Love With a Healing Touch
by Karen Kowal, RN, LMT, NCTMB

 Ahhhhhhhhhh. The Heartbeat Pillow ™ comforts, warms and heals with a light and gentle touch that reaches the deepest physiological and psychological centers of the body. Designed by a registered nurse, who is also a certified massage therapist, these heart-shaped pillows embrace both Holistic (treating the whole person, body, mind and spirit) healing traditions.

This heart-shaped pillow offers a ‘touch of love’ when it is warmed (use the microwave) and placed over the heart or on the chest. Professionals ranging from cardiac specialists to pain management health professionals, counselors and massage therapists have endorsed these therapeutic products.

The Heartbeat Pillows™ are effective because they can provide;

~ Hot/Cold Therapy…Warm will increase circulation, relax muscles, decrease pain, increase oxygen and provide a general relaxed state which often leads to deeper breathing and over-all relaxation response. Chill to decrease swelling, to decrease pain with a new injury or strain and to aid circulation to deep tissues.

~ Compression caused by the gentle weight of the pillow against the sternum and chest muscles and surrounding tissues. This, like acupressure and massage, will help reduce swelling and aid the cell waste materials to the lymphatic system.

~ The aromatherapy is created as warming the flax pillow activates the oils in the dried herbal blends. As we inhale select herbs and spices, the molecules are released and can be absorbed. They can affect relaxation, increase concentration or choose one that is a blend of herbs for colds and congestion. These natural herbal aromas affect the body and the limbic centers of the brain associated with memories and emotions. The herbal blends can also affect the heart rate, blood pressure and general relaxation response.

There are two sizes available. The Large Heartbeat Pillow™ is best suited for adults. A Wisconsin Hospital has used these for over 700 open-heart surgical patients. The patients use immediately post-op for cough pillows and for support (at room temperature), then take them home to warm after swelling is gone and sutures are removed (check with your personal physician), for pain management, sleep disturbances or anxiety and any feeling of depression that often follows open-heart surgery.

These larger heart pillows perfectly cover the shoulder for comfort after rotator cuff injury or surgery. The benefit of chilling the pillows can offer immediate relief from swelling and pain. As the healing progresses, warming the pillow reduces pain and helps during any stretching or therapy routine. This larger size pillow has been used for sleep problems, cramps or over knees. For anyone who has lost a loved one, the warmth from the pillow and the gentle weight provides comfort whenever needed night or day.

The joy of using natural approaches for various symptoms or conditions offers cost-effective treatment without side effect or drug interactions. They can be used with other treatments, easily and without danger. Massage therapists use the pillow to relax clients' tense muscles during a session as well as  to increase the benefits of the massage session.

A Michigan study in 2001 directed by Nurse-Practitioners has found wide ranging benefits of the use of the cold/hot flax packs…including being more cost-effective than prescriptions, available for immediate relief of pain, anytime night or day and the decided absence of any side-effects during use. This trial focused on Home Health clients who were seniors who experienced chronic pain.

The Little Heartbeat Pillow ™ is a perfect size for children …any age! Bright fun or sweet fabric designs (removable and washable 100% cotton covers) can catch the eye of any age.

This size is perfect for use when rocking a little one. Warming and relaxing helps sleep come quickly. During the toddler years, the warmed heart pillow at bedtime helps develop a gentle bedtime routine. These Little Heartbeat Pillows™ are often called "Time-Out Pillows" as they can be used during those grumpy, whining or overactive times all children seem to have. Warm the pillow and have your child take a short ‘time-out’ as the pillow helps calm and relax. This teaches the child a lesson of self-nurturing and prevents escalation of adult tempers as children test our patience. So much better than raising your voice and repeating yourself with the same request 20 times and then losing it. This is really a tool for both the child AND parents. Helps the adult focus on the behavior… and yet, show love to the child.

When earaches come along, or tummy aches, colds or ‘boo boos’, this Little Heartbeat Pillow™ is the perfect comfort and pain relief approach. Chill for times of bumps and bruises… this is much easier to tolerate than dripping ice.

If a Little Heartbeat Pillow™ sounds interesting, we offer them in a  variety of printed fabrics and herbal blends.

If you have any questions for Karen, Please send them to her at:

Karen@MotherEarthPillows.com
Karen Kowal, R.N., NCTMB, CEO/President