Cancer - the myth, the fear and the connection

By Shmuel Zaidel

One of the sick person's first reactions is to blame other factors. On the second phase, together with disillusionment and understanding, the person accepts the “decree” and on third phase, the person makes peace with the fact that he is the only responsible factor as far as his healing is concerned. Mostly, external factors but the person's body and state of mind do not cause the cancer. In fact, the process, which the cells go through during cancer disease -segmentation - is a natural process and happens in the body continuously. It becomes a disease when the segmentation is not controlled. Even if there are external factors, the person himself, opens the gate and lets the disease in. The cancer cells are not subordinated to the body's control and in most cases, they produce a solid mass of tissue that looks like a tumor. A tumor starts with one cell that has gone through several genetic changes (mutations). Due to these changes, the cell is no longer subordinated to the natural control of the body's normal cells. Such a cell will continue to divide autonomously, until an accumulation of cells is created, which in time will grow into cancer. A tumor that bursting out of its tissue borders and invading other organs is malignant. Now there is a new reality; a reality where cancerous tumors and normal tissues live together. Relating to the assumption, that reflexology connects to the healthy body's foundations as well as to its natural healing's elements, than the treatment intensifies the body's resistance concerning the breakthrough of its tissues' natural borders and encourages situations of internal “home peace”. Rationally relating to the fact that a cancerous tumor is autonomous and to the fact that reflexology connects to the normal body will help us understand the myth and fear of the objection-crusade to reflexology “that might spread the cancer in the body”. It is nothing but a crusade of fear and frightening from the unknown and non-investigated. This is not the way to build understanding, not to mention combining with conventional medicine.

One in front of the other

Let us put one in front of the other, what we currently know concerning the factors of the cancer and the primary characteristics and influences of the reflexology treatment over the body.

Reasons for cancer:

• exposure of various body tissues to tobacco

• exposure to the blazing sun

• many alcoholic drinks

• exposure to asbestos

• nutrition of low nutritious fiber

• exposure to radiation

• taking estrogen for long periods

• history of family cancer

• situations of negative feelings such as: accumulating anger, long depression, repeating disappointments, unfulfilled expectations, sheer wickedness, lack of love endowment, no love as well as no-confidence and trust of oneself to his surroundings and himself.

Prejudices

Reflexology treatment stimulates the body's blood flow through which the cancer will spread” is it so? Is that what the reflexology treatment does? Usually, the reflexology treatment is followed by primary affects contradicting the prejudices:

• lowering body temperature

• lowering adrenaline level

• lowering blood pressure

• deceleration of pulse

• deceleration of body's metabolism

• lowering tension - expressed by falling asleep, heaviness

The therapist can administrate some of these phenomenons.

Combined medicine

While treating cancer patients we probably will find ourselves combined with medicines and treatments administrated to those patients, especially chemotherapy and radiation. It is important that we know and understand these treatments' essence thus be able to incorporate. Chemotherapy is an inclusive systemic treatment, that is, the medicines are administrated into the blood circulation throughout the entire body. The medicines' purpose is destroying cancerous cells. Radiotherapy is a treatment of powerful x-rays launched to the tumor and destroying the cancerous cells in the radiated zone only.

Side effects of both treatments:

The chemotherapy's side effects depend mainly on the kind of medicines administrated to the patient. In addition, they can vary from patient to patient. Anti-cancer medicines influence the cell division and some of the healthy cells are damaged. Chemotherapy can harm cells that are often divided, such as blood cells, hair-root cells and digestive system cells. When the chemotherapy damages healthy cells, the body's resistance to infections might be reduced and the patient might feel weak and might get hurt and bleed frequently. Other common side effects include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, fatigue, hands or legs itching, headaches, hair molting, skin and nails darkening as well as mouth sores. Fertility might also be affected by these medicines. Women during their fertility period might experience irregular or stop of their monthly period. Women might develop signs of menopause, such as hot flushes and dryness of the vagina. Men might stop producing spermatozoon. Radiation treatment, such as chemotherapy, affects healthy cells. Its side effects mainly depend upon the dosage and intensity as well as the area in which the radiation is given. Patients treated with radiation will usually experience fatigue. Rest is very important, but the doctors suggest that the patients will continue with their regular activity as much as they can even during treatments period. When the radiation is pointed to the head, the patients usually loose their hair. The radiation might cause redness, dryness, sensitivity or itching of the skull or the skin in the treated area. The radiation treatment might cause nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite. Radiation pointed the testicles' might affect fertility and hormones' production. These two treatments fight the evil but damage and weaken the good. Hence, the importance of interference of reflexology treatment, which supports the body's natural healing forces and encourages their actions.

The treatment approach in coordinative reflexology

One might assume that in spite the contents of this article, the fear from treating cancer patients still exists. The primary fear does not leave many reflexology therapists and it is not easy to take them out of the cycle in which they were first intimidated during their training period.

Treatment techniques and dynamics

The where and how will be discussed here. Where to push is only to know, metaphorically, where the piano's keys are, the “playing”/action is, in fact, the treatment's masterpiece.

• Where and at which area shall we treat?

  Physiological junctions of the body's interior - throat, pylorus, the stomach's entrance, duodenum, ileocaecal valve, lung portal and urinary bladder sphincters. These areas in the body characterize postponement, delay and blocking of the free flow inside the body. These junction areas are also emotionally controlled and characterize accumulation of tense.
  Drainage and transportation paths - this group includes the reflection areas of the long and short body tubes.
  Factors of the immune system - the goal is to transfer massages of intensification, implication, elements of strengthening deriving from cooperation with the patient against resistance.
  Hormonal system - besides the subject of metabolism it has also a part of rehabilitation system during difficult situations of the body.

• General action direction

  The action direction is “from inside out” with the artery blood flow direction. The meaning is energetic spread to the edges. In order to do so we will work with the leg (below the knee).

• Rhythm

  It is recommended to work in a slow, soothing and relaxing rhythm so the parasympathetic nerve system will be dominant over the sympathetic system.

• The pressure intensity

  Two main forms concerning the pressure strength:

  • non-painful weak, caressing for relaxation

  • strong in particular spots to relieve the pain. Pain relive is a result of released endorphin hormone. This intensity can serve when the patient suffers from pain in general and due to the treatment the endorphin hormone is spread inside his body, which reduces the pain and relaxes in general.

• Technical summary

  The treatment techniques can be discussed for a long time. Eventually, the teacher should supervise the action itself - meaning that there should be a direct encounter between teacher and student. It is hard to direct and teach solely by words and it is obvious that action and techniques have to be learned.

Existing reality

Currently, the issue of reflexology treatments concerning cancer is being studied all over the world. In the last congress of the International reflexology association (I.C.R), held in Jamaica in Sept. 2003, some facts concerning the subject have been introduced. In the institute for human ecology, we have been studying throughout the years how to treat cancer by coordinative reflexology and understand how important it is to treat cancer patients.

Summary

Reflexology treatment as far as cancer is concerned, is very important and it is about time that we, the therapists, will free ourselves from prejudices and understand the reflexology is associated to the body's health dimension as well as to its healing powers. In most cases, the cancer patient needs the attention. The patient especially needs a loving and caressing hand. There is nothing like a moment of satisfaction for the patient and nothing like a moment of satisfaction for the therapist when connecting to the human being's footing - the feet.