ENTREVISTA Spiros Dimitrakoulas “Se o “botão terapêutico” estiver nos pés, um reflexologista o encontrará.”

“Se o “botão terapêutico” 

estiver nos pés, 

um reflexologista o encontrará.” 

- Spiros

Interview in Portugese for the newsletter of a great colleague in Portugal 

Raquel Dora Pinho

https://www.raqueldorapinho.pt/

Conheci Spiros Dimitrakoulas em Setembro de 2019. Participei
no seu curso de Reflexologia Ortopédica na Grécia - foi uma grande 
aprendizagem e um grande inspirador para mim. Vamos ler o que 
Spiros tem para nos dizer? :)

Pulse assesment in Reflexology and some coincidences worth noticing.

Sam Belyea aka The Foot Whisperer recently posted a great video titled Pulse Assessment in Reflexology 

Στα ελληνικά εδώ.

I personally found it very good, laid out well, informative and this information can be applied immediately in our everyday practise if we wish too. Of course as soon as this Covid 19 pandemic and its concequences on our everyday life go away.

Looking at the video I could not but help observe that there is a coincidence here with Nerve Reflexology worth mentioning having to do with some reflexes. 

Sam in the beginning of the video states

"The pulse isn't necessarily similar anatomicaly to the feet, hand, ear and face but we can still use the pulse and the different layers of the pulse to asses somebody's physical constitution and their mental emotional state."

Well I agree we can use it the way he describes if we wish, and in this case of the pulse at hand, it is definetely similar in representation to a sympathetic subdivision of the autonomic nervous system that is responsible for blood supply to organs and myoskeletal that Sam suggests. 

And was it not one of Eunice Ingham's favourite sayings 
"circulation is life, stagnation is death".


Getting to the coincidence, where the 3 pulses are placed as reflexes, is where in Nerve Reflexology we find Nerve Reflex points for important parts of the sympathetic subdivision of the autonomic nervous system, but on the PLANTAR aspect of the foot!

As an immediate sidenote, though Sam is on the dorsal of the foot and Nerve reflexology places the reflexes I am discussing on the plantar, take notice that the dorsal plantar artery communicates with the plantar blood supply of the foot through the deep plantar artery, so there is a connection dorsal-plantar.

The parts of the sympathetic system involved are:

• two celiac ganglia one left and one right
• the celiac plexus also known as the solar plexus 
• the superior mesenteric ganglion.
• the superior mesenteric plexus
• the inferior mesenteric ganglion

In Nerve reflexology these structures would be evaluated and worked on appropriately whenever inflammation or non efficient circulation is an issue. There are some differences between how Sam breaks down using the three pulses and how its done in Nerve Reflexology but that is getting into detail, not for here. 

Sam has done a great job outlining information on the dorsal pedal artery and how to place our fingers in order to palpate, so you can place your fingers just above or distal to the navicular bone on top of the foot. And of course lots of information on how to evaluate the "three pulses" and utilize this information in your practise. So as you can see in the second picture whatever you feel in the proximal pulse "P" has to do with the lower body (organs and myoskeletal) and so on for the other two pulses.

Liver 3 point in TCM is indicated for

• Headache, vertigo, redness, swelling and pain of the eye, wry face
• Depression, pain in the hypochondrium, abdominal distention, hiccup
• Weakness, numbness and pain of the lower extremities, difficulty in walking
• Irregular menstruation, metrorrhagia and metrostaxis, hernia, enuresis
• Epilepsy, infantile convulsion

It is the Yuan-Source point of the Liver Meridian and thus of great significance in treating diseases of the internal organs.

In Orthopedic Reflexology the arteries are part of our training, to those who have attended one of our courses or heard us presenting, will remember the inferior extensor retinaculum and how if this is restricted it might in turn affect the dorsal pedal artery which is the extension of the anterior tibial artery. Don't forget the baroreceptor reflex too.  

One important person in the reflexology world to use the pulse was Paul Nogier who gave us the reflex map of the ear with the inverted embryo.

The so-called Nogier reflex or reflex auriculo-cardiac abbreviated RAC or vascular autonomic signal VAS. This phenomenon was first described by Paul Nogier in the 1970s. 

