Salam wbt.
Bismillah.
A couple of weeks ago, we made a visit to a reflexology centre to accompany one of my family member for a session of therapeutic reflexology. Traditionally, reflexology is known as a method of applying pressure to certain points on the hand or feet that corresponds to certain organs or parts of the body.
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Therapeutic reflexology, however, has a rather wider meaning. Let's look at the definition which I took from this website.
Specific finger and thumb pressure techniques are used on the feet, lower legs, hands, arms, face and or ears to enable therapists to identify and respond to congestion and imbalances, for example, tightness in the chest reflexes [attributable to stress], sensitivity in the bladder reflexes [ possible bladder infection], granular areas in the stomach and colon reflexes [likely constipation] etc.
If the therapeutic reflexologist applies firm pressure technique, this will prevent a 'tickle' sensation. During the session, different sensations may be experienced in certain reflex areas but the treatment should not be painful nor cause discomfort, but should rather be calming and comforting.
There may be a sharp pain, or the feet may feel very sensitive. Sensitivity varies from person to person, and from treatment to treatment. The therapist will adjust the pressure to suit the patient - who should be asked to comment on the sensations that he/she experiences.
Treatments are usually completed using gentle massage techniques which will leave the patient relaxed and soothed, thus enhancing the body’s capacity to utilize its natural healing potential.
The reflexology centre which we went to is managed by a blind reflexologist. Even the workers are among those who are blind or vision impaired. Well, this is not an uncommon scene in Malaysia. In the West, particularly in America, they only had their first blind reflexologist just a couple of years ago. Even as a small child, I had been to some reflexology centre alike.
How did blind reflexologist became common in Malaysia? Thanks to efforts made by the Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB), a training centre for the blind had been long established (click here). The Gurney Training Centre for the Blind provides the blind with rehabilitation and vocational training services. These vocational training includes industrial works, reflexology, telephony, computer programming, etcetera.
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I do believe that a blind reflexologist, in general, would be better than the ones having normal vision. All praise to Allah, for creating in such a way that when one sense is taken away, other senses becomes accentuated. I asked our reflexologist whether he felt that way, and he agreed saying that his hearing, touching and smelling becomes sharper.
Now, to the part I wanted to share today. In pursuit of knowledge, a scholar (which I forgot who) once mentioned that we must know EVERYTHING about SOMETHING, and SOMETHING about EVERYTHING. Meaning that in the area which we specialises on, we must make an effort to learn everything about it. And be a master at it. And make sure that we know a little bit of everything in areas that we don't specialises on. For example, as a medical student, I must make sure that I know almost everything that one needs to know in the field of medicine, and take effort to learn a little bit of knowledge in engineering, architecture, cooking, psychology, etcetera. Only then, we will become a person of knowledge. And not like Jack of all trades, master of none.
There are many blind reflexologists out there. So what will make one stands out from the other? It's the pursuit of mastering the art of human body. The anatomy of it. This particular reflexologist we met, went as far as China just to enroll himself in a one month comprehensive course of anatomy for the blind. In that one month course, he gets to touch fresh human corpses to learn the anatomy of human body. Which he says is currently unavailable in Malaysia. Before, he said many patient came to him complaining of having slip disc, problem with meniscus, etcetera. He did learn about anatomy before, but he just couldn't imagine how it looks like. During the short course in China, only did he able to visualize in his mind the shape of meniscus and vertebra. And coming back to Malaysia, he is now able to treat patients way better than before, now that he knows the external orientation of the bones, muscles and nerves. It really brings back to me the memories of learning Topographical Anatomy in my fourth year as a medical student.
Knowing that I am a medical student, he starts using medical terminologies to explain the parts of the body he is currently applying pressure to. With other people, he can only use layman's term. It was a good opportunity for him to refresh back his memory on medical terminologies. Excitingly, he actually learned anatomy in Chinese language. However his group did bring along a translator to translate it into English. Similar to us in Russia, where we learned Topographical Anatomy in Russian Language, instead of English. The reflexologist excitedly telling me all the Chinese anatomy terminologies. In return, I told him the Russian ones.
Believing that mastering the anatomy would make a blind reflexologist better in their field, I asked him why don't we have such comprehensive course for the other blind reflexologists out there? He shared that they have thought about it before, but the cost it would take to bring one fresh corpse to Malaysia is about RM20,000. And that doesn't include the professional that we had to fly in together with the corpse to teach the blinds.
Usually a 45 minutes session of therapeutic reflexology is priced around RM100 - 150. Due to his extra effort to become a master on what he specializes on, he became a favorite among those who comes to the centre. He has now become a regular with the rich and famous for house-calls. With every house-call, he will earn from a minimum RM 300 per session.
To me, not only this will help the blinds to be economically independent, it will now bring their income to a much higher level. Bridging the income levels closer and reducing the number of low-level income people in the society, thus complimenting the nation's aspiration in creating a high-level income nation.
Reflexology, acupuncture, perubatan as-syifa are among therapeutic methods people sought after, when they feel that main-stream medical facilities did not meet their personal satisfaction. In countries such as China, there are growing number of universities for what we call as Traditional Complimentary Medicine (TCM). Combining traditional therapy with modern knowledge of medicine. Celebrating the best of both worlds. And just last month, I learned that in Malaysia, we already have few in-house hospital acupuncturist. And Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences (CUCMS) is looking towards creating a TCM faculty, and they aspire that one day we are able to have in-house hospital as-syifa medical practitioner.
The door to helping the less fortunate is always wide open. The only thing left is for us take our steps towards it. I do hope that one day I will be able to contribute a little time and energy to teach them, what they had to go as far to China to learn. Praying for the best! And hoping that in every minute of reaching that goal is filled with Allah's blessings, in sya Allah!~
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