Q: I have finished taking antibiotics, but this cough has been lingering on for 2 months. Is there something that can be done?
Every year, my wife would get allergies that would bring her immune system down. Since her body was spending all that time fighting allergies, it was not dedicating enough resources to fight colds. She would get a cold that would last for weeks, which would continue to develop until she got an infection and then bronchitis. She was tired and wondered if there was something that I could do to help her.
Through experimentation, I added several layers of treatment including Tiger Balm, hot compresses, and Tapotement, a type of massage designed to move fluid. (is fluid better than dehydrated phelgm?) She had a more productive cough and her lungs started to clear. Using this treatment to keep her lungs open, for 12 years she did not get bronchitis. The combination of tiger balm, heat, and Tapotement, helped break up the cough congestion and she was able to recover in less than 2 days time. Before, developing bronchitis, she would still be coughing for 2 months after antibiotics and breathing treatments were done.
I have turned what I have learned from treating my wife into a massage treatment with Hot Stone. Hot towels and Tiger balm help open the sinuses and relax the ribs, followed by hot stone work to release the muscles between the ribs that have been working with every cough. This, along with tapotement to break up congestion in the lungs, increases deep breathing capability. You should leave each successive session with deeper breathing and less coughing, allowing the body to fully heal and clean out the lingering irritation.
Please do not come in for a session if you are still contagious. Wait 2 days after starting antibiotics or until the doctor says you are not contagious. Take the time to rest, and respect your therapists’ health.
