Catalonia - Regulation of Natural Therapies July 2014 Regulación de las Terapias Naturales Julio 2014

After many years of hard work, yesterday July 3, 2014 a new milestone was marked in the field of natural therapies. A resolution in the Parliament of Catalonia, for the regulation of approved "the conditions for the exercise of the natural therapies performed by non-health professionals and non health centers" and "move to the competent authorities performing a given for the accreditation of training and no medical skills of professional practice of Natural Therapies. "

The proposal made by CiU and ERC in Catalonia, obtained the support of other political parties, getting 17 votes in favor and three abstentions which believe interesting to extend this regulation, creating multidisciplinary teams in public hospitals, among other proposals.

This initiative will clarify the current situation of controversy among health professionals and non-health professional natural therapists. At the same time the uncertainty of the end users, such as he showed us the 2008 study, Monitoring of natural therapies, "one of four Spaniards have used natural therapies" and "satisfaction has been outstanding" will be eradicated .

Finally, with words Badrena Alex, CEO of Ismet and promoter of creation of the proposed regulation with APTN-Cofenat, "this giant step will allow current and future therapists work safely, new students have criteria for the choice of training and end users to trust the quality of natural therapists "

From left to right, Alex Badrena director Ismet, Silvia Aguilera and Miguel López Ismet teachers and therapists, San-Antonio Roberto, president of APTN-Cofenat. 

- See more at: http://ismet.es/blog/2014/07/04/regulacion-de-las-terapias-naturales/#sthash.oDYIulJ0.dpuf

Después de muchos años de arduo trabajo, ayer 3 de julio 2014 se marcó un nuevo hito en el sector de las terapias naturales. Se aprobó una propuesta de resolución, en el Parlamento de Cataluña, para la regulación de “las condiciones para el ejercicio de las Terapias Naturales ejercidas por profesionales no sanitarios y en centros no sanitarios” y a “trasladar a las instancias competentes la realización de una propuesta para la acreditación de la formación y las competencias no sanitarias del ejercicio profesional de las Terapias Naturales”.

La propuesta planteada por Convergència i Unió y Esquerra de Catalunya, obtuvo el apoyo del resto de partidos políticos, consiguiendo 17 votos a favor y tres abstenciones las cuales creen interesante ampliar dicha regulación, creando equipos multidisciplinares en hospitales públicos, entre otras proposiciones.

Esta iniciativa aclarará la situación de controversia actual entre profesionales sanitarios y profesionales terapeutas naturales no sanitarios. Al mismo tiempo se erradicará la inseguridad de los usuarios finales, que tal como nos mostró el estudio realizado en 2008, Observatorio de las terapias naturales, “uno de cuatro españoles ha utilizado las terapias naturales” y “el grado de satisfacción ha sido sobresaliente”.

Finalmente y con palabras de Àlex Badrena, director general de ISMET y promotor de la creación de la propuesta de regulación junto a APTN-Cofenat, “este paso agigantado permitirá a los actuales y futuros terapeutas trabajar con total seguridad, a los nuevos estudiantes disponer de unos criterios para la elección de su formación y a los usuarios finales a confiar en la calidad de los terapeutas naturales”

- See more at: http://ismet.es/blog/2014/07/04/regulacion-de-las-terapias-naturales/#sthash.fThIACb8.dpuf

Can you diagnose with Reflexology?

Many question what is the benefit of being a member of an association, the benefit of being a RiEN member?

Today we will prove to you that there exists the benefit of acquireing knowledge. 

Knowledge is out there, it is being networked, the "other" question today is "Are you taking advantage of it?".

If you are not RiEN (a member through your national association), then what are you?

Now back to our question. 

This question has been asked many many times in the past, and it will definetely be asked over and over again in the future.

We as the RiEN, would like to add to the exisitng available information two interesting 

examples of scientists and physicians requesting this "Reflexology Diagnosis".

The first one was presented by Leila Eriksen (RiEN research group) during our RiEN

AGM in 2008 (Paris May 10th). She spoke to us about the  "Exceptional case history

registry" by NIFAB and NAFKAM and here.

