Wet Sock Therapy
It is snowing in Colorado…again! In the last 48 hours Denver has gotten approximately 8-10 inches of new snow.
Cold temperatures, less daylight, more time spent indoors means cold and flu viruses can start spreading quickly.
Here’s a recent Healthy Discovery of mine. It’s not new, it is a standard naturopathic remedy. I learned about it a couple months ago. I like it, so I want to share it with you. It’s called Wet Sock Therapy.
Rationale:
Per Dr Amy Neuzil.
Although this sounds like a strange thing to do in the name of health, wet sock therapy is one of the easiest and most effective ways to boost your immune system in the short and long term. The idea is to cause your body to think it is under attack, to think it is being “threatened” when you first put cold wet socks on.
By changing the temperature of your feet it causes your body to do the same thing as it would for any threat – initiate the fever response (one of our best defenses) and also raise your circulating levels of white blood cells. This is a great preventative measure if you are feeling under the weather, run down, if everyone around you is getting sick and you don’t want to get sick or even if you just need a great nights sleep. This treatment can also be used on a regular basis to prevent illness and boost the immune system. As with any treatment protocol, consult your doctor if you have a preexisting health condition or if you have any questions.
Supplies:
1 pair white cotton socks
1 pair thick wool socks
Directions:
1. Soak cotton socks completely with cold water. Be sure to wring the socks out thoroughly so they do not drip and are just damp to the touch.
2. Place wet socks on the feet and cover with thick wool socks. Go directly to bed. Avoid getting chilled.
3. Keep socks on overnight. You will find that the wet cotton socks will be dry in the morning. If they are not dry in the morning it could be a sign that your body does not have the energy to mount an adequate response to this therapy. Consult your physician before proceeding with therapy.
Effects of Wet Sock Treatment:
This treatment acts to reflexively increase the circulation and decrease congestion in the upper respiratory passages, head, and throat. It has a sedating action and many patients 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.
Cautions:
This treatment may not be appropriate if you have a circulatory disorder, advanced diabetes, you have certain types of cancer or in some cases of HIV and AIDS. If you wake up in the morning and the socks are still wet, please contact your doctor. In the case of any preexisting chronic condition please contact your doctor before using wet sock therapy.
I tried the wet sock therapy for one consecutive week. I didn’t have a cold or flu when I tried it, but I do think it made me sleep really sound. Hopefully it stimulated my immune system as well? I also thought it was pretty cool when I’d go to bed with wet socks and wake up with totally dry, warm feet.
I am constantly in awe of human physiology and what the body does moment to moment to keep us healthy and alive. Therefore I love the fever/immune response theory behind this therapy.
However, I told a friend about this when he was getting a cold a couple weeks ago. He tried the wet sock therapy that night and ended up taking the socks off before falling asleep, he said; “it was annoying to have wet socks on and try to sleep”. If you can ignore the socks and just go to sleep, you might be amazed at how warm and dry your feet are in the morning while your cold “disappears” during the night?!
