Are you in your 40’s and noticing changes with your monthly? 

Women ‘of a certain age’ really prefer not to mention the ‘M’ word but menopause is being spoken of medically to some as young as in their late 30s.  Usually a natural hormonal process that gradually creeps up on us over a number of years – we now seem to be a time where Doctors are suggesting younger ladies are beginning to show the signs much earlier.

Are you beginning to notice changes in your cycle?  Perhaps you feel moody or emotional, or are becoming prone to bouts of anxiety?  You may be experiencing some night sweats and even hot flushes, and the former usually leads to sleep disruption, particularly around ovulation or when your bleed is due.

For some, the symptoms can severely effect day to day activities, work, relationships, and home life.  Lifestyle changes can considerably help such as regular exercise, good nutrition, avoidance of stimulants – the usual offenders, caffeine, alcohol, sugar etc, but perhaps the cause of early menopause is stress – it just wreaks havoc on our hormonal system, only making matters worse.

On researching at some length, it seems that Peri-menopause (the first stage) is the most disruptive period where symptoms become more obvious and unpredictable.  Unfortunately, for some, this period can last a few years.  Once cycles have ceased for a consecutive twelve months, symptoms appear to reduce but women report that some, typically hot flushes, continue way into the post-menopause stage.

Reflexology can really help to alleviate some of the symptoms

Reflexology is a great treatment that helps reduce the impact of stress on the body.  This stress may be caused by menopause or exacerbated by menopause e.g. from lack of sleep etc.

Calming the nervous system regulates the stress hormones and allows the body to rebalance.  Although menopausal symptoms may continue for a prolonged period, helping reduce the impact of stress will help to reduce the associated symptoms.  Many report a reduction in the number or intensity of hot flushes.  Sleep patterns improve, energy increases and anxiety lessens.

In the Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine Medical Journal (PubMed, Lu WA et al 2011), research reported that Reflexology stimulated the action of the Vagus Nerve – which is part of the parasympathetic nervous system, largely responsible for regulation of the body at rest and in digestion.  The word vagus means ‘wanderer’, referring the the fact that this nerve literally connects all over the body to various important organs.  When stimulated it can encourage the ‘stress’ response to normalise, helping to bring about the benefits associated with relaxation.  The vagus nerve is implicated in anxiety and depression, encouraging it to calm helps to improve those states.

Whilst Reflexology cannot stop the natural process of menopause, it can help to smooth out the disruptive effects on our hormonal systems and be thoroughly relaxing and enjoyable in the process.

Whether you embark on a course of herbs, supplements, acupuncture or HRT, Reflexology has now been proven to calm your nervous and hormonal systems and support you through this phase.

If you’d like to find out more about Reflexology or if you wish to book an appointment, please contact me on 07811 123494, or email through my website.  I also offer Hypnotherapy and Abdominal/Fertility Massage.  I work mainly from My Therapy Room in Weybridge, or you can see me in The Barron Clinic, Walton-on-Thames, Newlife Fertility Clinic, Epsom and at The Ele King Therapy Room, Cobham.

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For women, this is usually evident in a rolling monthly cycle from puberty to menopause – a span of some 40 years!!  For men, the impact may be unseen and difficult to monitor but can result in poor levels of Testosterone equalling poor or low sperm counts.  You would think therefore that a system so intrinsically linked to our well-being would be close to our hearts or at least we would be well-informed on said subject. However, for most, this is far from the truth and it seems that we only become more informed as and when we are experiencing difficulties with this delicate system.

How are they affected?

Our bodies are constantly in a state of flux, sending out messages to either increase or decrease various hormones in order to keep levels acceptable.  However when we absorb substances like caffeine, sugar, alcohol, nicotine, environmental chemicals etc, or if we suffer periods of emotional or physical stress, our levels are rapidly disrupted or distorted and additional pressure if placed upon the Endocrine system causing short term or long term stress.  Ultimately the hormonal balance becomes affected and problems may start to occur such as; Eczema, headaches, PMT, Psorasis, irregular cycles, heavy or no periods, lack of ovulation, bloating, insomnia etc.

How can treatment help?

Holistic therapy helps to improve hormonal balance by reducing the affects of stress on the body through relaxing techniques.  The aim of any treatment is to bring the body back into a state of homeostatis – to regulate the internal environment and maintain a stable, constant condition.

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However although this is a natural process, the symptoms and affects can severely effect some womens day to day life and sense of well-being.

There are considered to be 3 stages but there is some overlap in the meaning and the transitional period within each stage:

Peri-menopause describes the ‘run-up’ to menopause in which you begin to notice changes to your periods, cycles and overall mood – in other words you have less bleeds, may suffer from hot flushes, anxiety and emotional episodes.

