Manual techniques for influencing the human body have long been recognized by official medicine as an effective option for adjunctive therapy for various diseases. Drainage massage for children with cough is considered one of the safest and most effective treatment options. Of course, it should be understood that if the symptoms are strong, the disease cannot be defeated by this means alone, and the complex treatment prescribed by the observing doctor should always be carried out.
When is massage needed?
Use manual techniques for the treatment of cough is not worth it at elevated temperatures. Drainage massage for children with cough should begin to be done on the 4th-6th day from the onset of the acute stage of the disease. If breathing is difficult, the smallest you can try to help by regularly turning them over in the bed and raising your head 20 degrees from the position of the body. Massage can be done to children of all ages from birth. But if your baby is still very small, it is appropriate to consult a doctor or nurse and ask to show the basic principles.
Rules for
Depending on the age of the child, the intensity and duration of exposure are determined. Caution: Do not press too hard, the movements should be soft, it is enough that the skin turns pink. The smallest will last 10-15 minutes, for older children, you can increase the duration of the procedure to 25 minutes. Drainage massage for children with cough should begin and end with lighter and more delicate effects. The most active and strong stroking and tingling should be carried out in the middle of the session.
Execution technique
Put your baby on your stomach. If possible, position your head below your torso with a roller under your chest. It is important that breathing is not impaired in this position. A massage session begins with light, stroking relaxing movements all over the back. Next, go to the tingling. They should be performed on both sides of the spine, without affecting the middle of the back. Massage is the area from the middle of the back to the shoulders. Then you should step back from the spine with two fingers and continue to perform tingling. Then we move our fingers to the sides and continue, but do not go into the armpit area. Drainage massage for children with coughing ends with soft strokes performed by the brushes completely in the direction of the shoulders. Then it is necessary to several times synchronously hold the edges of the palms of the palms diagonally from the middle of the back to the shoulders. Finally, you should still gently pat the back of the child.
Drainage massage for children with cough (the execution algorithm was described above) is performed 1 time per day, a course of 10 days. Even if after several sessions it has become much better, the remaining procedures should be completed.
Contraindications and limitations
You cannot treat a dry cough manually. It is important to understand that massage does not eliminate the disease or its symptoms, but only stimulates sputum discharge. It is important not to affect the spine during exposure, as this can lead to damage. Cough massage for acute stenosing laryngotracheitis (false croup) is prohibited. If body temperature is elevated, manual exposure should also be discarded. With proper conduct, drainage massage does not cause discomfort and discomfort to the patient. If the child complains and does not want to be treated with this method, it makes sense to choose a different treatment option or sign up for a treatment with a professional masseur.
Drainage massage for children with cough: parental reviews
The opinions of mothers and fathers regarding the treatment with manual methods of children at home differ. Someone believes that only a professional should apply such effects, while others do the massage on their own regularly.
The drainage massage technique described above is considered gentle and harmless, provided that all the rules of implementation are observed. The most important thing is not to press too hard and avoid exposure to the spinal area. A positive effect with a course of treatment is usually noticeable after 2-4 sessions. Sputum leaves more abundantly, overall well-being of the child improves.
Drainage massage for children under 1 year of age with cough is recommended to be performed in agreement with the attending physician. The younger the child, the more difficult it is to correctly interpret the existing symptoms and make the correct diagnosis. It is also important to understand that massage is an auxiliary tool, and it can give a positive effect only when combined with other types of therapy.
Useful advice: many parents combine manual exposure with warm compresses. First you need to do massage, and then warming up. With such treatment, improvement improves much faster.