By Odette (Odi) Cilliers, AHPCSA-registered Therapeutic Reflexologist · · 8-minute read
In short: Menopause Reflexology is a dedicated treatment that works reflexes on the feet, the hands and the face in one session, with particular attention to the reflexes associated with the endocrine and nervous systems. I offer it at Ensō Therapeutic Wellness in North Riding, Randburg, for women in perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause. No referral is needed. If you are using HRT or working with a doctor, it complements that care rather than replacing it.
The Words We Use
The language English uses for menopause is borrowed mostly from medicine. Ovarian failure. Oestrogen deficiency. Decline. Words that describe a body running out of something.
I prefer a different word for this time of life: the second spring. Not a closing, but a redirection. The energy that went into the monthly cycle for some forty years is now free to return to the woman herself, and many women find a growing sense of what they want and what they no longer have time for.
"Am I Broken?"
So many women are having a really difficult time understanding what their bodies are going through after childbearing age. This is a time of great change, and because of lifestyle and the constant rush, our bodies need more care and love from us. How many of us know what our bodies need during this time, and how we can make the process easier? This is not just a time of biological change, but of emotional and physical changes as well.
Many of my clients are in this phase of their lives, and I see the concern they feel. "Am I broken?" "Am I losing it?" "Why am I so tired or irritable?" "Am I losing my ability to function as a woman, mother and wife?" "I do not understand what is happening to me."
This prompted me to study Menopausal Reflexology, which equipped me with the tools and process to assist my clients through this new part of their life.
What Is Happening in the Body
Three words are often used as if they mean the same thing. They do not.
Perimenopause is the years of change leading up to the final period, when cycles become irregular and symptoms often begin. It can start in the early forties, sometimes sooner. Menopause itself is a single point in time: twelve months after the last period, usually somewhere between 45 and 55. Post-menopause is everything after.
Across these years the ovaries gradually retire. Oestrogen and progesterone ease down, not in a smooth line but in rises and dips, which is part of why the experience can feel so unpredictable from one month to the next.
Oestrogen receptors are found throughout the body: in the brain, the skin, the bones, the blood vessels, the bladder and the joints. That is why the change reaches so far. Sleep, temperature regulation, mood, memory, joint comfort and skin can all be touched by it. This is a whole-body transition, not "just hormones".
And every woman's pattern is her own. Some move through with little disruption. For others these are hard years. Averages describe nobody in particular.
What You Can Do for Yourself
Small, steady habits tend to help more than big changes. These are the things I talk through most often with clients.
Keep a simple diary
For a few weeks, jot down how you slept, any hot flushes, your mood, your energy and your cycle. Patterns often show up: a late meal, a glass of wine, a stressful week. You will also have clear information to share with your doctor or with me.
Keep the bedroom cool
Light cotton bedding, layers you can throw off, a fan and a glass of cold water next to the bed. Give yourself a regular wind-down hour before sleep, with screens off and lights low.
Get to know your triggers
Many women find that alcohol, caffeine, spicy food, hot drinks and stress make hot flushes worse. Not every woman reacts to the same things, which is where the diary helps you find yours.
Move every day
Walking, dancing, gentle strength work and stretching all count. Weight-bearing movement helps protect the bones, which become more vulnerable after menopause, and regular movement supports sleep and mood too.
Eat for steady energy
Regular meals, plenty of vegetables and fruit, and calcium-rich foods every day. If you eat little or no dairy, good plant sources include calcium-set tofu, fortified plant milks, tahini, almonds, broccoli, kale and white beans. A little time in the sun each day helps your body make vitamin D.
Breathe slowly when a flush starts
Slow breathing, in through the nose for a count of four and out for a count of six, gives the nervous system a signal to settle. Many women find it helps them ride out a hot flush, or a racing mind at 3am.
Use your own hands
The solar plexus reflex sits in the centre of the palm. Press it gently with the thumb of your other hand, hold, and breathe slowly for a minute, then swap hands. It is traditionally associated with calm, and you can do it anywhere: in traffic, before a meeting, in bed.