Nifab.no is NAFKAMs (Norway’s National Research Center in Complementary and Alternative Medicine) website for providing the Norwegian population with evidence-based information about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

On page 12 of the documents Leila provided us, you can read

The Reflexologists record should contain:

(3rd bullet) Description/evaluation of the client and the clients disease/problems (a reflexological diagnose)

For more information on this, please contact Leila here

http://www.leilaeriksen.dk/da-DK/Velkommen/Engelsk-tekst.aspx

Secondly, having personally attended The First International Symposium on Reflexology and Cancer (ISRAC 2008) Israel Oct. 29th to Oct. 31st 2008.  we remember very well one of the exceptional presentations by Dr. Bibiana Carrasco Domínguez.

You can read her presentation titled Treating Children and Adolescents With Cancer in the Hospital Environment here.

Dr. Carrasco towards the end of her presentation said, "We inform the physicians and nurses of annything important we find (in the feet during their reflexology application). In some cases we found pain on a reflex where there was no correspondance to body pain or site of tumor. Upon describing these finbding to the physicians they explained to us that this "area" is where they suspect metatstasis. In other cases a decrease of felt pain in the reflex zone of the liver coincided with an improvement of Liver enzyme tests. With time, the physicians listen with an increasing interest to the information we provide them with."

It is not our intention to answer this question, rather it is to stimulate research into this question.

We hope we have helped.

As a side note.

It is against the law around the world and against Reflexology Associations constitutions for a Reflexologist to proceed to an action of diagnosis. 

For those who flert with idea, bare in mind that if ever it was proven possible for this to happen, Reflexology would then be considered medicine and our legal status would change. Not necessarily to the better.

Carefull what you wish for, it might happen!

 

Other examples trying to answer this question:

One example of trying to answer this question we can find in 1996, here by William T. Jarvis, Ph.D.

Later on in 2003, was published an interesting article examining again this potential of Reflexology found here.

Correlation study between conventional medical diagnosis and the diagnosis by reflexology (non conventional)

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Reflexology is a non-conventional method for diagnosis and treatment of physical and medical problems by touching or applying pressure on certain areas on the foot surface. The reflexology method is based on the presumption that all body organs and various systems are represented on the foot surface.

AIM:

The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the reflexological diagnosis method.

METHODS:

Eighty patients from various clinics and departments in the Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, Hadera, were examined twice by two different reflexologists. The diagnostics that resulted from these examinations were compared with the conventional medical diagnostics of the same patients. In addition, the level of correlation between the two reflexological examinations was tested.

RESULTS:

Out of 18 body systems in 6 a statistically significant correlation was found between the conventional medical diagnosis and the two reflexological examinations. In 4 body systems, there was a statistically significant correlation between the conventional medical diagnosis and one out of the two reflexological examinations. The systems in which correlation was found are characterized by having a defined anatomic region. The examination of the significance of the diagnoses regarding the components of the body systems resulted in statistical significance in only 4 out of the 32 components. Between the two reflexological examinations, a statistically significant correlation was found in 14 out of the 18 body systems, and in only 15 out of the 32 system components.

CONCLUSION:

The reflexology method has the ability to diagnose (reliable and valid) at a systematic level only, and this is applicable only to those body systems that represent organs and regions with an exact anatomic location.

PMID:

14518162 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Written By Spiros Dimitrakoulas Reflexologist RiEN Board

2014 European elections - A call for action.

Dear Reflexologists across Europe,

Heinrike Bergmans

Please help us to inform electable MEP’s about the good work we do and the support we need from them.

RiEN is a Pan-European organization, uniting 34 Reflexology associations from 18 EU countries, representing thousands of Reflexologists and 21 schools from 14 countries at present. 

Reflexology is a Complementary and Alternative Medicine modality (CAM) widespread across Europe.

RiEN is a member of the European Federation for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (EFCAM) headed by its President, Mr Seamus Connolly.

Across the EU at least 25% of citizens use CAM and there are some 500,000 practitioners in all. 360,000 of them are trained in specific therapies rather than as medical practitioners. CAM therapies include:  aromatherapy, kinesiology, naturopathy, reflexology, shiatsu and yoga.

Belgium has this month legislated to stop existing classical homeopaths from practising. In so doing the right to practice of all therapy trained practitioners of all CAM practices across the EU (360,000) have been put at risk. 

Appropriate European regulation is now urgently needed to assure the right to practice of all appropriately trained practitioners of all CAM practices and to assure equity of access to CAM to citizens.

