Massage increases the immune cells that fight viruses, and colds are viral. Here are precise instructions (great for adults too):
* Wash your hands first.
* Have your child (or spouse) lie comfortably on his stomach.
* Using the flats of your fingers, gently stroke downward along both sides of the back six times.
* Perform continuous hand-over-hand movements down the back, to the waist, beginning with one side of the back and moving to the other.
* Use your palms to spread out the back from spine to sides. Work your way up and down the back twice.
* Perform circular motions with the flats of your fingers from the neck to the tailbone along one side of the spine. Cross over the spine, and then go up the other side of the back toward the neck. Make two complete circles around the back.
* Rub and knead the muscles in the shoulders for about 10 seconds.
* Gently rub the neck for about 10 seconds using the flats of the fingers.
* Repeat the circular motions up and down the spine as described previously.
Note:Never massage the spine directly. Do not exert pressure to the joint areas, such as the shoulders, or to the rib cage area.
