Children with eczema often experience itchy and uncomfortable skin, causing them to cry and disrupting their normal eating and sleeping patterns. Many parents choose to use pediatric massage therapy to treat eczema in children. So, is pediatric massage effective for eczema? And how can pediatric massage be used to treat eczema in children?
Is Pediatric Massage Effective for Eczema?
Pediatric massage can have a certain therapeutic effect on eczema.
Eczema is common in babies during their growth process and is referred to as "milk scab" in Chinese medicine. It is mainly related to dampness and can manifest as damp-heat syndrome. Prolonged dampness can damage the spleen, while heat can damage yin and blood. Pediatric massage techniques can help clear heat and dampness, remove wind pathogens, and provide some relief for eczema symptoms.
Etiology and Pattern of Pediatric Eczema
Etiology: The accumulation of toxins after birth that are not promptly eliminated, leading to overflow onto the skin.
Pattern: Small red dots resembling millet grains cover the head, face, chest, back, armpits, and limbs. They resemble prickly heat and cause intense itching. Symptoms worsen at night, accompanied by fever, cloudy urine, and a rapid pulse.
Treatment Principles for Pediatric Eczema Massage
Treatment principles: Clear heat, resolve toxins, and promote dampness elimination.
Acupoints: Massage Qing Tian He Shui for 5 minutes, massage Qing Shen Jing for 10 minutes, and massage Xia Liu Fu for 8 minutes.
Massage Qing Tian He Shui: The masseur uses the fingertips of the index and middle fingers to massage from the child's wrist crease to the elbow crease. This technique helps clear heat, relieve surface symptoms, and dispel heat and restlessness.
Massage Qing Shen Jing: Use a pushing technique to massage from the tip of the little finger to the fingertip, known as "nourishing the kidney meridian." The opposite direction is "clearing the kidney meridian." Nourishing the kidney meridian can nourish the kidneys, invigorate the brain, and warm and nourish the lower body, while clearing the kidney meridian can clear and promote the elimination of damp-heat in the lower jiao.
Massage Xia Liu Fu: The masseur uses the thumb or fingertips of the index and middle fingers to massage from the child's elbow crease to the wrist crease. This technique has the functions of clearing heat, cooling blood, and detoxification.
Explanation of Pediatric Eczema Massage Technique
Massaging Qing Tian He Shui helps clear heart fire and eliminate heat toxins in the blood; massaging Xia Liu Fu clears out the pathogenic heat in the three yang meridians; massaging Qing Shen Jing promotes the elimination of damp-heat by regulating the water passages, allowing damp-heat to be discharged through urine and thus curing the eczema.
Daily Prevention Methods for Pediatric Eczema
1. Avoid feeding children foods that are prone to allergies.
2. Choose cotton clothing as much as possible to minimize irritation from synthetic fibers and wool.
3. Wash the child's face and bathe them with warm water to keep the skin clean.
4. If there are pets in the house, minimize contact between the child and the pets to prevent scratching and worsening of the condition.
