Rodrigues Relaxation

09/06/2026

Did you know I’m a Wellhub partner? If you’re a Wellhub member on the Diamond+ package, you can book and enjoy two 30-minute massage treatments each month as part of your membership. Get in touch to book your session!

Wellhub, formerly Gympass, offers a single subscription connecting employees to fitness, mindfulness, nutrition, sleep resources, and more. Explore how it works and how to bring wellness to your workplace.

03/06/2026

🌴 I'm back from holiday and feeling refreshed, recharged, and ready to get back to doing what I love! 💆‍♀️✨

I'm really looking forward to my clinic on Thursday, especially as I'll be welcoming 5 new clients alongside my regulars. Thank you to everyone who continues to support my massage business – it means so much.

If you've been thinking about booking a treatment, I'd love to help you relax, ease those aches and pains, and feel your best.

See you on Thursday! 😊

28/05/2026

28/05/2026

Reflexology can be a deeply supportive complementary therapy for people navigating addictions, eating disorders, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm.

When the nervous system is under constant stress, the body can remain in a prolonged state of fight, flight, or freeze. Reflexology offers a calming, grounding space where the body can begin to relax, regulate, and reconnect.

Many people struggling with addictive behaviours or disordered eating experience high levels of stress, emotional dysregulation, poor sleep, digestive issues, and disconnection from their bodies. Through therapeutic touch and relaxation, reflexology may help support emotional wellbeing, improve sleep quality, reduce tension, and encourage a greater sense of balance and self-awareness.

Research is continuing to grow in this area. A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis found that reflexology significantly improved anxiety, depression, and sleep quality in adults, suggesting it may help support nervous system regulation and emotional wellbeing alongside conventional care.

While reflexology is not a replacement for medical or psychological treatment, it can be a valuable holistic support alongside professional care, helping clients feel nurtured, safe, and supported in their healing journey.

Read the study here: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7512096/

Every person deserves compassionate care and a space where healing can begin gently, one step at a time.

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28/05/2026

Endometriosis & Reflexology: A Holistic Approach to Relief 🌿

Endometriosis is when uterine-like tissue grows outside the uterus, causing pelvic pain, inflammation, heavy or irregular bleeding, fatigue, emotional stress, and sometimes fertility challenges. There’s no cure yet, but many treatments and lifestyle supports can shift how you feel, and improve day-to-day life.

Reflexology is a gentle, non-invasive therapy using pressure on specific zones (feet, hands, ears) which are thought to correspond to organs (for example, uterus, ovaries, pelvis). While reflexology is not a replacement for medical care, there is growing interest in its ability to help with:
• Reducing pain (especially menstrual pain) and discomfort associated with endometriosis.
• Easing inflammation by improving circulation and helping the body’s natural healing responses.
• Encouraging the release of endorphins (which help with pain relief and mood).
• Supporting hormonal balance and menstrual cycle regulation in some people (though evidence is more limited here).
• Lowering stress, improving relaxation, and enhancing emotional wellbeing.

If you’re thinking about adding reflexology:
✔️Talk with your doctor or specialist to see if it fits safely into your care plan.
✔️ Find a qualified practitioner with experience in women’s / reproductive health.
✔️Be consistent. Benefits may build over several sessions.
✔️Use reflexology alongside good self-care: rest, stress management, maybe mindfulness, healthy nutrition, gentle movement.

Endometriosis affects each person differently. What works for one may not for another, but a holistic approach that includes medical care, physical supports, emotional wellbeing, and gentle complementary therapies like reflexology can help build greater comfort and better quality of life. You’re not alone in this. 💜

26/05/2026

Hope you’re all enjoying the sunshine ☀️

Just a little update — the clinic is now closed until 4th June while I’m away.
Thank you for your patience and enjoy the lovely weather 💛

21/05/2026

🌿 The History of Lymphatic Drainage
“How Ancient Observation Became Modern Lymphatic Therapy”

The lymphatic system is one of the most fascinating and misunderstood systems in the human body. Long before modern medicine understood immunity, inflammation or fluid balance, ancient healers observed swelling, stagnation and the body’s need for movement and drainage.

Today, lymphatic drainage therapy is used worldwide to support:
🌿 Lymphoedema
🌿 Post-surgical recovery
🌿 Inflammation
🌿 Cancer rehabilitation
🌿 Fluid retention
🌿 Immune support
🌿 Chronic swelling conditions

But where did it all begin?

Let’s walk through the beautiful timeline of lymphatic drainage history 🌿

🏺 Ancient Civilizations (3000 BCE – 400 BCE)

Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Ayurvedic healers observed that swelling and fluid accumulation often appeared during illness.

Although they did not yet understand the lymphatic system anatomically, treatments involving:
✔️ Massage
✔️ Herbal compresses
✔️ Hydrotherapy
✔️ Movement
✔️ Skin stimulation

were already being used to support circulation and fluid movement.

Hippocrates (460–370 BCE), often called the “Father of Medicine,” described “white blood” and fluid channels in the body which many historians believe may have referred to early observations of lymphatic fluid.

🔬 1600s — The Discovery of the Lymphatic System

The true anatomical discovery of the lymphatic system began during the Renaissance period.

🌿 1622 — Gaspare Aselli
Italian physician Gaspare Aselli discovered lymphatic vessels in dogs during dissection. He described them as “milky veins” because of their appearance after digestion.

This became one of the first recorded discoveries of lymphatic vessels in medical history.

