If I give Reflexology Therapy to a young man who is in Chemo treatment...

[muggs]

...will he get a true benefit? I only delay this service due to so much treatment this teenager is going through. He is now with out Serotonin . Can I go ahead do the Reflexology to cause the gland to produce more Serotonin.
The doctor has placed the boy on anti-depressants? Will the boy get the benefit anyway.
I have a real passion when it comes to Reflexology and have been doing this and studying my craft for the past 12 years and I guess I need to be reassured that I can help this young man through his bout with Leukemia. Thank you dearly

 

[JLI]

In addition to what Thinkingtime said you could make the argument that there are good reasons to characterise reflexology as “Glorified foot massageâ€￾. A good indication that the philosophy behind reflexology is wrong is presented in a study that found:
1) Experienced reflexologists were unable to detect presence/absence of specific conditions - even when they have a list to choose from.
2) Experienced reflexologists were unable to agree among themselves if specified conditions were present or not.

A summary of the study can be read here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11068346

Also it's effectiveness as treatment has been tested, and it has been found to be ineffective. Here is a review of the available studies: http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/191_05_070909/ern10490_fm.html

 

[Billie]

Don't do it to this patient till you get permission from the doctor treating him, it could do more harm than good. Its good that you want to help and bring this poor lad some comfort, but as you suspect yourself it may cause the gland to produce more serotonin which may be doing harm.

Check it out with his doctor or get his parents to ask the question first, the poor lad has enough to put up with already without making matters worse, but its great that you care so much, I hope the lad gets through this, cancer can be beaten, so fingers crossed for him and all my best wishes to him his family and you.

Billie UK

 

[April]

Chemo clinics offer all sorts of activities to help with wellbeing. You giving someone a rubdown has nothing to do with serotonin and how would you know he is "without serotonin?" You certainly aren't a dr of any kind. Does this teenager want a dude rubbing on him??


My chemo clinic offers massage, yoga, meditation, etc

 

[Meg]

You shouldn't do anything like that without getting permission from his oncologist first. There is debate about massage to chemo patients and the effect it may have on them. If it is done, it should certainly be by a professional who has had experience with cancer patients. I know certain types of chemo make you bruise easily. My husband insisted on rubbing my ankles when I was undergoing chemo and had leg pain and the next day they were covered in bruises. Please don't do anything you are not qualified for.