Talk about it
Tell your partner, a friend or your family what you are going through. Feeling unseen is one of the hardest parts of this season, and naming it out loud often makes it lighter.
Know when to see your doctor
See your doctor if you have any bleeding after menopause, very heavy or prolonged bleeding, or symptoms that are affecting your daily life.
A book I often refer to
If you would like to read further, I often refer to Natural Menopause (DK), with consulting editors Dr Anne Henderson, a UK gynaecologist and menopause specialist, and Dr Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, a certified menopause practitioner. It brings nutrition, movement, mindfulness, natural approaches and HRT together in one place, and has a symptom finder at the front to take you straight to what you need.
Your Second Spring: a summary to keep
Everything above on one page, with a week diary on the back to fill in and bring to your next session or doctor's appointment. Pop in your email and I will send it to you.
Thank you. Your summary is ready below, and a copy is on its way to your inbox.
Download the PDFWhere Menopause Reflexology Fits
In Therapeutic Reflexology, I work with reflexes on the feet, the hands or the face that correspond to systems and structures throughout the body. Menopause Reflexology is the one treatment in my practice that works on all three in a single session.
Why all three? The feet carry the fullest reflex map and receive the deepest work. The hands are worked more lightly. The face is traditionally associated with the endocrine reflexes and is worked with a slow, light touch that many women find deeply calming.
The areas that receive particular attention are:
- The endocrine reflexes: pituitary, thyroid, adrenals and ovaries.
- The solar plexus and diaphragm, traditionally associated with a steadier nervous system.
- The Kidney and Heart meridians, traditionally associated with cooling and settling.
The research is still growing. A 2016 randomised trial of 120 women aged 40 to 60 found that those who received foot reflexology reported fewer hot flushes and night sweats than those who received a general foot massage, and both groups reported a better quality of life. One study is not the final word, and every body responds in its own way. What I can offer is a skilled, attentive hour of therapy that works with the body's natural intelligence.
What a Session Feels Like
Unhurried. You stay fully clothed apart from your shoes and socks, and lie back on a warm, supported table. We begin with the feet, move to the hands and finish with the face. The pace is deliberately slow.
At a first visit we start with a conversation about your health, your history and what you are noticing, so the work can be shaped around you. Many women tell me it is the first hour in months where nothing was asked of them. In a season of life that rarely offers one, that matters.
Questions Women Often Ask
Can reflexology help with menopause symptoms?
Menopause is a natural transition, not an illness, and reflexology does not cure it. The research is promising but still early, as the 2016 trial above shows. Many clients describe feeling calmer and more rested after a session. Every body responds in its own way.
Do I need a doctor's referral?
No. Menopause Reflexology can be received on its own. If you are using HRT or working with a doctor, it complements that care rather than replacing it.
Can I have reflexology while on HRT?
Yes. Mention any medication on your intake form so the session can be shaped around you.
Where can I have Menopause Reflexology in Johannesburg?
At Ensō Therapeutic Wellness, 167 Bellairs Drive, North Riding, Randburg, by appointment. It is a short drive from Fourways, Honeydew and Northgate. Hours are Monday to Friday 14:00 to 18:00 and Saturday 08:00 to 13:00.
A Closing Thought
Spring is not a lesser season for coming second. The garden that has been through many winters knows its own ground. It knows what grows well there and what it no longer needs to tend.
If you are in this season, I hope you find someone, and some hours, to honour it with.
Health in Balance.
With warmth, Odi
Sources
- NHS. Menopause: overview and symptoms.
- Gozuyesil E, Baser M. The effect of foot reflexology applied to women aged between 40 and 60 on vasomotor complaints and quality of life. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. 2016;24:78-85. PubMed.
- NHS. Things you can do to help menopause and perimenopause symptoms.
- Henderson A, Dunsmoor-Su R (consulting editors). Natural Menopause. DK, 2021.
This article is shared as a wellness reflection drawing on the reflexology and meridian framework that informs my Therapeutic Reflexology practice. Therapeutic Reflexology is regulated in South Africa by the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA). It does not diagnose or treat medical conditions. It can be received on its own, and if you are working with a doctor, it complements that care rather than replacing it.