Another article supporting my hypotheses presented at the recent ICR conference in Sheffield.
RECLAIMING THE FEET BY RESHAPING THE BRAIN AFTER CHEMO
http://www.jemsmovement.com/2014-2/
http://www.jemsmovement.com/2014-2/
I stated during my presentation at the recent ICR conference in Sheffield 2015: Since intrinsic muscles are associated with fine movement and with the developement of higher brain centers during developement it is exactly these muscles on which reflexologists work on that have the most potential to alter these brain maps that contain our body image.
It's like formatting your computer, or rebooting your phone.
My presentation titled “Throw away” Energy and Reflexology charts for a while. Let’s have a good look at feet anatomy and the physiology of what we are doing!
by Spiros Dimitrakoulas, Orthopedic Reflexologist (OR)
Here you may find the whole presentation:
http://spiros-reflexologia.blogspot.gr/…/my-ppt-presentatio…
It's like formatting your computer, or rebooting your phone.
My presentation titled “Throw away” Energy and Reflexology charts for a while. Let’s have a good look at feet anatomy and the physiology of what we are doing!
by Spiros Dimitrakoulas, Orthopedic Reflexologist (OR)
Here you may find the whole presentation:
http://spiros-reflexologia.blogspot.gr/…/my-ppt-presentatio…
Reflexology for central nervous system (CNS) sensitization, preprioception, intrinsic (reflexology) muscles
CNS sensitization is the situation where an individual has pain lasting longer than 3-6 months and that can last for years. There is no injured tissue, healing times have surpassed, and thus there are no true noxious stimuli - nociceptive input. A sensitized patient actually feels pain; it is not from the periphery anymore but rather from within the CNS, “it’s in their head”! Due to the presence of pain, a lack of movement will follow with the hope that this strategy will generate less pain. This lack of movement will tend to blur the CNS maps (homunculus) also called sensory motor amnesia SMA. Common areas for SMA are the feet, hip joints and upper thorax. On the basis of experiments, many experts believe that gaps, smudges, or other inaccuracies in the body maps can be a significant contributing factor in many chronic pain conditions, and that fixing these problems is a potential way to cure pain.25
Characteristic of these patients are increased sensitivity to light, touch, noises, pesticides or temperature. Sleep disturbances, swollen feeling, tingling numbness and/or poor concentration have shown to be associated.
Proprioception is the brain’s ability to sense the relative positions and movements of the different body parts. The key to understanding proprioception is the body maps. Each part of the body has a separate area of the brain dedicated to moving and sensing that body part. So, we have feet, and we have virtual feet in the brain – parts of the brain that represent the size, shape and position of the feet. When mechanoreceptors in the feet are stimulated by a mechanical force (reflexologists hands), they send a signal through the nervous system to the part of the brain devoted to sensing that part of the body. Research has found that plantar massage and joint mobilization of the feet and ankles has a positive impact on balance in the elderly. 31
Movements that are most likely to lead to changes in the quality of the maps are movements that are curious, exploratory, novel, interesting, rich in sensory input, slow, gentle, mindful, non-painful. Ingham – small creeping movement. 26
Proprioception is the brain’s ability to sense the relative positions and movements of the different body parts. The key to understanding proprioception is the body maps. Each part of the body has a separate area of the brain dedicated to moving and sensing that body part. So, we have feet, and we have virtual feet in the brain – parts of the brain that represent the size, shape and position of the feet. When mechanoreceptors in the feet are stimulated by a mechanical force (reflexologists hands), they send a signal through the nervous system to the part of the brain devoted to sensing that part of the body. Research has found that plantar massage and joint mobilization of the feet and ankles has a positive impact on balance in the elderly. 31
Movements that are most likely to lead to changes in the quality of the maps are movements that are curious, exploratory, novel, interesting, rich in sensory input, slow, gentle, mindful, non-painful. Ingham – small creeping movement. 26
