The Benefits of Warming Socks Treatment

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The warming socks treatment is old traditional hydrotherapy (aka “water cure”) that originated in Europe, centuries ago. The treatment involves wearing a pair of wet, cold socks to bed and letting your body work during the night to warm your feet and dry the socks out. Although this may sound to some like a form of water torture, nothing could be further from the truth. It is a safe, simple, inexpensive, treatment that has been used for decades. 

The warming sock treatment may be helpful in such conditions as the common cold, the “flu” (not the “stomach flu”), earaches, sore throats, and sinus infections. It is useful for people of any age. from infants to the elderly. This treatment increases circulation and decreases congestion in the upper respiratory passages, head, and throat. 

Being sick, even when you’re home in bed, isn’t fun. The combination of body aches, fever, chills, and nasal congestion can be enough to make anyone miserable. Cold remedies are almost as common as the common cold, but are they effective? Nothing can cure a cold, but there are some treatments that might help ease your symptoms and keep you from feeling so miserable.

The warming sock treatment has a relaxing effect and many report that they sleep much better during the treatment.  This treatment is also effective for pain relief and increases the healing response during acute infections. It is excellent for use with children and babies.  The wet sock treatment is best if repeated for three nights in a row, or as instructed by your doctor.

The Benefits of Warming Socks Treatment

Increases Circulation

When your body increases circulation to the feet to warm the socks this helps to decrease congestion in the head and chest. This increased movement of blood also helps move important lymph and immune cells throughout the body so they’re able to continue to combat infection. By increasing blood flow or circulation, an increase in lymphatic drainage and white blood cells occurs, which is necessary for fighting infection and recovering from symptoms. [1]

Calms Nervous System

There is a reflex arc in your nervous system that connects the feet to the head. The quick switch from warm dry feet to cold wet feet stimulates that reflex. Blood vessels that would otherwise transport warm blood from the internal organs to the cold skin, where the blood would lose heat, constrict, constraining most blood, and its heat, to the internal organs. About 10 minutes after you’ve bundled up into bed you will feel your nervous system relax and your sinuses will start to drain.


They are sedating which helps you get that good sleep which is so important for getting though illness 

Transports Nutrients

The vessels in your feet will constrict as your feet cool down, which sends all the good nutrients into your organs and tissues. These nutrients are needed to fight off infections and stimulate healing. Then your feet will start to warm up again, and your vessels will dilate to release the heat. This is when the junk in your tissues is dumped into your blood stream so that your body can dispose of it. 

How Wearing Wet Socks To Bed Can Cure Your Cold!

How to Do The Warming Socks Treatment

Supplies:

  • 1 pair of cotton socks
  • 1 pair of wool socks The socks must be 60%+ cotton and wool respectively, predominately synthetic socks will not work)

How to:

  1. Soak feet in warm water for 1 minute
  2. Wet the cotton socks with cold tap water, wring out well so that there is no dripping
  3. Place wet cotton socks on feet
  4. Pull dry wool socks over wet socks
  5. Get directly into the bed and avoid getting chilled
  6. Keep the socks on an entire night. By morning they should be dry and warm.
  7. Repeat for 3 nights or until fever and congestion has cleared

If you find you are not drying out the cotton socks within 1 hour, likely they were not wrung out enough to start. Start over, and repeat all 4 steps.

This is a great treatment for all sorts of infections and inflammations in the upper body. It is simple to do and you don’t anything but some socks and some water.

Ways to Boost Effects of This Treatment

The warming socks treatment is not a comprehensive cure-all. It is just one method in your ‘natural medicine chest’ that works best when combined with other healing components like a honey remedy, increased fluid intake, sleep, and immune-boosting supplements such as garlic, vitamins A, C, D and E, and zinc.

1. Hydration

When you’re hydrated, your body has a natural ability to flush germs out of your system.

2. Vitamin C

While vitamin C hasn’t been proven to prevent cold symptoms, some studies have indicated it can shorten the lifespan of a cold. Plus, it boosts your overall health, including your immune system.

3. Aromatherapy

Break up mucus by rubbing a bit of camphor or menthol salve around – not in – your nose. You can also reduce congestion by breathing in essential oils, such as peppermint and eucalyptus.

4. Warm salt water

Dissolve 1/2 a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water, then gargle to relieve a sore throat.

5. Drink Hot Liquids

Hot liquids relieve nasal congestion, prevent dehydration, and soothe the uncomfortably inflamed membranes that line your nose and throat. 

Symptoms of the common cold, which usually appear one to three days after being exposed to a cold virus include a runny nose, cough, nasal congestion, sore throat, sneezing, watery eyes, mild headache, mild fatigue, body aches, and fever less than 102 degrees. These methods along with the wet socks treatment is a surefire way to naturally tackle a cold

Risks of The Warming Socks Treatment

People who have or may have circulatory issues such as in diabetes or with Raynaud’s phenomenon or syndrome or simply have colder feet should take care to always do the warming phase.

Consult your physician prior to the treatment if you have questions.