Have you heard of the magic wand? The one where you swirl it with some phrase and you vanish? Well ‘Magic Socks’ supposedly works the same way only it makes your fever and some other symptoms associated with it disappear. You must have heard about thousands of home remedies and natural solutions for various kinds of health issues or beauty treatments. Like honey and ginger tea for cough or tomatoes for tan or turmeric milk for sore throat and the list goes on and on. ‘Magic socks’ or wet sock therapy is one of the remedies under hydrotherapy which apparently works for fever, symptoms of flu, common cold, etc. Before getting into ‘Magic Socks’, you have to look into hydrotherapy for a better understanding.
What is Hydrotherapy?
Hydrotherapy is the external or internal use of water in any of its forms (water, steam or ice) for health promotion or treatment of various diseases with different temperatures, pressure, duration and site. It was used in ancient civilizations in India, China and Egypt. Also known as aqua therapy, water is being used for ages for different kinds of treatments but there is a lack of evidence-based documentation. Basically, hydrotherapy uses water as pain relief or to treat illness.
Benefits of Hydrotherapy
- Reduces pain, treats inflammation
- Promotes blood flow
- Removes toxins
- Lowers body temperature
What is ‘Magic Socks’ and How does it Work?
It is a naturopathic technique wherein it helps in redirecting heat from your head allowing you to breathe and sleep without any disturbance at night.
- You will need two pairs of socks, one normal cotton pair and a thicker pair, preferably woollen ones. Firstly, check if your feet are warm, if not then dip in warm water for about 5 minutes and then proceed.
- Immerse the thin cotton socks in cold water, wring them and wear the cold socks on your warm bare feet. Pull the thick woollen socks over the wet ones.
- You could either wear them for a minimum of 30 minutes while taking a nap or overnight. When worn overnight, you will notice that the wet socks have dried up.
That is it, you are all set to go! It may sound bizarre to wear wet socks when you have a cold or fever but it actually works. When your feet area becomes cold, your body works in a way that the circulation rushes towards your feet to keep them warm and hence the congestion near your head and nose disappears. The wet socks treatment works best if repeated for three nights in a row.
You could use this technique for relieving pain and acute infections like:
- Sore throat or throat infection
- Sinus infections or nasal congestion
- Cough or upper respiratory complications
- Neck pain or muscle soreness
- Headaches or migraine or ear infection
It should also be taken into consideration that this treatment works best during early signs or symptoms of illness when the infection is mild and not severe. If you are suffering from flu or viral infection for more than 3 days or so then it is advised to consult your physician first.
Things to notice when you are doing Magic Socks
After about half an hour, you will see that your breathing has changed. You will be able to breathe through your nose freely as the congestion clears and can sleep better.
The drying up of wet socks after wearing them overnight is a sure sign that the magic socks were done accurately. If you have a fever, the socks may dry up faster and you might have a running nose again so you will need to change the socks again after a few hours.
If you find that the magic socks are not working, then make sure that your feet are warm, the woollen socks are thick enough and there are no physical restraints holding your body back from getting rid of mucus.
Other benefits of Magic socks treatment
First and foremost, it’s a naturopathic treatment which is FREE. That one word should ensure you give it a try and it is also harmless. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. There are no serious side effects caused if you try it.
The method, also known as ‘heating compress’, increases your blood circulation and its efficiency. Improves your immune system to fight disease. Works as a body detox too because it drains out the toxins in the form of body heat. When the body gets rid of the toxins it also helps improve the quality of the blood and it becomes enriched with nutrients and oxygen. The magic socks help you relax your body both mentally and physically so you should definitely give it a shot for so many other plus points.
The idea of wearing wet socks to bed might not sound so great but you should first try it before you knock it off.
Conclusion
Natural treatments and homemade remedies often come with caution as they are not guaranteed to work all the time or on everybody. There may not be research-based evidence backing home remedies but it does not have severe side effects either. Some people can cure their headaches with lavender tea while some have to take prescribed medicines for that nasty pain to vanish(or the solution could be as easy as not looking at your screen for long periods of time). You may feel relief when you inhale steam(which is also great for your skin) for a sore throat or you may find Magic Socks truly magical when it helps you sleep better. In conclusion, you should at least give the magic socks a try because even if it does not cure cold or fever it would at least give you some pain relief, it’s free and it is easy so there is nothing you are losing in it. After giving it a shot you may find that simple things can do wonders(or not).
Lastly, if you are still suffering from the illness after trying the wet socks technique, then you should consult your physician and take the prescribed medications so as to not aggravate the infection for prevention is better than cure.