R to S of Therapies
Radionics
Radionics was created by Dr. Albert Abrams, an American neurologist in the 1900’S.
He claimed that peoples’ saliva, hair, blood etc gave off an energy, from which a vibrational frequency could be picked up even if the person wasn’t there in person.
This frequency could be analysed for vitamin and mineral deficiency, for allergies and for the general state of the physical body.
This very component of radionics has meant it being banned in America, but thankfully, in the UK, people can make up their own minds as to the efficiency and success of radionics.
Treatment involves you filling in a detailed questionaire going back to birth and giving a sample of your bodys’ energy in the form of a lock of hair or a drop of saliva or blood.
The practitioner then, either dowses over the sample using a pendulum. This involves swinging a pendulum over the sample and depending on what direction the pendulum swings, gives an answer to a question that the practitioner has asked.
The sample can also be placed on a special piece of radionic equipment, a box which gives off frequencies that relate to frequency vibrations of different disorders, thereby giving a diagnosis of the persons health. The state of health of organs and systems such as the lymph can apparently be determined as well as environmental pollutants contanimating the person. The box is then used to transmit healing frequencies to the person, correcting any imbalances in the system.
It is this ability to heal over a distance that uneases doctors, but many people find it a very powerful healing tool.
Patients then receive a full detailed breakdown of the treatment and what the practitioner has found and they may be advised to take vitamins, minerals, homeopathic remedies or other remedies to facilitate the healing.
Contra-indications
Most treatments are done from a distance and so it seems to be safe for anyone to use. Please bear in mind that you must take full responsibility for consulting a complementary practitioner from any discipline and these are not meant to take the place of a qualified diagnosis from a medical doctor.
Reflexology
The origins of reflexology are unknown but it is known that this complementary therapy was practiced in India and China more than 3000 years ago. In Egypt, a painting depicting reflexology (or foot and hand pressure massage) was found in the tomb of the physicians dating back to 2330 bc.
A few people who were instrumental in forwarding this ancient natural therapy by way of publishing books and teaching it in the western civilisation are:
The physician, Dr William Fitzgerald (1872 – 1942), established reflexology in America and went on to publish a book on the subject with a Dr Edwin Bowers called ‘zone therapy’.
Eunice Ingham, also an American, was a masseuse who became interested in reflexology and went on to publish two books. Her research, case studies and information ensured the recognition of reflexology by the medical establishment.
Doreen Bailey, a former student of Eunice Ingham returned to England from America in 1966 and became the pioneer of reflexology in this country.
Since the 1960’S reflexology has become an accepted form of ‘healing’ and a worldwide federation has been established. The International Federation of Reflexologists (ifr), was established in 1985 by Renee Tanner, a reknowned reflexologist, and a number of her former students. This organisation is dedicated to the awareness and professionalism of reflexology and has set high standards for training and education of therapists in collaboration with the IEB (International Examinations Board).
Reflexology is based on the principle that the body is divided into 10 zones with reflex points on the hands and feet which correspond to all parts of the body’s glands, organs and structures. Pressure is thereby applied to these specific points.
What does a treatment involve:
A treatment lasts between 45 minutes to 1.5 hours and consists of the patient exposing only their feet or hands to the therapist. The treatment could be done either sitting or lying down and is safe for everyone.
Contra-indications:
Reflexology is not recommended for pregnant women (under 14 weeks pregnant). Medical advice is also recommended for patients with a history of thrombosis, phlebitis or undiagnosed pain.
Reiki
Reiki comes from a long tradition of healing practices formed within ancient Tibetan Buddhism.
A Dr. Mikao Usui has been accredited with the founding of Reiki again after it became unused, though some scholars dispute this ‘unuse’ and think that it never went away, that people carried the traditions on, though not in the global way that Dr.Usui’s teaching have enabled it to be.
Dr.Usui was a theologian who amongst other things studied the healing abilities of christ and the secrets of healing generally. He was interested in how people can heal and why they can heal. It was through these meditations that he was supposed to have had a vision telling him that the answer to healing lay in the form of practise that we now know as Reiki.
