Introduction
Handwarming is a technique to increase blood volume to body parts.  Mental imaging and frequently repeated thoughts transfer to nerve activity that quiets the sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system activity resulting in dilation of blood vessels.  Sympathetic quieting inhibits bladder contractions.

To accomplish this:
1. Focus your attention to your hands and say to yourself,  “My hands are warmer and warmer, warmth is flowing into my hands, warmer and warmer.”
2.  “Think of the warmest color and surround your hands and wrists with that color.  Let that color flow into your hands, deep into the fingers, palms, wrists while they get warmer and warmer.”
3. “Visualize the warmest place your hands can be:  holding a warm cup of hot chocolate, holding your hands over a camp fire or radiator, or slipping your hands and feet in the hot sand of a beach on a summer day.”

To accomplish a resetting of the autonomic nervous system, to slow the high idle, it is necessary to practice the techniques that quiet the sympathetic system frequently for short periods.  The instructions are: “Practice hourly for 30-60 seconds” whenever you are.  No one will know you are doing it.  Put colored dots up around your work and home or wear a watch that buzzes every hour to remind you.

Then hourly do:
• 7-8 slow, low diaphragmatic breaths
• 7-8 repetitions of handwarming
• Release jaw, quiet shoulders, quiet chest

Contact us
Rehabilitation Services
Fairview Red Wing Medical Center
701 Fairview Blvd.
PO Box 95
Red Wing, MN 55066
651-267-5450