7 Preparation for Treatment Applying manual methods provides us with a good opportunity to build up a genuine partnership with our patients. By demonstrating calm and concentration during treatment, we can usually put a stop to some patients’ desire to talk too much. Now and then, however, it is more important to lend a compassionate ear to listen to their sorrows than to actively treat certain points on the feet. Our task is to make patients realize that during the treatment it is more important to monitor their own reactions carefully, to trace even subtle changes, and to express them clearly than to demand too much theoretical information, such as the nomination of certain zones. Method. Clear information on the main principles of reflexotherapy of the feet (RTF) before the first treatment helps both sides and provides a sound introduction to the therapy. For many years I have used an illustration showing a seated person in the shape of the foot as a practical working model (see Fig. 2.3). I have observed that this simple and graphic comparison offers people of all ages and educational levels the easiest access to this method because it addresses people’s imagination directly, bypassing their intellect. Attempts to describe RTF in words will not lead to much because confidence in a therapy and a therapist grows best through personal experience. The significance of pain. Patients should be informed about the significance and purpose of pain at the start of a series of treatments. According to R. Voll, pain is “the cry of the tissue for flowing energy.” Pain convinces patients, often surprisingly quickly, that it is time to get the necessary treatment. The local pain released by the grips in certain areas of the foot should therefore be regarded by the therapist as an important indicator that treatment is required. However, a painful area on the foot does not initially provide any diagnostic or therapeutic information about the type, cause, and duration of the patient’s illness. When the patient realizes that there is no need to passively surrender to the pain caused by the treatment and that their personal pain threshold is acknowledged and respected, they will find it easier to accept the pain as a warning and not simply regard it as the enemy (see Chapter 8). Resting phase after treatment. Before their first appointment, we should inform our patients about the importance and necessity of the resting phase following treatment, to avoid unnecessary time pressure. The resting phase is important because the first phase of regeneration takes place during this period. Patients who do not rest deprive themselves of a significant amount of recuperation and improvement. Before the initial assessment (visual and palpatory) a brief overview of the patient’s history is compiled. This can shed light on the circumstances which have resulted in the current illness. In addition, it enables a more differentiated decision to be made regarding whether RTF might perhaps be contraindicated. It includes the following questions: • Which problems or symptoms, chronic or acute, are paramount at the start of treatment? • How long have they been present and what triggered them (e.g., an accident, inflammation, stress, etc.)? • How are the excretory organs, the intestine, kidneys, and skin functioning? • What kind of treatment has already been employed for these symptoms and/or is the patient undergoing other therapies at the same time? • What is the patient’s quality of sleep (dreams) and general emotional state? • Are varicose veins or phlebitis present, and were they present at any time in the past? • What is the condition of the teeth (root treatments, different metals in the mouth, and indications of a possible allergy to silver amalgam)? • Is the patient taking any medicine which might influence the outcome of treatment, for example, strong sedatives or analgesics, psychotropic drugs, beta blockers, phenprocoumon, etc. or medicine which necessitates particularly careful treatment of the symptom zone, for example, insulin or other hormone preparations, including contraceptives? (Chapter 16.3). • Eating and drinking habits, abuse of drugs, nicotine or alcohol? The treatment will be more effective if the patient is positioned appropriately. The following conditions are helpful: • A well-aired, warm, bright, quiet room • A sufficiently wide, well-padded treatment table at a suitable height • Neck and knee supports, where appropriate • A light blanket, preferably made of natural fibers, because heat loss may occur during treatment, even if the ambient temperature is warm. In addition, being covered gives the patient the feeling that their personal space is protected. Patients will find that they feel better if they remove their watches and jewelry at least temporarily. We advise patients to do so during treatment and also suggest doing so at home now and again, especially at night, and carefully observe the effects. Among other things, this suggestion is based on acupuncture in which metal needles are used in a targeted manner to change the local energy field. If meridians come into contact with metals or other materials in an undifferentiated manner, this can lead to more or less clearly appreciable changes in their energy. Congestion may also arise in the nervous, venous, and lymphatic system as a result. Being comfortably positioned includes loosening the belt, collar, bra, corset, and skirt or trouser waistband to allow unrestricted breathing movements. Usually the patient’s head and neck need to be supported by a small pillow. This serves the purpose, especially with beginners, of enabling them to have direct eye contact with the patient at all times in order to monitor reactions, and it promotes mutual trust. When making a home visit to a bed-ridden patient, the location of the bed will influence the position and working posture of the therapist. With some imagination and the aid of pillows, cushions, and footstools, effective treatment is possible in conditions other than those usual for working, perhaps exceptionally even standing up. It goes without saying that patients in severe pain are involved in deciding how and where it is most comfortable for them to lay. Likewise, • pregnant women, • patients suffering from a heart condition or rheumatism, or • patients with breathing difficulties need to be positioned according to their condition. As we are in direct contact with the patient through our hands, it is important that we take good care of ourselves for our own well-being. Not all patients require “our best” at all times but rather what is appropriate for them in each situation. This insight gives us more freedom in assigning efficiently our daily ration of vitality.
7.1 The Relationship between Patient and Therapist
7.2 Instructions for the Patient
7.3 Preparing for the First Treatment
7.4 Patient Positioning during Treatment
7.4.1 General Instructions
7.4.2 Variations
7.5 Rules for the Therapist
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