Sport & Fitness

Acupuncture
Alexander Technique
Aromatherapy
Homeopathy
Hypnotherapy
Indian head massage
Osteopathy
Reflexology
Reiki
Shiatsu

Reflexology
What is it? Ancient Egyptian pictographs show a form of foot massage with the client touching the reflex point under his arm where he feels corresponding pain. This idea was further explored in the 1920s by ear, nose and throat specialist William Fitzgerald. He believed that there were ten longitudinal zones running through the body from your feet up to your head and hands, and that putting pressure on one part of the zone had an anaesthetising effect on the whole length of it. The practice was later applied to the feet by Eunice Ingham, the ‘mother of modern reflexology’.

Unlike foot massage, no oils are used in reflexology. Instead, a practitioner employs thumbs and fingers to feel for tiny, gritty granules under the skin then uses massage to disperse them. This process can be slightly painful. Feature continues

Is it safe? Reflexology is not recommended for some conditions linked to pregnancy (see the Association of Reflexologists’ website for details). The AoR is a government-recognised awarding body for the Practitioner Certificate in Reflexology, which requires at least nine months’ study. You can find a qualified reflexologist by visiting the AoR website.

Does it work? The pressure techniques used in reflexology relax sensors in the feet, which in turn trigger a relaxation response through the rest of the body. There is also some evidence to suggest it is useful as an alternative form of post-operative care. In one experiment carried out on people who’d just had hip or knee replacements, patients who were given reflexology left hospital two days earlier than those who’d been given normal post-op care. However, the House of Lords Select Committee study placed it in Group 2.

Association of Reflexologists (08705 673320/www.aor.org.uk).
Reflexions: The Reflexology Shop, 250 King’s Rd, SW3 (020 7349 9475). Sloane Square tube. Open 12noon-8pm daily.

Reiki
What is it? Reiki was developed in nineteenth-century Japan by Mikao Usui. Rei means ‘boundless and universal’ while ki is ‘life force’. It’s an intuitive treatment, in which a practitioner will spend five or more minutes working through 12 basic hand positions on a client’s body. This is designed to open up your ‘chakras’ and give a general feeling of wellbeing.

Is it safe? There is no minimum standard for training and reiki courses are widely advertised by a host of organisations and individuals. Since reiki is passed from one person to another by a series of initiation rites, depth of training is not considered the most important indicator of how ‘good’ a practitioner is, so choosing one is largely intuitive. However, he or she should have completed First Degree Reiki. The Reiki Association holds a list of practitioners.

Does it work? Devotees believe reiki can help to heal acute injuries, as well as providing relief from stress. While it can’t do anything to halt chronic illness, it can certainly engender peace of mind – which can only aid the general recovery process. However, there is only anecdotal evidence available and the Select Committee study placed it in Group 3: ‘scientifically unproven and unregulated’. The latter may change: a Reiki Regulatory Working Group is aiming towards a system of voluntary self-regulation.

Reiki Association (09018 800009/ www.reikiassociation.org.uk).

Shiatsu
What is it? Shiatsu means ‘finger pressure’ in Japan, where the therapy was well-known by the tenth century. However, its origins actually lie in China and it didn’t make it to Europe and the States until the 1970s. Shiatsu aims to make a direct connection to the flow of energy in the body’s meridians as well as to fixed ‘acupoints’. There are more techniques employed than in acupressure, such as the use of thumbs, palms, knees, forearms and feet. Shiatsu also focuses on stretching the meridians and mobilising the joints.

During treatment you lie or sit, fully clothed, while the practitioner holds the acupoints for three to five seconds. The aim is to create a balancing of the energy flow and a calming of the nervous system. As the results are cumulative, it’s best to keep going regularly for treatments.

Is it safe? The General Shiatsu Council is in the process of creating a unified regulatory body for shiatsu. Meanwhile, the Shiatsu Society of Great Britain has the role of professional association for practitioners, with almost 600 registered, entitled to use the letters MRSS and listed on the Society’s website. Many more practitioners are undergoing assessment, making shiatsu a well-managed therapy. The technique itself is completely safe.

Does it work? In addition to releasing tension, easing fatigue and promoting relaxation, shiatsu can also bring deep-seated emotional patterns or memories bubbling to the surface. It’s an enjoyable and strengthening therapy both to receive and to give. The House of Lords Select Committee study placed shiatsu in Group 2.

Shiatsu Society of Great Britain (0845 130 4560/www.shiatsu.org).