REFLEXOLOGY This healing modality involves the
application of pressure to specific points on the feet,
hands, and head that correspond to a different body organ
and system. The thinking is that pressing these areas has
a beneficial effect on the corresponding organs, as well as
overall health. “Reflexology is a zone therapy,” says Robert
Thursday, a reflexologist, massage therapist, and editor
of Yoga Journal Presents Your Guide to Reflexology. “Similar
to the way anesthesia can numb certain zones of the body,
stimulating certain reflexology points can affect very spe-
cific organs, nerves, and zones of the body to decrease pain
and increase functioning.” For example, if you’re consti-
pated, a reflexologist can work with points that can help
heal your digestive tract and get it going again, says Thurs-
day. Numerous studies funded by the National Cancer
Institute and National Institutes of Health show reflexol-
ogy is effective in reducing pain and treating psychological
symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, as well as
enhancing relaxation and sleep. One study found that peo-
ple felt about 4o percent less pain, and were able to stand
pain for about 45 percent longer, when they used reflexol-
ogy as a method of pain relief, reports the Journal of Com-
plementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. Another study
looking at breast-cancer patients in 1 3 community-based
medical oncology clinics found health-related quality of
life and physical functioning improved in those receiving
reflexology, according to research in the journal Oncology
Nursing Forum.
MASSAGE THERAPY Whether you’re at a spa with
dimmed lighting and plush terrycloth robes or in a bare-
bones massage therapist’s office, there’s something about
the relaxing, healing benefits of a therapeutic massage that
almost everyone finds accessible and enjoyable. By pressing,
rubbing, and manipulating muscles and soft tissues, mas-
sage therapists ease muscle tension and boost circulation,
and a growing body of research supports its healing bene-
fits. Recent research found that multiple 6o-minute mas-
sages per week were more effective than fewer or shorter
sessions for people with chronic neck pain, according to
a study published in the Annals of Family Medicine; another
compared the short- and long-term effects of structural
massage (think therapeutic, deep-tissue treatments), relax-
ation massage (your general spa variety), and usual care
(like meds, ice, and heat) for chronic low-back-pain suffer-
ers. The results? Both massage groups saw significantly
greater improvements in disability and symptoms after 1 o
weeks than those who received usual care, reporting they
were more active, spent fewer days in bed, and used less
anti-inflammatory medication.
HYDROTHERAPY This is the external or internal use
of water in any form (i.e., ice, steam, or water) with various
temperatures, pressures, and durations to treat multiple
regions of the body. While it seems new and trendy, it’s actu-
ally one of the oldest healing tricks in the book, says Dean E.
Neary Jr., ND, chair of the department of physical medicine
in the School of Naturopathic Medicine at Bastyr University
in Kenmore, Washington. According to Neary, “Water is an
amazingly simple substance that can do all kinds of healing
things, proving that some of the best remedies available to
us in this high-tech world are some of the most basic.” From
colon-cleansing colonics and salt-water flotation tanks to
Spinning and other exercise classes taking place in pools,
hydrotherapy treatments run the gamut these days, and
there’s plenty of scientific evidence that shows it can improve
health in a number of ways. Various hydrotherapy treat-
ments can help cardiovascular and respiratory efficiency,
improve stiffness and pain, and even reduce blood-glucose
levels in those with type 2 diabetes, according to a review
published in the North American Journal of Medical Sciences.IF YOU ... believe the deepest work happens
when you tap into the subtle body,
CONSIDER ... therapies focusing on energy work.
CRANIAL SACRAL (A.K.A. CRANIOSACRAL)
THERAPY How can a practitioner who simply holds the
skull and sacrum lightly, using barely detectable movements,
create profound health benefits in a patient’s body? Cranio-
sacral therapists believe these minute manipulations boost
circulation of cerebrospinal fluid—the stuff that cushions
the spinal cord and brain—improving the functioning of the71
february 2016yogajournal.comGet the most from your treatment
No matter which healing modality you choose, there are
a few tips to keep in mind to make the most of your treat-
ment and experience the best results, says Gail Dubinsky,
MD, a physician and yoga teacher in Sebastopol, California:
Find a primary care practitioner who’ll keep tabs on your
care. This is especially important if you have a chronic or
complicated problem, says Dr. Dubinsky. “That primary
care practitioner is going to be able to help you assess
what’s working and what’s not, and make adjustments
as necessary,” she says. “If you don’t have this, it’s like
having too many cooks in the kitchen with no chef.”
Avoid doing too many therapies at once. If you’re get-
ting four or five treatments every week, how can you
tell what’s helping? Answer: You probably can’t. “When
patients do this, I also worry that they’re not giving their
bodies enough time to really absorb what’s going on,”
says Dubinsky.
Support your treatment with lifestyle changes. Even if
you feel you’ve landed on the best-matched therapy for
you, supplementing your treatment by looking at your
diet, exercise routine, and how you handle stress is
crucial for lasting benefits, says Dubinsky.
Check in with yourself on a regular basis. It’s important
to ask yourself whether or not you think your treatments
are helping your ailment. If the answer is “No,” it’s OK
to scale back or stop going.