Reflexology for Post-Surgical Recovery
Lately, I have noticed many people undergoing knee surgery. Some get injured skiing, others through running on hard ground and the knee ligaments have been injured. I met a lady a few months ago who is a landscape designer. In her work, she gets on her knees a lot, creating and working on her landscape projects. She injured her right knee while lifting, kneeling, pulling and pushing. We worked together for six weeks. I would give her a Reflexology treatment of 15 to 20 minutes maximum two or three times a week. She would do her physical therapy exercises as much as the pain and discomfort allowed her to. It took longer than other clients or family members I treated.
I also worked with a lady who did a lot of traveling, exercising, standing long hours during her job, and painting as a hobby. The pain in her knee became so intolerable that she decided to listen to her doctor and have surgery. She contacted me to give her some reflexology treatments after her surgery. I did, and here is the note she sent me after she was able to function again:
I had just had knee surgery and was feeling tender during my initial recovery. Margo is the only person I would trust to treat me so soon! Her reflexology treatment brought healing energy right to my knee and allowed me to get back to work sooner than I expected to. This is important because I am a consultant and did not want to cancel training programs.
Somehow Margo knows the exact balance of deep therapy and soothing touch that releases soreness and begins true healing. Also she always has additional tips about health, well-being and diet to rebuild me and keep me energized for the intense work and travel that I do.
~ Naomi Deutscher, Speaker’s coach and Management Training Consultant
Cambridge, MA
Several years back, my sister in law, Laura T.M. injured her knee while downhill skiing. The day of her injury, I happened to be vacationing in Colorado with her and the rest of the family. Laura was in a lot of pain after her skiing accident. She had seen a physical therapist at the resort we were vacationing at. She was given a knee brace and some pain killers, but expressed that did not want to take drugs.
Laura allowed me to work very gently on her feet doing some Reflexology sessions for ten minutes every hour or so. I worked first on the non-injured side, then I shifted to the other side. The work was done only on the feet and ankles. The pain and discomfort subsided during the treatments and would last 60 to 90 minutes. I kept working with her during the rest of the vacation. Of course, she would go every morning and get her physical therapy sessions at the resort center. The good news was that she was able to fly back home to Texas and be in less discomfort.
A year or two later, Laura decided to have knee surgery because her knee was never the same after the injury. She also wanted the option to be able to go skiing with her family again at some point. I flew to Houston to help her with the kids, and be on her side after the surgery. I treated her the very same day after the operation when she came back home. I was not allowed to touch her when she was still at the hospital. The only thing I could do there was to press on pain points on her hands and stayed away from the legs. So, I used my teacher’s advice, which was to work on healthy foot and ankle 5 to 10 minutes at a time, as much as she could tolerate. I was with her for one week.
The third day after the surgery, Laura wanted to start walking around the house without the crutches, saying that she was not feeling any pain or discomfort. I was very concerned – what if she injures herself again, or what if it is too early to put weight on her foot? Laura wouldn’t listen, she kept walking. I suggested that she check with her surgeon. He checked her knee and ankle (she had an ankle surgery at the same time to take care of an old injury there). She was fine and the doctor said no problem to walk with a stick or crutches. I was amazed. Here is the comment from Laura regarding the reflexology work we did together:
“I had put off surgery for over two years because I had heard how awful the ACL repair was and the months of recovery. I imagined a week of drug-filled recovery and slow re-introduction back to normality. However, this was not the case. I did not even need a Tylenol for pain and I was back on my feet in a couple of days. It might have even been sooner if the doctor had not told me to do absolutely nothing and put no weight on my leg.
I attribute the speedy recovery and no pain to Margo’s reflexology treatments. I should have had the surgery sooner. Thank you Margo for this and for all your help!!!”
~Laura T. Massoud, Busy Mother of three children
Houston, TX