Menopause takes effect from when you have your last or final bleed but is not declared because this cannot be established until you have had 12 clear months without bleed indicating the cessation of ovulation, which ultimately signals the end of your reproductive life.

Post-Menopause is considered to be all of the time that follows when a women has ceased ovulating and her ovaries have become inactive.

How can therapy help?

As this is a natural process and is hormonal based, treatment can help to reduce the impact of stress of the body and in turn rebalance the body.  Of course it cannot stop the natural process but simply help to smooth out the disruptive effects that sometimes present.

Reflexology is great at helping to rebalance the body and to bring about a deep sense of relaxation.  I would highly recommend trying this therapy in order to aid a smoother transition into Menopause.  Alternatively you can try my Hypnosis for Deep Relaxation recording to see if this helps you unwind a little and improve your sleep!

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Its seems that from a fairly young age we develop coping mechanisms to help us survive with long term stress/ongoing stressful situations.  If the problem is long term we often lose sight of this ‘coping behaviour’, ultimately deeming it as ‘normal’ but, our body still continues to adapt until finally the coping behaviour itself can become part of the problem, such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Say that your job or workplace becomes stressful, what might happen?

• strain develops between you, your colleagues, and within your work environment
• you feel on edge, you are not sure how to address the situation
• you become unsure of how you are percievied
• you become concerned about your future within the company
• you feel that the only solution is to leave but you need the money and there are few jobs around that offer the flexibility

So you feel stuck and you begin to develop a coping behaviour to help you deal with the situation.  What might happen?

• you may become isolated, withdrawing from colleagues conversations etc
• you may take time off work sick more frequently
• you may offer little input
• or you may work earlier or later hours to avoid colleagues and confrontation

 How does this affect your home life?  What might happen?

• you are short tempered with family, friends and loved ones
• you are now too tired to go out or meet up with friends
• you become detached and don’t discuss or admit the problem

And finally, how does this affect your health?

• you may have developed a skin disorder such as psoriasis/eczema
• usual symptoms during monthly cycle have worsened
• you experience tension headaches, backache and migraines
• you can’t sleep very well and become restless
• you become anxious
• you feel bloated and have become constipated

This is just an example of a simple situation that can put a great deal of strain on the emotional and physical body and ultimately take its toll on our well being.

Hypnotherapy Can Help You By:

• addressing the underlying fears associated with the problem
• give you coping techniques and strategies to help you feel more in control
• provide deep relaxation to help calm to mind and body

If you’d like to experience Hypnotherapy from the comfort of your own home, try my Hypnosis for Deep Relaxation recording and see how you feel!

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Sometimes you just want a little helping hand with Fertility and Childbirth traumas or issues.  An easy bit of ‘self help’ is to try an Essence that fits your Psychological, Mental, Emotional or Physical state.

‘She Oak’ Essence from the Australian Bush Flower Remedy Range is highly recommended for Fertility or hormonal issues.

Negative Condition:  Female imbalance, inability to conceive for non-physical reasons

Positive Outcome:  Emotionally open to conceive, female balance

She Oak is described as “an Essence which is very beneficial in overcoming imbalances and bringing about a sense of wellbeing in females.  It will benefit women who feel distressed about infertility.  It removes those personal blocks that prevent conception.  It can also be used in conjunction with Flannel Flower which will help remove karmic patterns hindering conception.  The fruit of this tree is very similar in size to a woman’s ovary.  This Essence was made from the female tree of the species.” (www.flowersense.co.uk)

‘Pear’ Essence from the Master Flower Essence Range is for Childbirth traumas and issues.

‘Pear’ Essence is described as “Emergency rescue remedy, for any kind of crisis, physical or emotional.  Being thrown off balance during traumatic events, accidents, illness, childbirth, post natal depression.  Clears shock, and fear, giving peace of mind, and stability during major changes.  Promotes peacefulness, peace of mind; returns a sense of rhythm and proportion; for being fully in the present moment; ability to handle crisis; for stability during major changes.

These essences can typically be taken as drops under the tongue or in a small amount of water – follow the directions on the product.  You can buy them online from sites such as Amazon, Neals Yard or www.flowersense.co.uk etc for approximately £10 to £12 or from good Health Food Stores.

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The body is designed to cope fantastically well with short term stress, however it is a different matter with long term/chronic stress. To deal with this, the body (and the mind) develop coping strategies or behaviours. These strategies or behaviours develop, either consciously or unconsciously and work well at first, but eventually, time takes its toll and the tell tale signs begin to show, but do we pay attention to them?!

