REFLEXOLOGY IN Cape town, South Africa

Hormones and the Endocrine System

Hormones are the powerful chemical messengers of the endocrine system. Unlike the nervous system, which uses rapid electrical signals, the endocrine system uses hormones secreted by specialised glands (like the thyroid, pituitary, and adrenal glands) directly into the bloodstream.

From the bloodstream, these hormones travel throughout the body until they reach their specific target cells or organs, bind to receptors and trigger a specific action. The endocrine system operates relatively slowly because it relies on blood circulation, but its effects are profound and long-lasting. It is often the case that what you did in the past, i.e., the stress you were under, the health choices you made, and the exercise you did, determines how you are feeling and how the body is working right now.

How Hormones Influence Your Life.

Hormones are responsible for regulating most major bodily processes. Their influence is constantly felt, from early development through old age, shaping physical form, emotional state, and energy levels.

1. Growth and Development

Hormones govern physical changes from birth through maturity:

• Growth & Puberty: Growth Hormone (GH) is essential during childhood and adolescence, stimulating bone and tissue development. Sex hormones (testosterone in males; oestrogen and progesterone in females) drive the development of secondary sexual characteristics, leading to physical maturation.

2. Metabolism and Energy Regulation

Hormones manage how your body converts food into energy and maintains stable internal conditions:

• Energy Balance: Insulin (from the pancreas) regulates blood sugar levels, directing glucose into cells for energy or storage. Hormones from the thyroid (T3 and T4) set the body's overall metabolic rate.
• Stress Response: Cortisol (the main stress hormone) and adrenaline prepare the body for "fight or flight" by increasing heart rate and spiking blood sugar for immediate energy.

3. Mood, Sleep, and Emotional Stability

Hormonal balance plays a direct role in mental health and daily emotional experience:

• Mood: Hormonal imbalances can significantly contribute to anxiety, depression, and irritability. These hormones can be sex hormones or thyroid hormone-related.
• Sleep: Melatonin regulates the sleep-wake cycle (circadian rhythm), promoting rest when light levels drop.

4. Reproduction and Sexual Health

Hormones dictate fertility, sexual function, and the reproductive cycle:

• Fertility: Oestrogen, Progesterone, Testosterone, FSH, and LH work in a complex cycle to regulate menstruation, ovulation, sperm production, and libido.
• Pregnancy: Hormones maintain pregnancy and prepare the body for childbirth and breastfeeding.

5. Homeostasis and Fluid Balance

Hormones ensure the internal environment remains stable, a process called homeostasis:

• Fluid & Salt Balance: Hormones like ADH (Antidiuretic Hormone) control water reabsorption in the kidneys, helping regulate blood volume and preventing dehydration.
• Calcium Levels: Hormones maintain precise calcium levels, which are critical for nerve and muscle function.

How Can Reflexology Help Regulate Hormones and affect the endocrine system?

How Reflexology Influences Hormone Regulation

• Endocrine Reflex Points: Reflexologists target pressure points on the feet that correspond to endocrine glands, such as the pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, and reproductive organs. This pressure aims to stimulate these glands, helping them function more effectively and balance hormone levels.
• Promotes Relaxation: Reflexology activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which supports relaxation (rest and digest) and reduces stress. Lowering stress levels can help decrease the production of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, allowing the body to regulate other hormones better.
• Enhances Circulation: Reflexology techniques can improve blood circulation. Better circulation ensures that hormones, oxygen, and nutrients are delivered more efficiently to cells and organs, supporting overall hormonal health and function.
• Supports Overall Well-being: Reflexology promotes balance and relaxation, which helps the body heal and function efficiently. When the body is relaxed, it can better regulate itself, including its hormonal systems.

How to Use Reflexology for Hormone Balance

1. Consult a Registered Reflexologist: Seek out a fully qualified and experienced reflexologist who can assess your needs and provide a treatment plan specific to your needs.
2. Consider a Course of Treatment: Reflexology can have a cumulative effect, so a series of sessions over several weeks or months may be necessary to achieve significant results.
3. Incorporate Lifestyle changes: If necessary, your reflexologist may recommend specific lifestyle changes or things to incorporate into your daily life, such as diet, movement, stress management techniques, and environmental changes. Combining reflexology sessions with these lifestyle changes enhances their effects on hormone regulation.

Reflexologists worldwide are working hard to get more case studies and clinical trials done to show the effectiveness of reflexology. Here are a few research-backed case studies to show how effective reflexology can be. Here are some evidence-based studies related to the endocrine system:

•  Diabetes: reflexology work reduces physiological measures for diabetes and is an effective treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus.[1]
• Infertility and increasing rates of ovulation: reflexology has been documented numerous times for its ‘success rates’ in helping women become pregnant[2]
• Insomnia – reflexology shows clinically important improvement of sleep, the frequency and how long a person has been having reflexology treatments seems to affect the length of the effects.[3]
• Menopausal symptoms reduced such as anxiety, depression, hot flushes and night sweats by 30 – 50%.[4]
• Premenstrual syndrome – relief of symptoms such as fatigue; insomnia; abdominal pain; lower back pain & constipation.[5]
• Prostate (hyperplasia & hypertrophy) – foot reflexology and drug therapy was the most effective treatment for hyperplasia. With hyperplasia, most symptoms were relieved with hypertrophy.[6]
• Thyroid – significant reduction of related symptoms, but not always a change in levels of thyroid hormones.[7]

 

Sources & references:

Kunz, B & Kunz, K. Evidence based reflexology research. For Health Professionals & Researchers. (2008). ISBN 9781534981898.

Kunz, B & Kunz, K. Evidence based reflexology research. For Health Professionals & Researchers: [1] Page 23; 66; 67; [2] Pg 82 and pg 96; [3] Pg 83; [4] Pg 88, 89; [5] Pg 113; [6] Pg 114;[7] Pg 117

Marieb, EN, R.N., Ph.D., (2012). Essentials of Human Anatomy & Physiology. 10th Edition. Pearsons: San Francisco pages 309 – 330