What other modalities?
You might know by now, there are a lot of topics, in addition to sharing the power of infant massage, that I’m passionate about. You can add staying healthy, maintaining good health in my family, and sharing resources with others, to that list. When I say health, I don’t just mean physical health. I’m also referring to emotional, mental, and spiritual health. There are things I do monthly to maintain health such as acupuncture, chiropractic, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and massage. There are also tools I access like to access like reiki, energy healing, and Vedic astrology to address the health of the whole mind and body. as needed.
The Sick Kid Problem
Our lovable kiddos can’t help but bring home germs getting everyone in the family sick. The first two years of baby’s life, in particular, especially those in daycare, are literally one sickness after another. Mayo Clinic states that kids, on average, experience seven to eight infections a year! Yes, it helps to build their immune system, but a sick kiddo is a miserable experience for everyone and disrupts everything, bringing daily life to a screeching halt. In addition, if they’re prescribed antibiotics frequently, that will have significant long-term effects. This is why I’m so passionate about trying to both minimizing getting sick and then, when sick, reducing the severity and duration of the sickness. It also helps us avoid unnecessary doctor’s visits.
I’d like to share what I’ve built in my arsenal (over the last few years) to address my and my family’s physical health, namely Chinese herbs, Ayurveda, Homeopathy, and even essential oils. Each of these is a complex and profound area of medicine that deserves an understanding of and respect for its origin, history, and impact for many years. Each of these merits having someone, preferably indigenous, who has studied this medicine to consult with for the best results.
I am not an expert in any of these, but I am learning and consulting with experts as should you. The purpose of this post is not to go into the depth, which each of these areas deserves. Very simply, I want to share the exact remedies and medicines I turn to day to day. Moreover, regular massage supports improved immunity by increasing the number of white blood cells that the body produces, so that is definitely in my toolbox!
What’s in my toolbox?
As a mother of two, age 7 and 2, I inevitably have to deal with their sicknesses from school and daycare. However, if I can have an impact on the severity and duration of the illness, I know it would make life easier for all of us, so I turn to these medicines for these ailments and more:
| Ailment | Ayurveda | Homeopathy | TCM | Essential Oils | Other |
| Cough | Kanthamrit | Bryonia | Saltwater gargle, Tea with lemon and Honey, Turmeric milk with honey | ||
| Runny nose | Nat Mur | Orange or Lemon | Neti pot, Nose Frida | ||
| Postnasal drip | Saltwater gargle | Hydrastis | Nose massage | ||
| Headaches | Arnica | Lemon, Eucalyptus | Massage | ||
| Muscle pain | Magnesium Arnica | Full body massage! | |||
| Teething | Clove Oil | Camilia Chamomilla | Massage the big toe | ||
| Stomach bug | Belladonna Pulsatilla Nux Vomica Arsenicum Album | Fennel Ginger | |||
| Earache | Belladonna Aconite Pulsatilla | Tea tree | Massage under the ear | ||
| Sleeplessness | An men pien | Lavender | Meditation | ||
| Irritability | Free & Easy | Lavender/ Chamomile | |||
| Allergies – Environmental and Food | Apis | Neti pot, Nose Frida | |||
| Allergic reaction | Nux vomica | ||||
| Motion sickness (car/plane sickness) | Cocculus Indicus | Ginger | Motion sickness bracelet (pressure point) | ||
| Period Cramps | Arnica | Lavender, Rose, Ylang-ylang | Yoni steaming, Healthy eating, detox from chemicals |
Focus on Prevention
Most of these modalities I use for acute illnesses but for chronic conditions, I would definitely recommend an expert practitioner. Heal.me and Wellset.co are two sites where you can locate holistic providers based on your condition. The beauty of these modalities is that it gets to the root of the problem and don’t just address the symptoms.
We know by now that 2/3 of deaths in the world are from preventable illnesses and that stress causes the majority of illnesses. We cannot underestimate the impact of stress on our health, even for our little ones, which is another way baby massage and massaging your kiddos can help. Lifestyle changes can go a long way, such as eating healthfully, moving every day, minimizing exposure to toxins and chemicals, and getting 7-8 hours of sleep. This will certainly reduce the incidents of sickness and our little petri dishes will still bring home the germs, which is where these holistic remedies can help and minimize harm and long-term effects of pharmaceuticals. Have you tried any of these? Check my Benable list for product links. I’ll be updating this blog post in the future with additional remedies.