In long term periods of stress some of the following hormonal fluctuations occur:

• the Adrenal Glands produce greater amounts of adrenaline which inhibits our production of progesterone causing the latter phase of the monthly cycle to reduce!
• the Pituitary Gland releases Prolactin, which inhibits Fertility!
• the consumption of alcohol, coffee, nicotine, sugar and recreational drugs can cause the liver toxic overload, making it difficult to flush out ‘old’ hormones i.e. oestrogen, leaving the body oestrogen dominant causing various symptoms!
• our nervous system activates the Adrenal Glands, they then release adrenalin (quickly) and cortisol (slowly), causing the liver undue pressure to perform the detoxification of old hormones from the system again leading to excess oestrogen!
• the increased levels adrenalin and cortisol will impact on our reproduction system causing lack of ovulation, cessation of cycle, heavy/painful periods, PCOS, and infertility!
• quality of sperm may be impaired, impotence may occur!
• excessive exercise, especially running has been shown to increase the levels of cortisol in the body rather than decreasing it!
• our immune system is compromised lowering our ability to recover from illness!
• feelings of nervousness, anxiety, worry and panic increase, periods of depression may result! sleep quality is affected, some experience difficulty getting off to sleep, others wake during the night

Stress really does wreak havoc with our hormonal well being.  So, what can you do about it?:

1. The key is awareness, begin by highlighting any imbalances – use Apps, Charts, Diaries etc to monitor your symptoms
2. Use the information to find the underlying cause and ‘make a plan’ of how to go about addressing it.
3. Do you need more exercise or less? Perhaps swapping something high impact for yoga, swimming or walking would do the trick?
4. Make lifestyle changes to sleep patterns and diet.
5. What help can you get? Finding a therapist can be key to helping you address your hormonal imbalances – look for someone who you feel has the right qualities and experience to help you tackle them!

….after all, the body is a homeostatic system, designed to self-correct and rebalance! All you need to do is to give it a helping hand…. How cool is that?!!

If you are struggling with stress related hormonal issues, fertility, pregnancy anxiety, miscarriage, or menopause, and you would like to address them through Reflexology, Hypnotherapy and/or Fertility Massage, do contact Alison on [email protected] or call/text, 07811 123494.

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Our bodies are wonderfully intrinsic and complex but we only pay attention when they become disruptive, damaged or don’t work well.

From our teens to our 50s most women experience a ‘monthly cycle’, but we often dismiss them as inconvenient, irrelevant, painful, or non-eventful. We take additional hormones in the forms of pills, injections, implants, coils, creams etc to manipulate, override and/or regulate it.

Strangely we do not see our cycles as part of our health and wellbeing – a natural monthly regulator if you like, that offers up a wealth of information about our current health, ability to conceive and general wellbeing.

Sadly a high number of women suffer from hormonal imbalances such as PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), Endometriosis, Fibroids, Eczema, Adult Acne, severely painful periods, erratic and irregular cycles, let alone the ‘mood swings’ bloating and breast tenderness – a great deal of them probably caused from Oestrogen Imbalance.

So, what can you do to rebalance and bring about a healthy cycle?

Top 5 Tips:

1. Monitor Your Cycle – start from Day 1 of bleed. Keep a record of length and symptoms you experience such as breast tenderness, mood swings, bloating, lower back pain, disruptive sleep etc. Chart for 3 cycles, then compare and look for trends, patterns of symptoms particularly around ovulation and pre-bleed.
2. Temperature Chart – this will give you invaluable information about ovulation and the health of both parts of your cycle (Follicular & Luteal Phase).
3. Make Lifestyle Changes: Coffee, Alcohol and Sugar wreak havoc with your hormones and the behaviour of your cycle. Cut out sugar completely for 8 weeks and see the difference. Reduce coffee to one per day and limit alcohol, particularly if you are trying to conceive.
4. Don’t Over-excercise, it can cause higher cortisol levels – the stress hormone – instead mix actives such as walking, yoga, swimming, pilates etc and try Meditation, Mindfulness or Breathing Techniques.
5. Finally, introduce Reflexology, Fertility Massage or Hypnotherapy to address any imbalances or anxieties – I know I’d say this but these can really help to bring about balance and regularity, reducing the impact of stress on the hormonal system, encouraging natural, healthy cycles.

So, if you are experiencing problems with your cycle that you would like to address, you can reach Alison Fuller on 07811 123494, email her on [email protected] or visit her website at: www.thehormonaltherapist.co.uk.

