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68 ^ UNDERSTANDING HEADACHES AND M I G RAI N ES the areas of the foot that correspond to the areas of the body. There are said to be pathways connecting the foot to the rest of the body, and toxic Chemicals can build up in the feet which are harmful to health and show that there is a malfunction elsewhere. Massage of the appropriate areas can break down the crystals (it is claimed), leading to better health. Of course, this may or may not have some truth in it. It largely does not matter. No doctor would argue that a footmassageisnotgoodfor you, and will help to relieve stress andthereforepain. Indeed some people who are very sceptical about complementary medicine pay for reflexology because they hnd it a pleasant and relaxing experience. That alone can be enough. Again, ‘emergency’ reflexology can avert a headache, and it is possible to massage one’s own feet or have a friend or partner do it. While you may lack the skills of someone who has done this thousands of times, you may have some effect, and will not do any harm. It is unlikely to make a headache worse. Even if you are at work, it may be possible to massage your feet, depending upon your type of work or when you can take a break.

Psychological approaches

Psychologists can contribute in a number of ways to the health of those people who experience headaches. Put simply, one of the main inputs of psychology into headache andmigraineiswhereapatienthasnotbeen helpedbypainkillers and the usual medical techniąues. Sometimes the only way for a person to deal with pain is psychologically. By helping a person to reassess his or her pain, psychologists can alterthe way the pain is experienced. Pain, naturally, creates worry, and worry leads to an enhanced perception of pain. Thus a vicious cycle is established, which a psychologist can help a person to break.

Pain redefinition

One of the ways in which psychologists help with pain involves something called ‘pain redefinition’. Put simply, itinvolves the client developing a different attitude towards the pain. Some people have particularly Iow pain tolerances and will react very badly to the slightest cut or bump. Such people are the most likely to beneht, in theory, from pain redefinition. By working with a psychologist, they can learn to have less extreme reaction to pain, and, perhaps morę crucially, to have morę measured andcalm thoughts about pain. Instead of panicking, they learn to take pain in their stride and accept it as a part of their life.