My Mother is 94 years this year. She has a sharp mind. Her hearing ability and eyesight are good. Often, she teaches me old classical proverbs in Cantonese.
She has been suffering from acute osteoporosis for years. Occasionally, her back is racked with pain as some of her thoracic vertebrates are fused.
To ease her pain, I go along with InfraRed Therapy. One of the chief characteristics of infrared light is its ability to provide pain relief and helps in blood circulation. It is non-invasive, natural and a painless method for health benefits.
Using Infrared lamp to ease muscular pain was taught to me many years ago by my Yoga master. The most beneficial part to use the lamp is at the lumbar region at the base of the spine just below the sacrum, the 4-petal chakra between the coccyx (tail) bone and the private part. It brings great comfort to those suffering from back pain when this region is warmed up by the heat of an Infrared lamp. Yogis believe that tremendous serpentine energy is stored in this chakra that can be activated by certain meditation processes.
Another beneficial part of the body to use the lamp is the soles of the feet. Both feet bear the burden of the weight of the whole body. For elderly persons, most of the time their feet are cold, for reasons that ‘qi’ (in Chinese, it can mean vital force, or vital energy, of in Yoga terms perhaps it can mean prana) fails to fully reach that area. Hence, to warm the feet can bring tremendous relief.
However, one must be very careful when going over the body parts with an InfraRed lamp. The temperature of a heated InfraRed lamp can go up to 1,200 degrees Celsius when switches on for several minutes. I had a second degree burnt many years ago when the Infrared lamp touched my thigh accidentally while using it. The wound was quite deep, and it took me about a month to heal.
A session may last about 30 minutes to 45 minutes, going over her arms, her back and her legs. While I hold the lamp on one hand, I used the other palm as a first defence shield in case the lamp accidentally touched her body. Rub and massage over the part to draw down the heat as you move the lamp away. Using some medical oil will also help to relieve pain and aches.
Don’t do it on the cervical region, it may be too ‘heaty’ and may cause a headache. One also must not overdo it. The body can get ‘heaty’ and one must drink a lot of water. Probably, about twice a week should be good enough.
She feels tremendous relief after an infrared therapy. She sleeps well at night.
Warning: Infrared therapy may not be suitable for all elderly persons. So, if you want to experiment with it, do it cautiously. As a start put the lamp further a bit, instead of too close to the body.
The above video was shot by my grand nephew who is 9 years old. Compliments to him for good angle shots and steady hands. He helps my mother often when she watches YouTube, Facebook, Wechat or reading messages on her Samsung smartphone.
