Foot Bath in reflexology treatment

An external traditional Chinese therapy, the foot bath includes both steaming and washing methods. ln the steaming method, the feet are placed in steam evaporated a boiled herbal decoction for the treatment of disease, and in the washing method, the feet are soaked in a warm herbal decoction for treatment. Both methods are mentioned in many ancient medical books.
   
Effects of foot bath:
A long foot bath can produce both a local therapeutic and thereffect and a remote therapeutic effect through qi, blood and the meridians from the body surface to the internal organs, and from the to upper part of the body for adjustment of qi, blood, Yin and Yang, the reinforcement of body resistance, and the removal of pathogens.
   
Foot bath methods:
The steaming and washing methods may be flexibly applied independently, jointly, or alternately. Steaming method: A boiled herbal decoction is poured into a con- to one-half or two-thirds full and the patient's feet are put over the hot fluid and covered with a towel to preserve the warmth. Washing method: A warm herbal decoction with the herb residue discarded is used to soak and wash both feet. This method can be used alone or after the steaming method.
   
The foot bath may be applied for 30 minutes, one or twice a day.
   
The foot bath can be used to treat tinea, swelling of limbs caused by trauma, pain, common cold without sweating, beriberi affecting the heart, difficult urination, prolapse of rectum or uterus, rheumatism, disturbance of periperal blood vessels, diseases of locomotive system, obesity, cutaneous pruritus, and Guillain-Barre syndrome.
    
Precautions:
(1) For steaming therapy, the distance of feet above the hot liquid may be adjusted according to the temperature of the decoction to obtain a comfortable sensation, not burning the feet.
(2) An adequate temperature for the warm herbal decoction in washing therapy is about 40 degrees centigrade.
(3) After foot bath, the feet should be wiped dry and the warmth of feet preserved to avoid an attack of wind and cold.
(4) The foot bath must not be used to treat patients with malignant tumors, epilepsy, acute inflammation, heart failure, and chronic pulmonary heart disease.