Is it true that children tend to become weak when their feet are soaked?

"To grow a tree, you need to protect its roots; to grow a person, you need to protect his feet."

Why are feet known as the "second heart" of the human body? That's because the soles of the feet are the reflex areas of many internal organs. The foot points, like the ear points, are a microcosm of the human body, and are completely connected to the internal organs of the whole body. There is an ancient saying that "all diseases start from cold, and cold starts from the feet." The human foot is like the root of a tree. The reason why a tree is lush is that its roots are deep. The health of the feet is related to the health of the whole body. The feet are the foundation of the human body and the point where the human body's vitality is concentrated.

So, can children soak their feet? What are the precautions?

First of all, children can soak their feet. Because children are more active, sweating easily causes bacterial proliferation and skin damage on the feet, so proper foot soaking is beneficial. Proper foot soaking for children during childhood is beneficial to increase blood circulation in the feet, reduce local muscle tension, improve children's sleep, maintain good sleep, and promote the healthy growth of children.

Soaking feet in warm water will not have any adverse effects on the healthy growth of children.

There are some sayings that if children are often washed or scalded with hot water, the plantar ligaments will become loose when exposed to heat, which is not conducive to the development and maintenance of the arch of the foot. Based on this statement, we searched various literature and textbooks, and did not find any relevant theoretical basis to support it. Therefore, children can soak their feet. As long as we control the time, frequency, water temperature and other factors, it will not have a negative impact on the growth and development of the arch of the child's foot.

Precautions for children's foot soaking:

Seasonal choice. In principle, you can soak your feet for health care all year round, but we recommend soaking your feet for health care in autumn and winter. We say that we nourish yang in spring and summer, and nourish yin in autumn and winter. In autumn, yang energy slowly sinks into yin, and the same is true for our human body. Soaking your feet in autumn and winter is conducive to the return of yang energy.

Temperature and time control. In autumn and winter, the water temperature should be controlled at 40℃~42℃ for soaking children's feet. The amount of water should be enough to cover the entire foot to the calf. Soak for 5~10 minutes. Do not soak for too long. Health-care foot soaking is suitable for daytime soaking, because at night the yang energy sinks and we need to rest. Soaking feet at this time can easily cause the yang to not enter the yin, affecting the quality of sleep. Be sure to dry your feet in time after soaking, because the skin is the main heat dissipation part of the child's body, and there is also a risk of catching a cold if the feet are soaked for a long time.

Age. Foot soaking is generally recommended for children over three years old, who can sit comfortably and quietly for 10 minutes without moving. If the condition requires, follow the doctor's advice for treatment.

Effect evaluation: Health-care foot soaking does not require profuse sweating. After the foot soak, a slight sweat on the back of the neck and forehead can achieve the effect of dredging the meridians and promoting blood circulation.

Preparation before foot soaking: Do not go on an empty or full stomach, move your limbs, joints, fingers, toes, and neck for about 2 minutes. Massage your abdomen for 1 minute, and then drink a glass of warm water.

Physical problems and frequency control. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that children are "pure yang bodies" with strong vitality, but once they get sick, they will turn into heat and fire. If they often soak their feet in hot water, it is easy for heat evil to enter the body and cause internal heat. Therefore, we recommend that children with hot constitutions and yin deficiency and hyperactivity of fire should not soak their feet frequently. If the child does not have a fever, once a week is appropriate; for children with cold constitutions, health-care foot soaking is generally one to two times a week, not too much, too much is as bad as too little.

Choice of foot-soaking medium. Mugwort can warm the middle, expel cold, and remove dampness. It has the effect of dispelling wind and cold, sweating and relieving the symptoms. For children with cold constitution, we recommend soaking their feet in water boiled with mugwort. For children with hot constitution, we recommend soaking their feet directly in warm water.

Pay attention to the precautions and have a healthy baby together!