Through one of his pupils, a Dr.Hayashi, he passed on the knowledge of Reiki to a woman called Hawaio Takata who introduced Reiki to the western world in the 1970S.
Reiki is a form of channelling, whereby practitioners channel reiki energy from the universe to help heal areas of imbalance within themselves and their patients.
Practitioners go through various stages of training before they can become reiki masters and each stage trains their bodies to become balanced with their physical and subtle bodies to enable them to channel the energy through them without blockages. They open this healing channel by using ancient symbols given to them over the course of three stages.
Reiki is done over clothing and a treatment can last from 20mins to an hour. The treatment can be done anywhere, lying down or sitting.
The practitioner holds their hands over your body over specific points for about 5mins each spot, channelling energy into you.
There are 12 basic positions, four on the front of your body, four on the back and four on the head, though it can be modified to certain chakras or areas of the body where the healing needs to be more concentrated.
Reiki means universal life force and it is this life force that practitioners channel into you and themselves, thereby healing themselves too.
Contra-indications- See general precautions box at the end of the page.
Rolfing
In 1970 Ida Rolf, a biochemist and physiologist, established the rolf institute for structural integration.
Rolf believed the bodys’ muscles should work in alignment and if for some reason, they did not, then this placed a strain on them and caused them to use more energy for movement. Other muscles in the body would then overcompensate by working harder to make the body function better.
Over time this would place undue stress on other systems of the body and this could result in impaired breathing, digestion, circulation and problems with the nervous system. Rolf developed a series of treatments to counteract these symptoms.
These treatments involved vigorous deep-tissue massage that has become known as rolfing. This involves the practitioner kneading the client’s muscle tissue in a vigorous manner either with their elbows, knees, knuckles, thumbs or fingers to break up the knots in the muscle tissue.
What is involved in a treatment:
Treatment sessions generally last 60 to 90 minutes. The treatment is quite strenuous and may cause a small amount of pain to the patient. The practitioner will take a detailed medical history and examine your posture and muscle structure for any signs of misalignment and pain.
Contra-indications:
People suffering from cancer, rheumatioid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions are advised not to undergo this therapy.
Shiatsu
The shiatsu, we now know today, was developed by Tamai Tempaku who combined his knowledge of anatomy and physiology with ancient Japanese massage.
Practitioners use various parts of their body to apply pressure to certain points on the patients body to stimulate energy flow or life force within the meridians, acupuncture points and within the subtle bodies, generating healing within the physical body.
The aim of the practitioner is to balance a person’s life force by either restoring normal energy flow where the body has ‘under’ energy or by reducing ‘over’ energy. They do this by stimulating acupoints along meridians either by pressure, massage or by acupuncture.
The practitioner will take a detailed medical history and the treatment is done over the top of loose fitting clothes usually on the floor on a cushioned mat. A session lasts from half an hour to an hour and a half and can involve quite strong pressure being put on the body on certain points.
The practitioner may use their knees, elbows, fingers and feet to apply pressure to the body.
Contra-indications:
Pregnancy, high blood pressure, varicose veins, thrombosis, osteoporosis, epilepsy, cancer, aids are all conditions that the practitioner needs to know you suffer from as the treatment will be changed in accordance.
General precautions
It is advised that if you are suffering from any symptoms, please consult your doctor or health care practitioner before embarking on any complementary treatment.
Nobody suffering from any chronic symptoms should undertake a complementary therapy without consulting their doctor first.
Healthytherapies.com do not accept responsibility for any problems that may occur from anyone using any of the above therapies.
The above data is for information purposes only and healthytherapies.com have only written down contra-indications where known.
It is always advisable to seek help from your doctor or by ringing the main organisation of the therapy that you are interested in before embarking on any therapy, no matter whether you are suffering symptoms or not.
The responsibility of your health, lies with you and no-one else.