Based on the assumption that most cells of the organism respond to stimuli of the autonomic nervous system, Nogier sought a method that allowed the body’s response to acupuncture-induced measures to be presented. He discovered that by mechanical pressure on certain points on the auricle in his opinion, a cardiovascular reaction took place. 

By developing a “suitable” pressure, it seems to be 
possible for experienced users to feel a change in the patient’s pulse after triggering stimulation on the ear (and later on the body), which felt as if the pulse beating had increased slightly for one to three beats.

This had also intrigued me when I was observing and studying the Egyptian hieroglyphic years ago, wondering why the recipients would have their hands in their arm pits.

I wondered if maybe they were feeling the pulse in a similar fashion as Dr. Paul Nogier.

This was documented in the revisited edition 2014 of Christine Issel's famous book Reflexology Art, Science & History. 


But we are not over yet, fate would have it that Dorthe Krogsgaard & Peter Lund from Touchpoint.dk sent out greetings to all of us but also two tips for this challenging period. The second tip "Chronobiology: Strengthen the Vagus nerve" has to do with pulsing(!!!!). Make sure to read the first tip also.

This is how they describe it themsleves. 

Many of you have heard us explain about the synchronization of body rhythms and its importance for optimal homeodynamics. From complementary physician Christian Larsen in Zurich, Switzerland (www.spiraldynamik.com) we have obtained this little exercise that stimulates the immune system via the vagus nerve: Find a place where you can be undisturbed for 10 minutes. With your left hand find and feel the pulse on the right wrist. Now synchronize your respiration to you heartbeat, so that both inhalation and exhalation last 5 heartbeats. Shut off all other sensations and thoughts,  nothing exists but heartbeat and breath. Most people now experience a deep relaxation of both body and soul - and your immune system will be grateful! As you can see we are all connected, from California to Belgium, to China and France and Egypt, then Denmark and  finishing or beginning again in Greece. Part of a continuous cycle we are... Wishing everyone to be safe keep the spirits up! Spiros

Announcing the "PRIVATE LESSONS" with Spiros

This Covid 19 virus has definetely affected our lives and has brought immediate changes to the daily routine of everyone.

Because of this change in my life too, and because some people have already expressed the desire for training I have decided to offer  
online "One on One Personal Training".

I am interested in reaching out to fellow colleagues who already have a basic knowlegde and understanding of Reflexology and to offer them 
post graduate training in a wide range of topics alll reflexology related.
Guidance on further training, on professional developement either as a therapist or course provider or educator. 
Coaching and self developement services either on a personal or professional level.
Advice on research.
Resources infinite amount of resources.
Orientation on the basics of reflexology, something that is very much needed today.
Technique supervision, to the point are online tools will fascilitate this.
Reflexology Client medical history enquieries - which questions to ask, how to use the information in reflexology.
Marketing - you know I have tried "standard" stuff, but in the end I found out what it comes down too. this evident because I do not use tools that others use. And what I do seems to be working.

And many many more...

I imagine it is difficult especailly this period to have a clear head and decide what you would like to pursue. The easy way to find out, if you are interested, is to have a talk with me.

Simple and easy, a friendly talk. 
Together we can find out what you need and of course if I am the right person to offer this to you through online one on one training and coaching.

So, above all, be well and safe, practise behaviours that will protect your health and wellbeing during these challenging times. 
If you want to ask a few questions, find out more, just talk and see where it goes, please contact me so as to arrange a initial one on one conversation (no charge) and see how I can be of benefit to you. 
Like you, I am at home and have a lot of free time and very flexible :)

This proposal will be available only until things get back to normal. Hoping this situation lasts only for another month for the good of all of us. 

Our next Orthopedic reflexology course is schedualed for May in Athens and I hope all will settle down and it will go through safely for everyone. 

Before I end this blog I want to say that I have trained high performance athletes to apply self help techniques but to each other also, I have trained inmates in prison, I went to a kindergarden to teach toddlers how to apply techniques through play (part of a antibullying program) and of course I teach courses in classrooms in Greece and around the world, I can do this too!

