How to Treat Children's Common Ailments with Reflexology

Children can benefit from reflexology. Childhood ailments such as asthma, chest infections, constipation, earache, the croup, eczema, tonsillitis, even temper tantrums can be alleviated with the support and help of regular reflexology treatments. You can become the guided at home reflexologist, to administer these treatments to your children. Reflexology is a simple massage method anyone with proper guidance and a handy foot reflexology chart to follow can be successful in unblocking energy paths in your child's body that may be constricted. Reflexology allows circulation to stimulate their growing bodies to assist in healing itself. These same symptoms affect adults as well, but there is a proper way to treat small children (toddlers to 6 years old).

Asthma

Asthma is more prevalent today with extreme air pollution, in major cities. Reflexology can reduce the severity of asthma, and the frequency of asthma attacks. Alot of children respond to reflexology treatments in a positive way. It has proven to be beneficial. Ask your child relax and take in deep breaths, before starting treatment (relaxation breathing techniques). Then work areas that asthma affects. This would be the heart, lung and thoracic spine. This improves lung function and relaxes shoulders and the rib cage. Many asthmatic people have neck and shoulder issues from the "hunching up" during asthma attacks. Asthma is life threatening and these methods aren't intended to take the place of major treatments that may be necessary if an attack is severe.

Tip#- (1) Help your child with asthma by encouraging daily exercise, swimming is particularly good for the respiratory system. (2)Teach them breathing exercises, and (3) Vacuum regularly and wipe down surfaces to eliminate dust. (4)Get a copy of a reflexology chart for children's feet. The best copies are in The Family Guide to Reflexology by Ann Gillanders.

Working the Heart

Allow the foot reflexology chart to be your guide. Use your thumbs to work areas on the chart showing a child's foot. Do not over work this area. Massage area for a few minutes 2 or 3 times. The heart reflex is only found on child's left foot. Support the top of the left foot with your right hand. Use your left thumb to massage directly underneath toes all the way to the middle point of the child's foot.

Working the Lungs

Work soles of child's foot. Support the right foot with your left hand, use right thumb to work up each area from (diaphragm line shown on chart) Work this reflex 2 or 3 times. Next work top of right foot. Make fist with left hand press or knead gently into sole of foot, to open up grooves on the top. Use right index finger to work down these grooves, do this 2 or 3 times.

Working the Spine (thoracic)

Using left had support right foot use your right thumb to work the spine, concentrating on the area between the waist line and the beginning of the cervical spine at the base of the big toe. Massage outer edges of both feet, start from the side of the big toe all the down to the side of heel. (use foot reflexology chart for reference)

Chest Infections -The respiratory tract is so much narrower than a full grown adult's respiratory tract. The child's chest becomes congested more easily because of this fact. Lung and chest areas should be worked.

Reflexology Treatment for Chest

The treatment should bring relief causing sinuses to drain. This will improve immunity. Work right first and then the left. The concern should be the upper part of child's foot where the lung and chest reflexes are found and shown of reflexology diagram.

Working the Lung and Chest (sole of foot)

Supporting right foot with your left hand, use right index finger to massage down grooves at the top of the foot. Repeat on the left foot.

Tips#-(1) Stop Smoking near your child. Children's health suffers from passive smoking. (2)Humidify the air with a humidifier. (3)Sprinkle decongestant oils (eucalyptus & tea tree oil) on pillows or use the in steam vaporizers overnight. (4)Give a natural cough syrup to break up chest congestion. Boiron is great for helping chest infections to clear up. Purchase at (www.vitacart.com)

Constipation-Childhood constipation is usually due to lack of exercise, and poor diet. Exercise is important for children because the intestinal area is activated by strong movements like jumping, running etc. It is also stimulated by food and exercise. A good wholesome breakfast before school stimulates and encourages bowel action. Your child needs to get up early enough to eat at an average pace; food should not be gulped down hastily.

Reflexology Treatment for Constipation

Working the Intestinal Area

Stimulate the intestinal area on both feet. Use your left thumb to work the whole area from the middle of the foot to the base of the heel. Treatment must be offered on a daily basis or at least a few times of the week if possible to minimize symptoms.

Tips#-(1) Giveyour child to more water to help with constipation issues. Flavored water may be easier to convince some children to drink instead of plain water all the time.

(2)Make sure your child's diet includes roughage for breakfast like whole grains, breakfast cereals (raisin bran), dried fruits (apricots, assorted tropical fruit, raisins etc.), whole grain bread, raw veggies (mini carrots & dressing)can be eaten any time of day.

(3) Encourage the child to use the toilet during the same timeperiod of day this helps the bowel work in a more consistent pattern.

Earaches-Most earaches are not bacterial in origin, therefore an antibiotic isn't really necessary, nor is it beneficial to your small child. Reflexology may give relief from the pain.

Reflexology Treatment for Earaches

The ear reflexes are located on the 3^rd toe on both feet. Since it's hard to pinpoint the exact pressure point on the toes, just massage the whole area of the 3^rd toe.

Croup -The croup is a horrible barking type cough young children get because their trachea is narrow; when the trachea becomes inflamed it narrows further, causing symptoms of the croup to surface. The traditional way to help the croup is by running hot water in the shower or bath tub to fill bathroom with steam. The child can breathe easier being put in a steamy atmosphere.

Reflexology Treatment for the Croup - work the heart and lung reflexes at top of feet. (see top of article for heart, and lung reflexes).

Eczema-This skin disorder causes dry, scaly skin that can be red, painful and very irritating. Stress could enhance the symptoms. A stressful situation could be introducing full time school like pre-k or kindergarten, a new caretaker they are unfamiliar with etc., can cause eczema breakouts

Reflexology Treatment for Eczema- Before starting the process, the child must be relaxed. Encourage breathing exercises to do so. Work on the digestive system this helps the body cope with an allergic state. Reflexology doesn't just cure the eczema and allergy, but also on the reason why the body has developed the illness or breakout. The treatment will strengthen the digestive system. The digestive system would be the liver, gallbladder, stomach, pancreas, spleen and intestinal area.

Working the Digestive System

Work on the left foot, using your left thumb. Massage whole area from the middle foot to the base of the foot. Repeat the procedure; stimulate the digestive system so it calms down the outbreak.

Tips#- (1) To ease eczema symptoms, do not use harmful soap. A soap free cleanser with added soya oil that can be bought from local market is beneficial. Neem soap is great for itching relief. Organix South (www.organixsouth.com is the best brand for all neem products from organic soap, creams, shampoo, conditioner etc. (2) Furry or wool material made toys can aggravate eczema sufferers. Select toys carefully. (3) Use a washing powder free of unnecessary chemicals, an environment friendly washing powder would be best. Double rinse your child's clothing in washing machine. (4)Usehypo-allergenic pillows and mattress covers. If your child's eczema flares up after the child has been crawling or playing in dusty areas, mites could be the cause of the problem. (5) Foods that may provoke allergic reaction and cause flare ups are dairy products, wheat, sugars, orange, red & purple fruits, food color & additives. (6)You can identify what food may be causing the problems with your young child by keeping an allergy diary of foods eaten and how they are affecting the child.

Take the time to heal your children using simple reflexology techniques.

resource: The Family Guide to Reflexology by Ann Gillanders