The aims of treatment for my client, William, were first and foremost relaxation, enabling him to switch off from everyday stresses created by work and his lifestyle. Another main aim of the treatment was to ease the muscular ache in his shoulders, which was the result of the stroke. The antihypertensive and anticoagulant medication prescribed following the stroke reduced William's blood pressure to normal, as this was high preceding the stroke and diagnosed as a main contributing factor. William hoped that reflexology would help to stabilize his blood pressure further, so dependency on the drugs could be reduced (under GP supervision).
Other conditions noted during treatment and through the initial case history information showed that William had a tendency to feel discomfort and increased sensitivity in the gut, therefore alleviating the symptoms of this was also seen as a secondary aim of reflexology. However, this was not the reason that William undertook reflexology, as his primary aim was to alleviate the pain he felt in his shoulders.