We talk all the time about how to prevent the flu or avoid catching a cold.
Wash hands.
Lots of sleep.
Lots of water.
Echinacea. Goldenseal.
Vitamin C. Zinc.
Avoid sugar and dairy products.
But what about when our defenses let down and we get sick? What do we do then?
The aforementioned ideas are still good. Especially the sleep! But there are other things we can do when we are sick.
In addition to lifestyle modification (diet, exercise, sleep), Naturopathic medicine has a very powerful tool in its medicine bag to offer during times of illness. It is called Hydrotherapy ... and just as it sounds, uses the healing powers of water to invoke cure.
A little history lesson, tracing our Naturopathic roots:
Vincent Priessnitz is considered the founder of the hydrotherapy-nature cure movement. He relied on nothing except cold water, air, a simple diet, and physical activity to heal his patients. Johann Schroth opposed Priessnitz's extreme use of the cold water and instead, prescribed long-lasting warm moist packs and hot baths. Of greatest and lasting influence was the work of Father Sebastian Kneipp. He utilized an eclectic and integrated approach, combining hydrotherapeutic baths with heliotherapy (sunshine), exercise, vegetarian and fruit diets, and indigenous European herbs. Father Kneipp is the link between the European nature cure and American Naturopathy.
In the early 1900s, a naturopathic doctor from Illinois named Dr. Otis G. Carroll introduced constitutional hydrotherapy. This modernized treatment consists of a series of hot and cold compresses applied to the chest, abdomen and back during which the patient is wrapped in blankets. Leo Scott and Harold Dick, also naturopathic physicians, furthered the concepts of constitutional hydrotherapy.
How can we use hydrotherapy at home during times of illness?
Steam inhalation: Fill a pot of boiling water with grated ginger and/or essential oils of thyme and eucalyptus. Drape a towel over your head and slowly breathe in the steam! You can also add a few drops of essential oils to your hot shower. This should help clear your nasal passages and make breathing easier.
Alternating hot and cold shower: Sounds awful, doesn't it?! In all honesty, it's only the first round of cold that's hard to handle... but the more frequently you do alternating hot and cold showers, the better you'll be able to tolerate it! At the very least, end your shower on a blast of cold water to the chest and back. During winter months and while you have a cold, keep the shower flowing hot for 2 minutes, then switch it to cold for 30 seconds. Repeat this at least 3 times.
Warming scarf: If your throat is sore, try wrapping a cold wash cloth around it, followed by a warm wool scarf. Your immune system should be vital enough to warm the wash cloth. Repeat 2-3 times.
Warming socks:
At the end of the night, soak a pair of socks in ice-cold water. While
the socks are soaking, soak your feet in hot water for a few minutes
(if you're like me, you don't have the luxury of being able to do
this). It's okay to skip this step, but do it if you can :)Put the cold socks on and then put a pair of thick wool ones on top. Now, get in the bed and cover up! You'll find that, come morning, the socks will be dry and your feet will be warm. If you can repeat this 3 nights in a row, you'll shorten the duration of your cold!
These classic Naturopathic home remedies work by decreasing congestion and increasing circulation in the head, neck and throat.
The cold is the cure. We cannot stress this enough. The cold is your body's response to an insult that you encountered prior to the onset of symptoms. In today's society, we spend much effort trying to treat our cold and flu symptoms. The runny nose, body aches, sore throat, and cough are your body's attempts to liberate the stuff your body does not need - "toxic" accumulations in and around the cells. Consider it a spring, fall, summer or even winter cleaning.
When we take cough suppressants, fever reducers, and decongestants, we are limiting our body's natural ways of ridding these toxins.
Everyone will eliminate in their own unique way. This has much to do with your miasm, temperament, and constitution. Oh, and just what are these toxins and where do they come from? Stay tuned for more on these concepts!
