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PURPOSE
The
purpose of the basic waist compress is to promote an improved circulation of
blood, carrying waste products to the kidneys, lungs, liver and to a relatively
large area of skin, thereby increasing the elimination of toxic matter through
these cleaning organs.
METHOD
OF APPLICATION
The
inner, single layer of cotton should be well wrung out in cold water and applied
round the waist overlapping by a couple of inches, This then should be covered
by the outer layer which MUST be wool. The latter may consist of a double layer
of thick wool as in our own packs or maybe a large knitted woolen scarf of close
weave, wrapped .round twice. The whole should be secured by safety pins ( or
alternatively a much neater job could be made by using “Velcro”). The
compress should fit snugly
enough to prevent cold air from entering the space between compress and skin but
not so tight as to interfere with breathing. The water used for the compress
MUST be COLD not TEPID. It may be tempting to ‘Take the chill off but a tepid
compress will NOT stimulate the correct circulatory response; i.e. a REALLY cold
compress brings about a reaction of warmth, a tepid one no reaction at all and a
HOT application ultimately brings about chilling. However the environment in
which a compress is applied should be warm, i.e. both patient and room should be
warm and the chill taken off the bed. Do not however use a hot water bottle to
warm the compress -
keep it near but
not ON hands or feet.
After
the compress has been applied it should warm up within 3-5 minutes and a
comfortable warm glow should be felt where applied. If it fails to warm up
within that time, try again in ½ hour (having really warmed up in bed first)
and if this fails try another night. If after several efforts there is still no
correct response to the compress then the conclusion must be reached that the
patients vitality is poor and that for the time being the use of the compress is
contra indicated. Again if the compress warms up and THEN cools down it must be
removed. Remember the whole operation is intended to INCREASE circulation
through the cleansing organs -
NOT to chill.
Moreover
if the mere presence of the compress disturbs the patient and prevents sleep
then it should be removed. Nothing is more important than a good night’s
sleep. Usually the compress promotes relaxation and therefore sleep and is a
good aid to insomnia. Occasionally when wearing the compress one wakes slightly
earlier in the morning to empty the bladder -
due to the improved efficiency of the kidneys
WHEN
AND HOW OFTEN
For
all acute conditions, fevers, colds, flu, tummy upsets or any other type of
‘Healing Crisis’ the compress should be used nightly until full recovery
from the conditions has been made. It should also be used during the day if
staying in bed, changing it as and when it dries.
For
more chronic condition and general sluggishness then I suggest the compress can
be worn three or four times a week for two or three weeks then given a rest of a
week before recommencing its use. There can be no specific ruling on this and
one’s own Naturopath may need to be consulted for individual guidance.
OTHER
TYPES OF COMPRESS
Neck
compresses for either a sore throat or a tense neck. These consist of a strip of
cotton approx 3” x 18” and covered by an old woolen sock or scarf. A cotton
compress may be used covered by a crepe bandage for cuts, bruises, sprains -
the size of the
compress being determined by the injury. . Compresses are also of great value as
part of general Nature Cure treatment for such conditions as burns, eczema,
varicose veins and ulcers. However before using them for such specific
conditions the advice of a Registered Naturopath should be sought and they
should only be used in conjunction with a careful Nature Cure regime appropriate
for the particular patient.
SPECIAL
PRECAUTIONS AND CONTRA INDICATIONS
While
it is acceptable to use local compresses either for injuries or inflammatory
processes IT IS ESSENTIAL TO INCLUDE THE USE OF A WAIST COMPRESS BY NIGHT. This
is PARTICULARLY important in the case of inflammatory conditions such as sore
throats, boils, ulcerated skin conditions.
Remember
the purpose of the cold compress is to increase the blood supply to the area
where applied and this is obviously beneficial. However the blood may well be
laden with toxic wastes and if the waist compress is neglected then ALL this
debris will flow to the compressed area (possible already inflamed) and will
aggrevate it. The use of the waist compress will ensure that it is carried to
the cleaning organs (namely the kidneys & liver) where it can be eliminated.
This is very important and there is a wealth of Nature Cure case histories of
misapplied compresses causing what we call “the fontanelle effect”. This is
a situation where the body use uses a focal point for elimination and it
continues almost semi-permanently It is invariably caused by either the neglect
of the waist compress or by using compresses without improving the conditions of
the blood by dietary and other means.
For the same
reasons, except in the case of injuries the use of compresses for vital,
specialised organs such as eyes and ears are not indicated
without the guidance of a skilled Naturopath.
Obviously compressing may not be suitable for everyone especially those not following a Nature Cure regime
CARE
OF THE COMPRESS
The
cotton part of the compress will absorb a fairly high level of acid waste from
the skin depending on the toxicity of the patient. For this reason the cotton
should be washed in hot soapy water each day and boiled once a week.
Occasionally this toxicity causes the compress to become discoloured and may
even rot it. Likewise the patient’s skin should be washed in the morning
following the removal of the compress.
Compress Packs Available from
ATUL
SHAH
31 Scarcrcroft Hill, York YO24 1DF Tel +44 (0) 1904 623693
Please ask for a quote
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Article - Published in Osteopathy Today July 02
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