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I know it sounds old fashioned but Temperature Charting is actually a very valuable tool to help us understand our own individual monthly cycles (yes ladies, we are unique and individual and not all our cycles are a classic 28 days).

Not only does recording help us work out our most fertile days but it essentially is a really informative ‘well-being’ source that enlightens us as to what our cycle is up to in relation to the monthly discomforts or hormonal symptoms that affect or hound many of us.

Understanding how ‘your’ monthly cycle behaves can help you understand your health and well-being better?!. Of course, if you are lucky enough to have a perfect 28 day cycle with no fluctuations or discomforts then this blog is not for you but, for the rest of us, it is a good idea to get to grips with our bodies before reaching for the paracetamol or heading off to the Chemist or GP. So here is my guide to Well-being Cycle Charting which incorporates anything from the early days of menstruation to the latter days of peri-menopause – knock yourselves out ladies….

So, what can you learn from charting?:

• You can gauge what your cycle is up to and predict your ovulation time (e.g. essential for fertility)
• How your cycle behaves – get knowledgeable, upfront and personal with it!
• Understand your own hormonal fluctuation (I’m thinking mood swings, cravings and the like)
• Predict your most fertile days – good to know for the movers and shakers!
• See what happens throughout your whole menstrual cycle – do you actually know?
• Understand your cervical fluid – you know you’d love too.
• Look for patterns in your cycle, understand irregularity for starters.
• Know what your Progesterone & Luteal Phase are up too – are you Progesterone Deficient, or a Luteal Phase Defect? This could be very important for you’re all round health as well as for fertility.
• Identifies anomalies.
• Measure the improvements and benefits from lifestyle changes and from holistic therapies such as Reflexology and Fertility Massage
• Decide if there is a need to investigate your well-being further (i.e. tests)
• Learn how our body works, especially if you are new to cycling!

What do you need to chart successfully?

A Digital Thermometer – ideally one that reads to two digital places but if you already have one that works to one place, that will be fine.

A method of recording your temperature i.e. a chart – you can record on a printed chart, see http://natural-fertility-info.com/guide-to-fertility-charting.html they have free charts to print off and great charting guides too. Or you can enter the information into an website such as www.fertilityfriend.com – they also have an app that sync’s the info too. The basic chart/app is free and is very comprehensive for a first timer, you can then upgrade for the more robust version should you wish at a later date. This site is really comprehensive and their charts are great and, ultimately, bespoke to you.

If you are charting for fertility reasons then you may also wish to use OPK tests – Ovulation Predictor Tests – which detect LH (Luteinising Hormone) surges in urine right before ovulation. You can then enter this information into your chart to verify your temperature information too. This is why temperature charting is so good, because it gives you personal and unique information. If you then add other external information you really begin to work out exactly how your hormonal body is performing. Other apps do not do this, they simply work on a formula, which is a helpful guide but does not show you how your own cycle is ‘actually’ behaving.

How to chart

You can start at any time of your cycle but a full chart starts on the first day of your bleed.

You need to take your temperature, orally, at the same time each morning, and every morning thereafter. This needs to be done before you speak, move, get up, or have a drink. If you are on shift work – take your temperature when you wake. For the reading to be most accurate, you need to have had a least 3 hours sleep.

Record your temperature on a paper chart, into an App or internet site as mentioned above.  Continue to chart for the rest of your cycle.  Record any other symptoms that may affect your temperature (see list below).

Record symptoms that occur during the cycle, such as:

• How you feel – if you have bouts of feeling emotional, angry, frustrated, irritated etc
• Breast Tenderness
• Spotting
• Menstrual flow, colour, number of days, discomfort, clotting
• Headaches, migraines
• Bowel changes
• Sugar Cravings
• Changes in energy or libido
• Ovulation pain or cramp – which side
• Cervical Mucous changes – Watery, sticky, creamy
• Backache, achy legs or restless legs
• Lack of co-ordination – dropping things?!
• Skin breakouts/flare-ups

Look for signs of ovulation.  In temperature terms, ovulation should look like an increase of approximately 3 tenths, e.g. from 36.5 C to 36.8 C, your temperature should then remain around 36.8 for the remainder of the cycle to indicate good progesterone levels – they may fluctuate a little but they should remain high. Your temperature will fall when progesterone levels decrease if there is no pregnancy.

What can affect your temperature reading?

The following may affect your cycle so be aware and note any that you might experience:

• Fever or infection
• Taking drugs (including recreational) & medications
• Taking Supplements & Herbal Remedies
• Alcohol consumption
• Smoking
• Stress – both emotional and physical
• Deprived or very disturbed sleep
• Travel – The effect of jet lag and time zone differences
• Surroundings such as room temperature/hot water bottle/hot blanket
• Recently discontinued hormonal contraceptive i.e. Pill, Injection, Implant etc or hormonal based patches.