🌿 1651 — Jean Pecquet
French anatomist Jean Pecquet discovered the cisterna chyli and thoracic duct — major structures responsible for transporting lymph and fats back into the bloodstream.

🌿 1653 — Olaus Rudbeck & Thomas Bartholin
These scientists independently mapped much of the human lymphatic system and helped establish lymphatics as a separate circulatory network.

This changed medicine forever.

🩺 1800s — Understanding Disease & Swelling

During the 19th century, physicians began linking lymphatic dysfunction to:
✔️ Infection
✔️ Inflammation
✔️ Swelling
✔️ Surgical trauma
✔️ Immune disease

Scientists slowly realized the lymphatic system played a major role in immune defense and tissue fluid balance.

However, treatment options remained extremely limited.

🌿 1930s — The Birth of Modern Manual Lymph Drainage

Modern Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD) was developed by:

🌿 Dr Emil Vodder
and his wife
🌿 Estrid Vodder

While working on the French Riviera in the 1930s, the Vodders treated patients suffering from chronic sinus infections and swollen lymph nodes.

Dr Vodder noticed many patients had enlarged cervical lymph nodes and poor drainage patterns.

At the time, touching lymph nodes was considered dangerous by many physicians.

Despite this, Vodder developed a very gentle rhythmic skin-stretching technique designed to stimulate lymphatic flow without damaging tissues.

The results were remarkable.

Patients reported:
✔️ Reduced swelling
✔️ Better sinus drainage
✔️ Improved immune symptoms
✔️ Less congestion
✔️ Improved recovery

In 1936, Dr Vodder officially presented Manual Lymph Drainage in Paris.

This became the foundation of modern lymphatic therapy.

🏥 1950s–1980s — Medical Expansion

Over the following decades, lymphatic drainage therapy expanded into:
🌿 Europe
🌿 Germany
🌿 Austria
🌿 Scandinavia
🌿 Cancer rehabilitation medicine

Research increasingly showed that the lymphatic system was essential for:
✔️ Immune transport
✔️ Fluid balance
✔️ Protein removal
✔️ Waste clearance
✔️ Inflammation regulation

MLD became especially important after cancer surgeries involving lymph node removal.

This led to the development of:
🌿 Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT/CDP)
which includes:
✔️ Manual Lymph Drainage
✔️ Compression therapy
✔️ Skin care
✔️ Exercise
✔️ Bandaging

Today CDT remains the gold standard treatment for lymphoedema worldwide.

🧠 2000s — The Science Explosion

Modern imaging and research transformed our understanding of the lymphatic system.

Scientists discovered connections between the lymphatic system and:
🌿 The brain (glymphatic system)
🌿 Fascia
🌿 Autoimmune disease
🌿 Chronic inflammation
🌿 Gut health
🌿 Neuroinflammation
🌿 Immune signaling
🌿 Chronic illness recovery

In 2015, researchers confirmed functional lymphatic vessels within the meninges surrounding the brain — revolutionizing neuroscience and immune research.

The lymphatic system was no longer viewed as “secondary.”
It became recognized as central to whole-body health.

🌍 Today — A Global Healing Modality

Today lymphatic drainage is practiced worldwide by specially trained therapists including:
🌿 Certified Lymphoedema Therapists
🌿 Physical therapists
🌿 Occupational therapists
🌿 Massage therapists with advanced lymphatic training
🌿 Oncology rehabilitation specialists

Modern lymphatic therapy now supports:
✔️ Post-operative recovery
✔️ Lipedema & lymphoedema
✔️ Cancer rehabilitation
✔️ Sports recovery
✔️ Chronic inflammation
✔️ Scar tissue work
✔️ Nervous system regulation
✔️ Immune health support

But one thing remains unchanged from the very beginning:

The body heals best when flow is restored 🌿

📚 Scientific References

📖 Aselli G. De Lactibus sive Lacteis Venis (1627)

📖 Foldi M, Foldi E. Textbook of Lymphology.

📖 Vodder E. Manual Lymph Drainage historical publications.

📖 Louveau A et al. Structural and functional features of central nervous system lymphatic vessels. Nature. 2015.

📖 International Society of Lymphology Consensus Documents.

📖 Rockson SG. Lymphedema. American Journal of Medicine.

21/05/2026

Your body often whispers before it asks for rest.

Reflexology offers a gentle space to slow down, reconnect and support your wellbeing naturally.

• Deep relaxation
• Better sleep
• Nervous system support
• Relief from stress and tension
• A sense of balance and calm

Have you experienced reflexology before?

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21/05/2026

When you are struggling to get pregnant, it can be easy to assume you are alone in your difficulties.

Sadly, this is not the case. It is estimated that 1 in 6 couples need support.

Of those couples, the difficulties are experienced by 1/3rd men, 1/3rd female, and 1/3rd joint. This means that couples have equal responsibility in taking care of their fertility health and well-being.

Many couples turn to complementary therapies to support their path to pregnancy, often alongside varying forms of assisted conception such as Clomid, IUI, IVF, and ICSI.

In a study* that we (The Association of Reproductive Reflexologists) carried out, 68% of couples conceived whilst receiving treatment with our therapists over an average of 11.32 sessions.

Members of the Association of Reproductive Reflexologists (MARR) are specially trained in Reproflexology™, using structured and prescriptive treatment protocols. It's a global membership, too, meaning you will be able to find a local therapist.

If you are struggling to get pregnant, you are not alone. Visit our website to find one of our reproductive reflexologists near you.

*The study was conducted with 180 couples, and the results are available to view on our website.