If you are interested in taking advantage of the time while at home,

investing in personal lessons with Spiros Dimitrakoulas please contact us so as to first discuss topics, goals and practical details.

spirosreflex@gmail.com





 Spiros Bodyworx Dimitrakoulas






03 6936163040

30 6936163040

306936163040

Thoughts on Father Joseph and observing the symptoms of COVID 19 with TCM

In the light of the COVID 19 pandemic citizens around the world are learning to watch out for symptoms related to the virus. For therapists trained in TCM and for those that have not this unfortunate situation offers an oppurtunity to observe the fundamentals of TCM in action and why what Father Josepf Eugster recommends in his book is possibly correct.

The most common issues associated with novel coronavirus are respiratory symptoms, such as coughing or shortness of breath, a dry cough or tickle at the back of their throat. In the worst cases Covid-19 develops into a more serious illness featuring pneumonia.

A few days ago a study  found 48.5 percent of participants experienced symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. This lead to the following statement “Clinicians must bear in mind that digestive symptoms, such as diarrhea, may be a presenting feature of COVID-19,” “And that the index of suspicion may need to be raised earlier in these cases rather than waiting for respiratory symptoms to emerge.”

Then after three days though the evidence is prelimanary clinicians report that some patients infected with the virus experience anosmia, or an inability to smell leading The American Academy of Otolaryngology recently to call for anosmia to be added to a list of screening tools for Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus.

Now bringing in Traditional Chinese Medicine and the theory behind the five elements, our attention will immediately go to the metal element because the lungs and large intestine organs are connected with the element of Metal and this element regarding the orifices (cavities) is expressed at the nose and the sense of smell.

So though understandably doctors around the world are surprised of the symptom of anosmia yet expected the lung and digestive (diarrhea) symptoms, from a TCM view this is to be expected according to theories laid down long time ago.

Father Josepf in his book has a general complete and easy to apply treatment protocol that would cover the whole foot. 

But there is also a second suggestion where he proposes (for any disturbed element) to work on the yin organ - lung, the yang organ - large intenstine, and the corresponding orifice - the nose in our case.  

If you are wondering how did Father Joseph get to know about these TCM associations it was thanks to "a young man with a crew cut who showed up at a crowded reflexology seminar many years ago by the name Eugene Cheng."

You can read the whole story here and about the time he went to the Vatican to treat then Pope John Paul II.

but...

"After Cheng became involved, Father Josef's reflexology methods integrated principles of traditional Chinese medicine including the ancient theory of Yin and Yang and the five elements. Cheng points out that the human body must be seen as a unified entity. If one internal organ is troubled, it will affect the normal functioning of other organs. Consequently, therapy must take into account the entire body. People with eyesight problems, for instance, often see the best therapeutical results if the reflex zones for the liver and kidneys are massaged too."

So besides working as suggested when thinking in terms of elements (yin/yang organ and orifice) we can also use other information regarding the correspondances of elements to our advantage, so for the metal element at hand...

We can wear white, choose to sit towards the west and/or a dry wind, ground ourselves, for any unresolved issues on our chest to "weep them out", try some pungent/spicy food and beverages, work out our shoulder and upper body, recite with a strong voice and brush our skin especially the two meridans we discussed today. 

I know (almost) everyone is now confined at home and our usual daily schedual is not usual any more. Quite the opposite, still it is of benefit to be asleep as normal because our organs receive their share of energy at specific times. 

Yin organ- Lungs 3-5am

Yang organ – Colon 5-7am

Be safe everyone!

Στα βήματα του Ιπποκράτη - Συνέντευξη Ολλανδία

Συνέντευξη με τίτλο Στα βήματα του Ιπποκράτη  και θέμα την Ορθοπεδική Ρεφλεξολογία και την Ιπποκρατική και την Αρχαία Ελληνική ιατρική και νοοτροπία, φιλοσοφία. Για το περιοδικό συμπληρωματικών και εναλλακτικών θεραπειών (ΣΕΘ) Ολλανδίας
Natuurlijke & Integrale Gezondheidszorg με τον δημοσιογράφο Toine de Graaf ειδικό στην Ολλανδία στα θέματα των ΣΕΘ.

Η συνέντευξη στην Ολλανδική γλώσσα εδώ.

Interview entitled In the footsteps of Hippocrates talking about Orthopedic Reflexology and Hippocratic Ancient Greek Medicine and philosophy , for the Netherlands Journal of Complementary and Alternative Therapies

Natuurlijke & Integrale Gezondheidszorg with journalist Toine de Graaf in the Netherlands specializing in CHP issues.