By way of general information, CAM is part of a global system of traditional and indigenous health practices adapted across cultures and continents. Its primary focus is health not disease, e.g. health maintenance and promotion as well as illness prevention rather than pathology and treatment.  Its most consistently sought applications are for wellbeing, health maintenance, prevention and a more personally sustainable and cost effective management of chronic illness.

CAM supports the key elements that contribute to good health including diet, exercise, health education and health literacy, healthy lifestyle practices, holistic treatment for illness - (the capacity of the individual to know and implement healthy life practices within their own unique cultural context).

In keeping with our colleagues in several EU States and on behalf of RiEN's membership, I would like to ask you, to contact your national MEP’s and ask their support, if elected, to work for equitable access to CAM by citizens in all member States, and, for a Europe-wide system of recognition and regulation of both the CAM therapies themselves and the practitioners. 

If the MEP’s are agreeable, RiEN by means of the local Reflexology organizations [and the EFCAM President, Mr Connolly] would be pleased to meet with them to outline the current situation with regard to the provision of CAM  therapies  and indicate how we could assist them on an ongoing basis in being able to speak about CAM in the European Parliament and its institutions.

In this regard please find attached the position of EFCAM in relation to CAM in Europe.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Heinrike Bergmans

Representative EFCAM for RiEN

E: efcam.rien@gmail.com

P: +32 11 815 705

Reflexology in Europe Network at the Brussels offices of the European Parliament

Did you know?

That Reflexology through RiEN was represented and presented at the conference and exhibition on the theme of 

‘Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Innovation and Added Value for European Healthcare’

that took place

at the Brussels offices of the European Parliament on Tuesday 8th - 10th October 2012.

The conference was organised by the European stakeholder group for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (EUROCAM), with a support from EPHA and kindly co - hosted by MEP's Elena Oana Antonescu (EPP, Romania), Sirpa Pietikäinen (EPP, Finland) and Alojz Peterle (EPP, Slovenia).

You can read about the conference here:
http://epha.org/a/5387

and what our Chair Louise Vaughan-Arbuckle (pictured in the midlle) shared with everyone in the RiEN newletter here:
http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=296870962d9323fb7128f8891&id=38f78e8412&e=6eeca1830e

Zone Therapy or Relieving Pain At Home

Dr. William Fitzgeralds book "Zone Therapy" copyright free!
Click here and upload as a pdf.
https://archive.org/details/zonetherapyorrel00fitziala

A Guide in Securing the Quality of Research Projects for Alternative Therapists

Prepared by the Danish Reflexologists Association’s (FDZ) 

Research Committee
Lone Mørch and Leila Eriksen

The Council Concerning Alternative Treatment
The National Board of Health
Denmark
1997

Excerpt:
Placebo control (page 9): It is considered extremely difficult, not to say impossible, to carry out placebo controlled experiments with alternative treatment methods. The reason being, that the treatment systems are based on theories in which it is believed to be impossible to give the placebo clients a real "ineffective" treatment, that is a "fake" treatment. Furthermore, the therapist will always know which clients are treated "right" and which are treated "wrong", thus blurring the picture of the treatments effectiveness and influencing the result.

May be found from The Danish National Board of Health.

http://sundhedsstyrelsen.dk/publ/publ1997/guide-researchprojects.pdf

The EDiREFLEX (Spain) reflexology map.

From our RiEN member the Edireflex Associació 

https://www.facebook.com/edireflex.associacio

Después de un año y medio de reuniones para consensuar la localización de puntos reflexológicos os presentamos el mapa reflexológico de EDiREFLEX. Agradecemos a nuestro grupo de trrabajo: Maria P Sierra, Simone Harbich, Mercè Arqué, Tresa Serrahima, Txaro de Juana y Aliki Vythoulka (de diferentes escuelas de Reflexología) y todos los que asistierón a la mesa redonda de enero en EDiREFLEX para hacer posible nuestra ilusión de tener nuestro propio mapa.

Mapa EDiREFLEX
Precio: 8 euros
After a year and a half of meetings to agree on the location of points reflexology we present EDiREFLEX reflexology map. Thank you to our group of workplace: Mary P Sierra, Simone Harbich, Mercè Arque, Tresa Serrahima, Txaro of Juana and Aliki Vythoulka (from different schools of reflexology) and everyone who attended the round table of January in EDiREFLEX to make possible our dream to have our own map.

Map EDiREFLEX price: 8 euros