Hand, foot, and mouth disease is an acute eruptive infectious disease caused by enteroviruses. It is more common in children, especially those under the age of 3. In addition to maintaining oral hygiene, paying attention to diet, and timely treatment, massage therapy can also be used as an adjunctive treatment for hand, foot, and mouth disease. Let me teach you the massage techniques for hand, foot, and mouth disease in children.
Clear Heart Meridian 300 times
Location: The spiral surface of the distal phalanx of the middle finger.
Massage technique: Push with the side of the thumb or the fingertip, pushing 100-300 times from the fingertip to the root of the finger. The force should be gentle, even, and rhythmic.
Clear Liver Meridian 300 times
Location: The spiral surface of the distal phalanx of the index finger.
Massage technique: Push with the side of the thumb or the fingertip, pushing 100-300 times from the fingertip to the root of the finger. The liver meridian should generally be cleared rather than tonified. If tonification is needed, the kidney meridian can be used instead.
Clear Lung Meridian 300 times
Location: The spiral surface of the distal phalanx of the ring finger.
Massage technique: Push with the side of the thumb or the fingertip, pushing 100-300 times from the fingertip to the root of the finger. The force should be even, gentle, and rhythmic.
Clear Small Intestine Meridian 200 times
Location: The outer side edge of the little finger, forming a straight line from the fingertip to the root of the finger.
Massage technique: Push with the side of the thumb or the fingertip, pushing from the root of the finger to the fingertip, 200-300 times.
Pinch and knead Xiaotianxin acupoint 100 times
Location: The depression at the junction of the palm base and the web between the thumb and index finger, also known as the web margin.
Massage technique: Knead with the fingertip, rotate and knead 100-300 times in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction at a certain location or acupoint.
Clear Tianhe Water 200 times
Location: The inner side of the forearm, forming a straight line from the wrist crease to the elbow crease.
Massage technique: Push with the fingertip of the index and middle fingers, pushing from the wrist to the elbow, 200-300 times. The direction of pushing must be from the wrist to the elbow and should not be reversed.
Retreat the Six Fu Organs 300 times
Location: On the ulnar side (inner side of the little finger) of the forearm, forming a straight line from the elbow joint to the wrist crease.
Massage technique: Push with the fingertip of the index and middle fingers, pushing from the elbow to the wrist, 200-300 times.
Press and knead Hegu acupoint for 1-3 minutes
Location: Located at the web between the thumb and index finger on the back of the hand.
Massage technique: Knead with the fingertip, rotate and knead for 1-3 minutes in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction at a certain location or acupoint.
Benefits of massage for hand, foot, and mouth disease in children
Among the above massage acupoints, the lung meridian helps in dispersing lung qi and clearing heat to relieve cough; Hegu acupoint calms and relieves pain, and promotes circulation; Xiaotianxin acupoint calms and soothes, reduces swelling and relieves pain; Tianhe Water clears heat and releases the exterior, drains fire and removes irritability; the liver meridian suppresses wind and calms, nourishes the heart and soothes the mind. Long-term massage and manipulation with other acupoints can help relieve hand, foot, and mouth disease in children.
Daily care for children with hand, foot, and mouth disease
1. Ensure that the child gets plenty of rest and provide proper nutrition. When the child has a fever, encourage them to drink warm water to replenish fluids and promote faster recovery.
2. Keep the child's hands clean and trim their nails to prevent scratching and causing local skin infections.
3. For children with rashes on the buttocks, promptly clean them after urination or defecation to keep the buttocks clean and dry.
4. The diet should be light and non-irritating. Avoid spicy foods, fish, shrimp, and meat that may worsen the condition.
5. Avoid consuming hot foods and beverages, as they may irritate the affected areas and cause pain, which is not conducive to healing.
