Herbal foot bath to help improve insomnia after Covid-19

After a month of recovering from Covid-19, Mai Yen fell into a state of difficulty sleeping, her feet and hands were often cold despite being warmed in a blanket. Sometimes she wakes up at 3 o’clock, has trouble falling back to sleep and stays awake until 6-7 o’clock. 2-3 weeks without sleep makes her more sluggish, depressed, easily tired. Yen decided to visit a traditional medicine clinic on the advice of a colleague. Here, she was instructed by the doctor on diet and activities combined with a herbal foot bath.

“My diet is still normal with my routine, however, the difference is that I am instructed to soak my feet in hot water with herbs before going to bed every night. I find this method quite effective. with myself, ensuring the criteria of deliciousness and cheapness”, Yen shared.

Specifically, Yen soaks her feet in water boiled with ginger, wormwood and salt for about 20 minutes. Soak and massage your feet at the same time. “The ingredients are easy to find and buy, quite cheap, and easy to make, so I do it often,” Yen said.

Also experiencing post-Covid insomnia like Yen, but Le Phuong (Hanoi) is twice as tired when her 21-month-old daughter is also tossing and turning, waking up every night after contracting Covid-19. Mother and daughter wake up several times every night, holding each other. The baby also has a runny nose and a runny nose that has not stopped for two weeks since recovering from Covid.

Sharing with mothers on a group, Phuong was told to let her baby soak her feet before going to bed with boiled water with some crushed ginger and salt. Phuong also carefully consulted a familiar doctor before performing it for her child. “The baby cooperates and enjoys the foot bath. The baby is also more self-conscious when sleeping, less fussy. I don’t know if it’s the effect of the ginger water to soak the feet or because the mother and daughter have a good time interacting every day. It’s easier for the baby to sleep at night,” Phuong said.

Insomnia is a condition in which it is difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake up too early and not return to sleep, or wake up feeling unwell and tired. Insomnia according to traditional medicine belongs to the category of insomnia, infatuation, or involuntary reluctance. There are many causes of insomnia, such as impaired function of the five internal organs (heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys), insufficient blood flow, and external disturbances, leading to unsettled spirits. Depending on the clinical manifestations, traditional medicine divides insomnia into different types and treatments.

According to Dr. Ngo Quang Hai, former deputy director of the Center for Training and Directing, Central Hospital of Acupuncture, the cases of these patients may be due to lack of mental peace and anxiety. . The herbal foot bath method can help relieve stress and fatigue, make the patient comfortable and improve sleep quality.

According to Oriental medicine, the foot is the “second heart” of the body, a collection of 6 meridians and many important acupoints. Feet are in direct contact with the ground every day, through the skin of the feet, toxins and bacteria can attack the body. Therefore, when you soak your feet or massage your feet, they have a stimulating effect on that area and are beneficial to health.

“The water from the herbal leaves penetrates the skin, affects the viscera, causes reflexes to stimulate, improves the functioning of the visceral organs. Essential oils from herbs have the effect of preventing leprosy, spreading cold, In addition to the warming effect, foot bath also stimulates the circulatory, digestive, nervous systems, strengthens the immune system, and increases metabolism. chemical, anti-inflammatory, anti-stress and body-regulating. Freeing the body from pain caused by muscle contraction, stiffness, impact on external parts of the body such as skin, tendons and muscles to prevent and cure disease. Dr. Hai explained further.

There are many recipes for preparing foot baths, according to Dr. Ngo Quang Hai. For those who belong to the welding body, you can use ginger, wormwood and salt. According to Oriental medicine, ginger is spicy, warm, has the effect of detoxifying, warming the body. Soaking feet in warm water and ginger helps to dilate blood vessels, increase blood circulation throughout the body, relieve joint pain, and help warm the body, especially in winter. Wormwood has the effect of promoting blood circulation, repelling dampness and cold in the body. Moreover, wormwood can open 12 meridians, regulate yin and yang. Soaking feet with wormwood not only increases blood circulation but also reduces excess water in the body. The nutrients in wormwood, after being absorbed into the body, will affect 20 meridians, regulate yin and yang, eliminate toxins, and return the body to a state of balance.

Doctor Ngo Quang Hai recommends that when soaking your feet, you should not dip your feet into the basin right away, but put your feet a distance from the water surface to steam, both to help prevent heat shock and help open pores. Slowly lower the whole foot down to soak the whole foot. Soak your feet for 30 minutes before going to bed and dry them immediately after soaking. Children under 6 years old should only soak their feet for 8 to 10 minutes and need to check the water temperature before soaking them to avoid causing skin burns. In particular, children under the age of 1 should limit foot baths because their skin is still immature and vulnerable, according to Dr. Hai.

“Not every herbal foot bath remedy is suitable for everyone. Based on the specific examination, the doctor will advise the patient for the foot bath to be effective. It is best for the patient to consult a qualified oriental medicine doctor, especially those with underlying diseases”, the doctor shared.

Name