Rupert French Reflexology & Movement Therapy

02/07/2025

A lovely testimonial that encapsulates how I look to help people with longstanding muscular/skeletal pain.

'I saw Rupert twice for an issue that had been causing me pain for 9 months. Not only did each session give immediate relief but what I learned about my body in those two visits has kept the pain away since. What is given is much more than reflexology alone and I'd highly recommend Rupert.'

I assess posture to help them understand why they are in pain, reflexology to relieve the symptoms and relax the body, and then simple exercises to correct the postural and biomechanical imbalances.

If you’ve been struggling with niggling issues that don't seem to go away why not get in touch and see If I can help.

16/06/2025

29/04/2025

Can you do reflexology on yourself?

It’s a question I’m often asked…

Whilst in theory you can, in practice – like most manual therapies – it’s pretty difficult to do effectively. Mainly because it’s not that easy to access your own feet but also because we often can’t seem to continue for long enough. We just run out of steam or lose interest before it's had a chance to really help.

However, in times of desperation, we’re much more likely to try and overcome these barriers.

One particular condition that is easier than most to treat yourself is urinary tract infections or UTI’s. This is because all the areas you need to work on are on the inside of the foot, and so easier to access.

If you’ve ever suffered from UTIs you’ll know how debilitating they can be. They're painful, cause you to need the loo frequently and often urgently, and leave you tired and stressed. If left untreated, they can lead to serious complications, like kidney infections.

They are treated conventionally using antibiotics, but reflexology can also be really helpful too, especially when used preventatively.

Those who suffer from them regularly will get a sense when one is on it’s way, and it is then you need to act to have the best chance of stopping it.

Back in lockdown, I did a few self-help videos on youtube. At the time the respiratory and immune system treatment was the most popular, but the UTI treatment plan has proved to be the most watched over time, with over 12K views ( a lot for me!), and I've included the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrnKnbN8W6g

Please forward to anyone you know who suffers from UTIs and please let me know how you get on.

Hopefully it will help a few of you :)

PS this doesn’t constitute medical advice, always consult with a doctor first.

25/04/2025

Reflexology maps/charts:

A slightly controversial issue, especially to those looking to cast doubt on reflexology.

How come there so many different charts when there is only one set of acupuncture points for example?

Bodies come in all shapes and sizes and the feet too, and of course not always proportionately, so it really is impossible to have one definitive chart.

My walls are adorned with different charts, they look great and are very useful when pointing things out to clients. They also all have their uses depending on who or what I am working with.

Whilst a lot of the little details are different, they all agree on some key aspects. Right foot relates to the right side, left foot to the left. Rear foot to the pelvis, midfoot to the ribcage, and toes to the skull with the spine running down the inside of both feet.

And I think that is sufficient for most of us reflexologists, and for most treatments unless we are trying to get to the root of some really complex issues.

When that is the case, I often refer to charts, which are super detailed and specific. I find them especially helpful when treating anything to do with the head - eyes, ears, jaw, brain etc, and also anything muscular around the pelvis.

Visually I love ’s charts. Again super details, but more because of the way I work, viewing the feet as a representation of the skeleton, tight areas of the feet correlating to areas of the body that are either under tension or compression. (posture and how the skeleton moves a key factor in a lot of health issues). Freeing up the feet, frees up the skeleton and with that comes better blood and lymph flow and nerve supply, which can only have a beneficial effect..

But as I said this is just the way I work – curious to know how everyone else works and what charts they like to refer to…..

Also have I missed anything....

23/04/2025

So who is reflexology for and what type of people come and see me?

Well, pretty much anybody and everybody! (of course there are some key exceptions)

I’ve treated babies as young as a month (colic and constipation - amazing how quickly that can work!) to helping ensure peoples last few days are as pain free and peaceful as possible.

What people come and see me for has changed a bit over the years, as my skillset and focus has changed.

I used to see quite a few for fertility issues, helped a lot of clients through the wonderful, yet often uncomfortable, journey of pregnancy, and had many a desperate call from people hoping to kickstart their labour – if only they’d starting coming a few weeks before 😊

I also spent 9 rewarding years treating pupils and staff at the wonderful .

In recent years almost all my clients come for either, muscular/skeletal issues- foot, back, neck, hip, you name it, pain - all sorts, and of course STRESS, which if you break it down, is at the root of almost everything, and is why reflexology can be such an effective treatment – calming the body down, so it has a chance of doing it’s job.

I’d say 70% of my clients are women – no surprise there. A lot of men still like to bury their head in the sand, or not admit to weakness, but that being said, over half my clients in the last week have been men, so maybe things are changing…

You can find out more at www.rf-reflexology.co.uk or feel free to drop me a message.

19/04/2025

So what exactly is reflexology…

My definition:

A specialist treatment on the feet (or hands or face – but I focus on the feet) using a variety of specific thumb finger and hand techniques. The theory behind being, that the feet are a micro-system of the body and by applying pressure to specific parts of the feet you can affect the corresponding part of the body.

On one level it doesn’t say much, but on another it says a huge amount, and one that a lot of people struggle with.

The idea that having your feet can worked on can release your neck or help you breath more easily, for example.

Due to the limited high-quality research, we're very much hamstrung by what we can say, however there are many small studies that show the efficacy of reflexology in different ways which I’ll highlight in future posts.

There is also an increasing realization that the whole body is connected, and so the idea that the feet can affect the body is not so far-fetched.

In the meantime, what is beyond any doubt, is that reflexology has a deeply relaxing effect on the whole body, and you'll be surprised by how many types of aches/pain/ills can be eased by this.

So if you’re struggling with aches/pain/fatigue that nothing has helped to date, then I highly recommend you give it a try 🦶

Image above is from my 1st business card, designed by my old friend Mudd (a steal at £20) before he moved full time into music releasing his own tracks and starting the excellent label.

I always thought there was something funny about this picture, but could never quite put my finger on it…😊

11/11/2024

Great to get a mention in this interview by Francesca. It's been a real privilege to work with her over the years. She's such an amazingly talented dancer and a lovely person too.
When she got in touch with me about 7 years ago, she was having to dance through excruciating foot cramps and was basically told that nothing could be done about it.
Thankfully we proved them all wrong :)

The principal dancer of The Royal Ballet twirls for Tim Tams, Tchaikovsky and taxis