve Reflexology, Touchpoint, 2011
Hansen, Mark Berner: Neurogastroenterologi, BookPartner, 2002
Gershon, Michael D.: The Second Brain: A Groundbreaking New Understanding of Nervous Disorders of the
Stomach and Intestine, Perennial Press, 2000
Lewis, Ricki: “Birth of a Discipline”, The Scientist 10[10], May 13, 1996
Association for Nerve Reflexology: www.mnt-nr.com
Workshops and more info: www.touchpoint.dk
Facts about the gut brain
• Contains 100 million nerve cells
• Contains specialized cells, which otherwise are found only in the cranial brain
• Has receptors for mechanical movements and chemicals
• Contains neurotransmitters also found in the cranial brain
• Functions independently
• Communicates with the cranial brain via the autonomic nervous system
• Is affected by nerve medicine
Dorthe Krogsgaard HMAR and Peter Lund Frandsen HMAR, Denmark
(Translated by Marie Louise Penchoen, Hood River, OR)
www.touchpoint.dk
(Article reprinted with permission from www.touchpoint.dk)
Footnotes, Issue 15, December 2012
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Client Treatment Study
Reflexology Therapy Treatment on 40 Year Old Female with Bladder Infection
By Cheryl Gaul, RT, RRT
Client Presents With:
•
40 yr old female
•
receives therapy on a regular basis as part of her proactive health
•
conscious lifestyle
•
feels she has been experiencing a low grade bladder infection for the past 2 months
•
no antibiotics taken
•
ongoing burning sensation in pelvic area but no pain present
•
burning sensation when voiding
•
secondary concern – agitation
Initial Assessment:
• slight coolness of body
Treatment Plan:
• All systems treated with emphasis on urinary tract, immune, endocrine, and central nervous systems,
diaphragm, relaxation techniques
Therapy Results:
• voided with urgency copious amounts of urine x2 during therapy
•
strong odor to urine
•
pain developed in lower abdomen/pelvis during Tx which then intensified and radiated mildly to kidneys
Summary:
• no post Tx pain or discomfort
•
says she feels “terrific”
•
client is very pleased with Tx results and will call as needed for next appointment
Footnotes, Issue 15, December 2012
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Reflexology Therapy News
Ask the Pro - Reflexology Therapy with Cerebral Palsy
Dear Happy Toes,
I've been volunteering at a local
nursing home. One of the ladies I
treat has cerebral palsy. She is
paralyzed from the waist down.
I've been treating her weekly for the
most part. She has had some
"twitching" in the left leg during a
couple previous treatments.
Yesterday, both of her feet were
definitely twitching at the end of the
treatment which lasted maybe 4-5
minutes.
Have you ever experienced this with
someone that is paralyzed? What
does it mean?
She was told by a doctor that her
nerves in her legs were dying, and this
was a number of years ago.
Thanks,
J.
Dear J.,
You are to be congratulated for
volunteering your time with the
residents of the nursing home. I am
sure that they eagerly anticipate your
visits and your healing hands.
This is a wonderfully impressive
report. It means that you are
stimulating into action her nervous
system. Her response is visible by the
reaction to therapy of the nerves in
her legs.
Please remember that Reflexology
Therapy serves to create a healthier
internal environment of the body
which enables it to function as well as
it can given the circumstances.
While you cannot anticipate the
outcome with any degree of certainty,
it would be reasonable to assume that
further improvements to her wellbeing
would be forthcoming. A wait and see
approach.
Yours in health,
Happy Toes
“Please remember that
Reflexology Therapy
serves to create a healthier
internal environment of
the body which enables it
to function as well as it
can given the
circumstances.
Footnotes, Issue 15, December 2012
10
Business Development
Future Trends for Small Business Looks Good
In my efforts to make a valuable contribution to your newsletter I have tried to
touch on topics that are relevant to you as a small business owner. Up until now
I have been able to draw on my own experiences as an employee and an
employer, unfortunately today I have come up empty handed. So this time I
have had to go to the well and search for a topic. Here is my offering for this
issue in hopes you find it of interest.
Future Trends for Small Business Looks Good
You may not have a crystal ball, but a new report predicting 20 key
demographic, social, economic and technology trends that will change the world
over the next decade highlights opportunities for small business growth.
About the Author:
Terry Webber is a retired business
man who works part-time for
several local businesses.
This 10-year look into the future predicts the economy will swell with new
middle-class consumers. Health and wellness will become top-of-wallet issues
for these consumers. So brace yourself for changing tectonic shifts. The report
was conducted for Intuit by Emergent Research.
Here are the top four substantive bread-and-butter economic issues that the
report identified:
Startups will be cheaper and easier
By 2020, starting a small business will be easier and more affordable than ever.
As smaller, lighter and smarter systems, components and manufacturing
methods emerge, the cost of starting and running a small business will continue
to decline. Embedded digital technology will become ubiquitous in a growing
array of business processes, services and products, cutting costs and lowering
barriers to entry.
Lightweight infrastructures will change the economies of many industries,
opening the way for small businesses to successfully challenge industry
incumbents. Small business will also shift from fixed-cost to variable-cost
business models, adopting a pay-as-you-go approach that minimizes investment
risk as well as up-front cash requirements.