A big thank you to the magazine and to Toine who is very experienced in matters of CAM, learned quite a bit from him also!

Interview here. A big thank you to Nancy Klein my course organizer for arranging this, for course information in the Netherlands you can contact her nancyklein@kpnmail.nl 

Good to have "mother" Anneke there too.

Overlapping of reflex zones in the original charts of Eunice Ingham

It is very interesting to study the original works of Eunice Ingham for a couple of reasons.
One is that the knowledge is NOT diluted in any way as unfortunately is happening today.

It would be very convenient for everyone Reflexologist around the world to agree on Eunice's original scripts/charts and from there work forward in any direction one chooses.

Another reason would be to study and use the reflexes as originally described by Eunice. I remember reading in her biography (Issel) that these original reflexes were tried and tested on real cases in hospital wards she would visit and receive permission to treat.

Some original charts may be found with a simple google search   these publications will date back to 1938, 1951 and 1963. Later on in 1984 her nephew Dwight Byers will publish this work again but with some revisions and that is when we will observe some changes to the original reflexes.
Many have and will say that these changes were done in order to represent the reflexes in a more accurate representation.

The origianl books from my personal collection.

A lot can be said about all this but it is not the topic today...

(I prepared the chart above from observing the original ones. Among them even there are minor differences for a few reflexes)

So in the original charts if we pay attention we will notice that the liver reflex is higher then we are used to seeing, it's position is such that it overlaps with the shoulder reflex and the lung reflex and the ears and a bit of the eye reflex in zone 2. On the left foot we will find the heart reflex rather higher too and more lateral then we would expect to find it. This reflex also overlaps with the shoulder and the lungs, and the ears and eyes.

In Inghams charts only "basic" organs are depicted, generally, there is no detail as we see today. One is to wonder how we have all these details and who proved Ingham's reflexes outdated?

So if the shoulder overlaps with the liver is it possible that the liver can cause pain to the shoulder?  
The answer would be, ...yes it is possible and this applies to the left shoulder where it overlaps with the heart!

Referred Shoulder Pain

Causes of referred shoulder pain may include:

• Abdominal problems, such as gallstones or pancreatitis.
• Pelvic problems, such as a ruptured ovarian cyst.
• Heart or blood vessel problems in which pain is more often felt in the left arm and shoulder, such as heart attack or inflammation around the heart (pericarditis).
• A lung problem, such as pneumonia, where pain may be felt throughout the shoulder, shoulder blade area, upper chest, upper arm, neck, and armpit. Pain is usually felt in the shoulder on the same side as the lung problem.
• Other conditions, such as herpes zoster (shingles), Paget's disease, or thoracic outlet syndrome.
• Other problems, such as gas from laparoscopic abdominal surgery or air entering the vagina under pressure from some gynecological procedures.

Occasionally, hepatic enlargement causes diaphragmatic irritation, which produces pain that is referred to the ipsilateral supraclavicular and shoulder region. This referred pain is known as Kehr’s sign and is transmitted via the phrenic nerve and is often misdiagnosed. The phrenic nerve is a nerve that originates in the neck (C3–C5) and passes down between the lung and heart to reach the diaphragm.

Liver injury (which is very common) may cause the right lower rib cage to become a major primary restriction. Because these ribs are the attachment points for the pectoral muscles, the latissimus dorsi and other muscles, this restriction may result in fascial restrictions, which may directly limit the ROM and biomechanics of the shoulder girdle. In addition, the primary restrictions associated with liver injury may also produce reflex inhibition of the supraspinatus muscle, leading to instability of the shoulder joint.

Our next question of course would possibly be "...by treating the shoulder will I help the liver and the opposite and/or any other overlapping relationship?"
I guess we can only find out if we try, and while trying speculating on the overlapping of reflexes, vertical zones, chinese meridians and fascial meridians, energy and who knows what else.

I choose to finish off with Eunice Ingham's most famous and wise aphorism which she uses often in her works whenever the issue of overlapping would come up...

"If you're feeling out of kilter, 

don't know why or what about, 

let your feet reveal the answer,

find the sore spot, work it out." 

Eunice Ingham