In the last decade, we have witnessed a 50 percent increase in the number of asthma patients.
We encounter a large number of children who are already ill patients at infancy, or during the first years of life.
In this article, we present a holistic treatment for light asthma. We also list a large number of ways you can, as parents, help cure your child who suffers from asthma, both through preventive activities and during an asthma attack.
The importance of receiving the reflexology treatment at that time is reinforced by the fact that we are now in a time of changing seasons, a period that increases the susceptibility of suffering from asthma and / or allergies.
Asthma, also called “bronchial asthma” or “spastic bronchitis” is a state of hypersensitivity of the bronchi. Bronchial hypersensitivity is manifested in three processes:
A. Bronchial wall muscle contraction. Muscle contractions reduce the bronchial diameter, so you take in a lower volume of air.
B. Increased mucus secretion into the bronchial space, which makes it difficult to breathe.
C. Edema of the bronchial wall is filling with fluid and thicker, causing difficulty in the process of introducing air and receiving air.
The primary causes of an asthma attack are:
A. About 35 percent of cases of asthma are caused by allergies to various substances, called allergens. Inhaling allergens causes the immune system to secrete a substance called histamine. This is the material that causes hypersensitivity reactions. Common allergens are dust mites, powder plants, fungus, and leaf mold.
B. Stress and anxiety cause the body to secrete substances usually excreted when an allergen causes seizures. These materials cause weakness, fatigue and erosion of the body’s immune system. There is a strong direct relationship between the patient’s mental condition and the frequency of asthma attacks.
C. Physical effort – mainly because of exposure to cold, dry air into the lungs.
D. Respiratory tract infections – due to an virus or bacteria bronchi. This is a particularly important mechanism for asthma in children.
E. Drugs such as aspirin, Nurofen and more.
F. Industrial dust and air pollution.
Asthma attacks can appear at any time; their frequency and severity varies from patient to patient. The main clinical phenomenon during an attack is shortness of breath, a feeling of lack of air and difficulty breathing. Most patients have problems getting air, which causes swelling of the lungs by trapping air inside them. In many patients, you can hear a wheezy “beep” sound that accompanies the breathing and coughing.
Conventional treatment is by inhalers with drugs such as Ventolin, a material that extends the respiratory muscles by relaxing muscles in bronchi. These drugs reduce the symptoms of respiratory infection, and reduce swelling and discharge.
When we want to harness the reflexology treatment to help asthma sufferers, look at the beginning of asthma through the eyes of holistic reflexology. We can see that the effects of the illness are divided into three layers or aspects –
Reflexology is a foot theory based on an accurate reflection of all our body systems in the foot. By clicking, massage and other techniques which affect the foot, we can affect systems and various organs in our bodies. Reflexology can help heal the body, relax the body, clean and stimulate blood circulation, maintain health, and provide preventive care, among other things, by changing the posture and thoracotomy.
1. The physical aspect – asthma is usually accompanied by weakness of the immune system and overall fatigue of the body due to the prolonged lit situation. Muscles of the chest, shoulders, quantity and intercostal muscles become tense, stiff, and painful, leading to closure of the chest. The area that represents the chest and lungs is the area from the tips of the toes to the end of the bridge of the foot. Usually, during the attack, the foot pad area will be apple red, and hot (surplus energy, inflammation). But when you attack the place to be absorbed, the earnings will go away (loss of energy and fatigue of the respiratory system). Yes, usually the skin pillows will be difficult and dry, and the accumulation of skin sometimes blocks it. The skin can even change color to yellow / brown / gray.
2. Aspect of mental / emotional – The foot is divided into four elements: air, fire, water, earth. The cushion area is the chest area, as mentioned above, which is the fire element in the foot. This is the emotional center which is in the heart. The thoracic area is like our personal living space in the universe, like our House. Our perception of ourselves, C’ahovim, or ‘as lovers’, our self-love and the space we give ourselves in the world, have broad significance. When we reduce our living space, when we are deprived of love, when we do not feel loved enough, or overturned cases of “choking with love”, it will be reflected, in most cases, by closing the chest, stiffening muscles, and reducing lung capacity, which increases your chances of having allergies, asthma, and shortness of breath. Add this reference for allergies ABOVE understanding that who suffers from allergies actually defines various elements and enemies in the foreign environment (trees, pollen, dust). Usually that person is overly emotional, existential, feels less confident, less protected, and is more embattled with the environment. The vast majority of cases can be identified easily, through the foot. You can tell who is asthmatic and who has other respiratory problems, by the traces in their foot pads.
3. The spiritual aspect – In the chest is the heart chakra. In fact, it is difficult to capture dimension. It is difficult to demonstrate love. Is there love? How do you love? What is love? Love is a feeling that makes your body expand, makes your breathing better, fills you with sailing pleasure and happiness, and opens the chest. Conversely, feelings of alienation, anger, frustration, lack of love, and insecurity will make the chest contract closed. The heart chakra is related to our environment, our family, our relationship with our parents, and with children. A crisis of separation and abandonment is the most common cause of energy blockage in the heart chakra.
Many times, we come across children who develop asthma at a very young age. In many cases, there is overlap between the onset of disease and emotional experiences that are”difficult” for the child, such as weaning from breastfeeding, mumps, working in a new educational framework ,and the like. In our era, many mothers are forced back to work after a few months after birth, and work long hours. This often causes emotional deprivation, and a lack of love for the child.
The early years of the child are the most significant years in shaping the child’s personality, his sense of love, establishing a sense of existential security, and his confidence.
Therefore, before any other recommendation, the basic, primary recommendation is to give the child some more love, attention, warmth and touch.
Before I will detail and explain how you can, as parents, help your child who suffers from asthma with Reflexology, while you are earning some quality time of tremendous value to your child, touch, warmth and love, it should be noted that the reflexology treatment is suitable for all ages from a day-old child. The time of the treatment increases as age rises. For example, a newborn baby only needs a 2-3 minute Reflexology treatment, a child of three needs 5-10 minutes, and so on. Of course, because every child is different, you will have children that will have more patience and devote themselves more to the treatment, and others who lose patience after a few minutes. Be attentive to the child, as long as you can.
1. Try the treatment in a relaxed, pleasant atmosphere. You can put on quiet background music, light a torch in the room, and scent it with a drop or two of eucalyptus oil mixed with water. You can use almond oil with 2-3 drops of lavender. (Of course you can do that with any other oil found in the house, even olive oil, or with any other cream suitable for children).
2. Gently massage the entire foot on all sides several times.
3. Now, focus on massaging the cushions of the foot area, the region from the end of the tips of the toes to the foot bridge. This area of the foot represents the chest and lungs. You can massage the area in every direction. If the region is swollen and red, massage it in slow motion. If the region is pale and stiff, movements can massage and stimulate more speed.
4. Massage the area corresponding with the back leg (the side on the opposite side on which we tread).
5. Move with your finger between your fingers and massage the thin membrane between the big toe and second toe. This area of the foot represents the immune system.
6. Place both your hands on the cushions of the feet for a minute.
You can start / finish chest massage therapy with the body itself, drawing out movements. The heart is a key outlet for the arms (the outside).
The above treatment can be done every day, and, for acute cases, several times a day.
This treatment will help boost the immune system and relax the muscles of the thorax and intercostal muscles. Just as importantly, it will give your child attention and show him you love him.
Of course you can also use comprehensive professional reflexology treatments, that will ease the attack immediately, and prevent recurrent attacks in the future. But what is certain is a treatment given by you has tremendous added value that professional care can not provide. Warmth and love …