After receiving any sort of bodywork therapy, your clients may experience a ?healing crisis?, also known as the Herxheimer Reaction, which occurs when the body is going through a period of rapid detoxification. Your clients may not even be aware of why it?s happening, but knowing how to recognize the symptoms of a healing crisis will help better prepare you for its occurrence, making you more able to guide your client through it more easily. After a massage session, your client?s body is working feverishly to rid itself of toxins. However, their body may not be able to eliminate these substances quickly enough, causing the healing crisis to occur. Although it may sound like a negative experience, a healing crisis is actually quite healthy for the body. The most common healing crisis can take the form of an emotional release, when your client suddenly begins to experience severe feelings or emotions.
Many times, people go through life showing little emotion, because they?ve learned to suppress their feelings. By doing so, these emotions are then stored within the body, waiting to be released. A healing crisis provides the perfect opportunity to do so. Some clients may cry, while others may experience anger. Just know that this is a natural process that must happen to cleanse the body, and will pass once the toxins have been removed. A healing crisis may occur quickly and without warning, so being prepared for it will help you and your clients deal with the experience. To help clients who may experience this reaction, keep them hydrated before and after a session and recommend adequate sleep, as their body will likely be fatigued after this process. Remember that a healing crisis is normal and healthy, as it not only signifies the release of the body?s toxic substances, but also the release of the suppressed emotions deep within your client. Learn more about the emotional reaction known as a ?healing crisis? and how you and your clients can prepare yourselves by reading this entire article here.
