Before Reflex Therapy Treatment
A few words before receiving Reflex Therapy: Optimum results are not achieved in one session.
It is helpful to understand that persons with mechanical problems of the spine have vertebral and/or sacro-iliac joints that are immobile usually due to subluxation, or displacement, that are due, in turn, to various sorts of trauma. These displacements may be quite slight, even missed by x-rays, but YOU KNOW they are there, especially when working or exercising. These 'frozen' joints make it difficult or impossible to effectively use the adjoining muscles. This forces the body to compensate by using other muscles to perform necessary daily tasks. This results in the ever present soreness, discomfort and restricted motion that comprise chronic back conditions. When Reflex Therapy unlocks these joints, the related neglected muscles come into proper use again. This will cause temporary soreness and as treatment continues, the muscles will strengthen and help maintain your renewed mobility.
It is important that you complete the treatment that will consist of about 5 sessions, more or less. You will see some results after the initial visit and it will take a few days to allow your body to adjust and settle. Five to seven days after the first session, you will have a 2nd, and again, will require a few days to adjust and so on, until your treatment is completed. You may believe you are much better after one session or you may feel only minor changes. Resist the temptation to think you have accomplished all in one or two sessions. It takes time! More than likely, you have been in pain or discomfort for some time, even years in many cases, so it is reasonable to expect a little time to reverse it. Happily, with Reflex Therapy, the duration of treatment is not a long, protracted process. Cases involving congenital malformation or various complications may require more visits in the initial treatment phase than the norm and will need some maintenance, based on individual need.
Reflex Therapy is rather like taking antibiotics for infection. If you take one or two tablets and begin to feel better, you should, nevertheless, complete the prescription or the infection may return.
Similarly, with Reflex Therapy, you will get some benefit the first session. Your body will then begin to adjust and improve but it also will probably revert slightly in the ensuing days. That is why it is important to get the second session in a timely manner, as your therapist directs. Again, there will be a benefit to which your body must adjust and again, a slight reversion, and so forth until your improvement is complete, with each treatment building on the last. Waiting too long between sessions will most often result in a loss of the improvement gained and therefore, prolong the period of treatment and increase the number of sessions necessary to achieve a good result. It should also be noted that failing to finish the course of treatment may result, over time, in your spine reverting to its pre-treatment condition.
The purpose of Reflex Therapy is to mobilize the spine using the Theraflex System's pneumatically powered handset directly applied by your therapist. It does not involve forceful manipulation, although pressure is used in one of the modes applied to your spine. The first session may be uncomfortable in the problem areas of your back but that will pass. By the time your course of treatment is completed, you will most likely find it relaxing. Our goal is to end your pain and immobility as well as the cycle of 'flare-ups' that have remained for decades for many sufferers.
After Reflex Therapy Treatment
You've just had your first Reflex Therapy treatment. Your therapist has explained how it works, and it has been applied. What happens now? What can you expect?
If you've ever begun a new exercise regimen or spent a day gardening after a long idle winter, you'll remember that by evening or sometime the next day; your muscles began to protest! You may have felt stiff and sore but you knew that it would pass in a day or so. Depending on how much you did and what is normal for you, little thought is given other than to perhaps resolve to get in shape! It is very likely you will experience something like that after Reflex Therapy. To what degree, depends on you.
There are many factors that affect the outcome of your treatment. These are some, but not all, of them: Your age; Your general state of health; The duration of your condition; The severity of your condition; The degree of correction; Your level of fitness and weight; Your commitment to achieving the best results.
For best results, we suggest you relax as much as possible after treatment. A hot bath is helpful and if the muscles react strongly, put a cold pack (or a bag of frozen peas) on the affected area(s) for 10 minutes each hour until it settles. Some patients experience no stiffness or adverse reaction whatsoever and a few are quite uncomfortable, especially after the first session. If youíre condition is longstanding, or severe; if you are unfit or overweight, it is possible some soreness will last through the course of treatment but as your body adjusts to the correction it will pass.
As treatment progresses, you should notice an increase in mobility and flexibility that will enhance your life. There will be a decrease or cessation of back pain, neck pain, sciatica, and related discomfort. We strongly recommend you pay special attention to your posture while standing, working, sitting and driving. Drink plenty of water and eat sensibly, remembering that excess weight is hard on your musculoskeletal system as well as your heart. Regular exercise is recommended. Strengthening your muscles will help you maintain the integrity of your spine following your completed treatment. In cases of long term inactivity we recommend working with a personal trainer to strategically recondition, and slowly build strength.
Please check with your physician before beginning a new exercise regimen. If you incurred damage to intervertebral disks over the years before your treatment, you will want to consider low-impact exercise such as core-strengthening Pilates. Additionally, if you are considering weight-training and/or a body-building program, a few preliminary sessions of Reflex Therapy may detect and correct any mechanical problems of the spine, thus providing a good foundation upon which to build.
After you finish your course of treatment, a follow-up treatment every three to six months may be helpful to maintain optimum condition of the spine. If your employment requires physical exertion, you may wish to have more. Most clients, who found the initial session uncomfortable, now look forward to their periodic appointments. If you overdo it or have an accident that seems to undo the benefit gained by Reflex Therapy, just schedule an appointment as soon as possible to get back on track. You should also recognize that if your back problems were caused or exacerbated by the type of work you do, there is a good chance that the cycle can repeat itself. Perhaps you notice that, bit by bit, your range of motion is decreasing, or some of the old problems are returning, donít ignore it and allow the downward spiral to begin again. Get a single treatment and stop the cycle before it progresses. Over time you will become stronger, more stable and able to maintain that stability. In addition, you will be more conscious of your body and overall health, and better able to protect it in the future.
Undoubtedly, you have learned that living with pain and restricted motion affects your life in many ways. Many of you haven't known what it's like to feel truly rested, mentally or physically, for years. Perhaps you've been taking medications to cope, and experience unpleasant side effects. The overall malaise drains your energy, limits your activities and opportunities, and can leave you discouraged or even depressed and anxious about the future. It is impossible to be in pain without your sense of well-being in some way being affected. If your condition is of a mechanical nature, Reflex Therapy can either end or relieve much of this negative pattern.
Final notes: More than likely, your condition did not happen overnight, nor will it be reversed overnight. Reflex Therapy consists usually of approximately 5 sessions at 5 to 7 day intervals followed by periodic sessions (perhaps quarterly) to maintain your newly restored spinal mobility. Finally, remember that Reflex Therapy involves no potentially harmful forceful manipulation. It works uniformly and gently on the whole spine rather than targeting individual joints. If you have no mechanical problems of the spine, Reflex Therapy will not create them but will simply serve as a stimulating, stress-relieving vertebral mobilizer. It requires no medications; it is completely non-invasive and involves no electrical stimuli.
If you are an adult with scoliosis, in many cases you will receive correction, perhaps substantial correction, of the curvature of your spine. However, because of the structural weakness the curvature creates, it will likely be necessary to have further visits to maintain the correction, accompanied by exercises that will also aid in maintaining what has been gained. For teens with scoliosis, ongoing application of Reflex Therapy throughout the growing period can safely correct varying degrees of curvature of the spine when applied in a timely fashion appropriate to individual conditions. Lastly, don't hesitate to contact your therapist if you have questions about your treatment. Enjoy your mobility!