What does charting tell you?:

Once you have finished the cycle (day one of bleed denotes a new cycle) you can review the information the chart supplies as follows:

• How long was your cycle – between 26 – 33 days or shorter/longer?
• What day did you ovulate (roughly midway or shorter/longer?).
• Did you see a spike/increase in your temperature indicating ovulation?
• How long was your fertile window? (i.e. number of days pre ovulation when you are ‘fertile’)
• Looking for patterns – Did your recorded symptoms occur mainly around ovulation or pre-bleed or both?
• How long was your Luteal Phase i.e. Number of days post ovulation? Was this between 11 – 16 or shorter? (Less than 11 days suggests a deficient Luteal Phase)
• Did your temperature remain high post ovulation or did it fluctuate and/or drop (fluctuation/drop suggests progesterone deficiency which can impact on fertility/miscarriage etc).

Once you have got into the swing of charting, continue for 3 full cycles to gain a good understanding of how your cycle behaves.  When you have the results, you may decide to make changes to your diet or lifestyle to improve your health and well-being or you may feel that the information has highlighted a potential problem, such as low progesterone, and seek medical advice.  If you are charting for fertility, then you will be easily able to identify your ‘fertile’ window for future cycles.

If you feel that you are experiencing imbalances in your cycle then you may wish to consider treatments such as Reflexology to help rebalance hormonally or Fertility or Abdominal-Sacral Massage to help reduce tension and stress that may be held abdominally and increase blood flow to your reproductive organs.

You can also chart to determine peri-menopause and the changes that occur in the run up to menopause and, according to The Billings Ovulation Method, you can also chart as a method of contraception too.

Alison is a Reflexologist and Hypnotherapist based in Weybridge and Epsom, Surrey. She specialises in treating to support Fertility, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Menopause and all things hormonal. She is a Member of the Association of Reproductive Reflexologists, General Hypnotherapy Register and is an Easibirthing Fertility & Hypnobirthing Practitioner. You can contact her on 07811 123494 or click ‘contact’ if you’d like to send an email.

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A lovely client of mine came a few years ago having suffered an ectopic pregnancy resulting in the loss of one fallopian tube….. she had heard that Reflexology could be beneficial in encouraging the body to re-regulate, thus helping to conceive.   After only a couple of treatments she was delighted to find herself pregnant!  What a result.

Of course as a Therapist, you know that you can’t ‘claim’ the pregnancy, so you delight in the fact that your client feels Reflexology played a significant part. So much so that this lady returned again this year (even having moved further away from my clinic) for help with number 2, having suffered another miscarriage, and again with an unpredictable cycle.

Well, you guessed it, it took only another two treatments and the email pinged in – pregnant again!!… ‘we’ are delighted.

It is a wonderful result but is it just coincidence? Well my lady doesn’t think so and nor do I.  Whilst it is true that you cannot predict how each individual client will respond to treatment, and I should add that not all clients do fall pregnant but cycles do improve and many hormonal imbalances are reduced or alleviated.

Many clients do experience very positive results in all manner of hormonal work, such as:

• Reduced discomfort and regularised cycle (endometriosis)
• Eczema rash clears
• Monthly periods recommence after long periods of absence,
• Hot flushes and night sweats are reduced
• Oedema and puffy ankles instantly reduce
• Labour is encouraged to start or to further progress
• Cycles regulate
• Ovulation occurs

What is different about Fertility Reflexology?, well firstly we like to treat the client more often than a ‘standard’ treatment, so as to closely monitor the cycle and the responses.  We specifically work with the natural cycle (or IVF protocols), adapting the treatment to encourage hormonal rebalance and regulation, or adapting the treatment to encourage improvement in specific conditions, such as Endometriosis etc and we provide extensive information on how to monitor, chart, and understand your cycle so that you are well informed as to understanding how your reproductive body is behaving, what are possible underlying problems, when your most fertile time is and how to read your monthly symptoms.

If you would like to consider Fertility Reflexology as the next step in your fertility journey, please do get in touch.

Alison is a Reflexologist and Hypnotherapist based in Weybridge, Surrey.  She specialises in Fertility, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Menopause and all things hormonal.  She is a Member of the Association of Reproductive Reflexologists.  You can contact her on 07811 123494 or click ‘contact’ if you’d like to send an email.  If you live outside of her area, do contact the Association as a Member nearer you will be able to help.

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