Mustard plasters cause activation of blood circulation and the appearance of a sensation of warmth and burning in places of application. This effect is used in the treatment of colds or as a distraction for intense pain in the joints and muscles (with neuralgia, neuritis, osteochondrosis). It is recommended to carry out this procedure with a hypertensive crisis or heart attack (in these cases, a doctor’s recommendation is mandatory).
The technique of setting mustard plasters is simple, but you need to know the basic rules. You can impose them on any zone except the spine, palms and soles of the feet. Mustard must not be given with existing lesions of the skin, cancer, bleeding, in the presence of allergic reactions. Sheets covered with mustard can be applied to the chest (excluding the breast and nipples), to the upper shoulder girdle, heart, legs (excluding the feet). The setting of mustard plasters on the chest is mainly used for tracheitis, pneumonia and bronchitis.
You can distinguish a good mustard from a bad mustard by smell: normal has a sharp characteristic smell and the coating does not crumble from its surface.
Mustard plastering technique:
- take the leaf by the edges, without touching the coating, lower it for a few seconds in a container filled with warm water;
- shake off excess water;
- on a bare skin, lay a sheet of mustard to the skin;
- cover the mustard plasters with a towel, cover the patient;
- after burning and redness (5-15 minutes), remove and remove the remains of mustard.
At the end of the procedure, the patient must be carefully covered. He should spend about an hour in bed. The technique of setting mustard plasters for children is similar. The only difference: it is necessary to regularly check the condition of the skin and stop the procedure at the first signs of redness. For young children, the check should be carried out once every 30-60 seconds, it is enough to examine the skin of the older ones every 2-3 minutes. The availability and simple technique of setting mustard plasters caused their widespread use and popularity in the treatment of colds.
The mechanism of action of mustard plasters
The active substance is mustard essential oil and phytoncides, which cause an improvement in blood circulation and vasodilation. At the same time, the excitability of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems increases, and adrenaline and norepinephrine accumulate in the blood, which stimulates the immune system.
Mustard plasters are also used to weaken the blood supply to the diseased organ, which helps reduce the intensity of inflammation. To create a distracting effect, they are installed on another part of the body, activating blood circulation in it.
Types of mustard plaster
The pharmacy chain has two types of mustard plasters: sheets of paper coated with a layer of mustard powder, or packets divided into four cells into which mustard powder is poured. For all their similarities, they have different effects: packets irritate the skin less, providing a better warming effect. The technique of setting mustard packages is absolutely identical, but the procedure is carried out for a longer period of time (10-25 minutes) due to their milder effect.