The unknown factor in this scenario is the effect that government intervention
may have, says the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council).
There’s no doubt about that. What are the obstacles being erected and burdens
imposed by government that work in the opposite direction, making it harder to
start up and build a business? Those include new taxes, regulations and
mandates at all levels of government. The more intrusive and expansive
government becomes, the more difficult it is for entrepreneurship to flourish.
Sustainability will be mandatory
Sustainability will no longer be a feel-good gesture — it will be a business
necessity. Once the world climbs out of its economic malaise, the return of
growth will renew pressure on resource supplies and prices, with regulation,
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Footnotes, Issue 15, December 2012
Business Development
Future Trends for Small Business Looks Good—Continued
taxes and other initiatives aimed at reducing our carbon footprint adding to these pressures.
“Sustainable business practices’ is the nice terminology for the costs imposed by government through
environmental regulation,” said SBE Council’s Robert Keating. Where new practices make sense from an
economic standpoint, they obviously will be demanded and implemented. Why not? But when it comes to
demands from special interest groups imposed via government, that’s a very different story. Keep in mind that
the costs of environmental regulations fall far more heavily on small firms. On a per-employee cost basis,
environmental regulations are four-and-a-half times more costly for firms with fewer than 20 employees
compared to businesses with more than 500 workers.
Traditional employment will fade
Both for worker and owner, traditional employment will no longer be the norm. The “new normal” of 2020 will
embrace the concept of contingent work by freelancers, temps, contractors, specialists and part timers. From
the owners’ point of view, these contract workers increase efficiency, agility and flexibility; employment
expense becomes a variable cost.
The prediction is that contingent workers will make up more than 40 percent of the work force by 2020, up
from its current 25-30 percent. Small business will develop its own collaborative networks of contingent
workers, minimizing fixed labor costs and expanding the available talent pool.
Scott Shane, a professor of entrepreneurial studies at Case Western Reserve University, agrees with this
notion. “We have a lot of statistics now that show trends toward these independent contractor types of
businesses,” he told BusinessNewsDaily. “They are an increasing share of small businesses and their share
has been rising for over the past 15 years. I don’t see any reason for this trend to change.”
More niches will open up
Forget normal bell-shaped distribution curves. Industry is moving toward a barbell-like structure, with a few
giants on one end, a narrow middle made up of mid-size firms and a large group of small, micro- and oneperson operations balancing on the other end. This will increasingly open up niches for small and personal
businesses that the giants can’t touch. We will also see increasing collaboration between large and small
firms to build on each other’s strengths to better serve these micro-markets. As they become more agile and
make greater use of contingent workers, the average small business will become smaller by 2020, the study
concluded.
“There is no doubt that the next decade will dramatically change the way we all live and operate, which we
have already seen in play over the past year as economic, social and demographic shifts alter the shape of
consumer and small businesses,” said Steve King at Emergent Research. “Particularly exciting are the
opportunities for small business creation and success in the marketplace as businesses become easier to
start and manage. “As far as this trend goes, the culture of being pro-entrepreneur will be a huge positive,”
Keating said. “However, there are limits. Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur. So, the overall trend
towards micro-markets will make the true entrepreneurs even more valuable in the marketplace.”
For In the Black, I’m Terry Webber.
Footnotes, Issue 15, December 2012
12
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events
Nova Scotia Provincial Reflexology
Therapy Week
April 14-20, 2013
Nova Scotia, Canada
NSARP Spring Workshop
Auriculotherapy: A One Day Workshop
April 27, 2013
Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada
World Reflexology Week
September 23, 2012
NSARP 9th Conference and AGM
September 28, 2013
Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
I have been practicing
Reflexology Therapy for
over 4 years now. How
do I distinguish myself
from other professional
therapists?
NSARP Member
Dear NSARP Member,
This is a really great
question! The first thing
you need to do is to
realize that although you
are trained to offer
Reflexology Therapy for a
wide variety of health
conditions, you also need
to be an entrepreneur.
You need to be able to
identify the types of
clients that you attract,
the clients you like to
work with the most, what
their challenges are, what
types of conditions you
specifically like to work
with, and then make sure
you communicate your
specialty to your clients.
This will do two things.
First, it will help you
attract more ideal clients
who feel confident you
can help them, and
secondly, you will become
even more specialized
with time. That is truly the
best way to distinguish
yourself in the health
industry, instead of being
everything to everybody.
This is not to say you
refuse clients who do not
meet those “criterias”, but
it will make it more cost
effective to market
yourself and become an
“expert” in your field.
Let us know what you think! Please
send any ideas, comments or
thoughts to the editor at
[email protected] by
April 30, 2013
To your success,
Editor
Disclaimers
The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are not
necessarily those of NSARP or its Board of Directors.
Reflexology Therapy is an adjunct to medical care but does not
constitute the practice of medicine. Any information offered is not
intended to replace the advice of your physician.
Footnotes is a publication of the
Nova Scotia Association of Reflexology Practitioners
PO Box 224, Centreville, Nova Scotia, B0P 1J0, Canada
Tel: (902) 679-4510, [email protected]
www.NSARP.org