Aquatic Therapy, Water Therapy or Hydrotherapy

Introduced to Britain by bathhouse-loving Romans, hydrotherapy is now recognized for its potential to promote well-being, reduce anxiety and alleviate chronic pain - and you don't even have to be able to swim to reap the rewards

What is it?
It's believed that the thermal properties of water assist healing. The body's reaction to hot and cold water causes the nerves at the surface of the skin to carry impulses deep into the body. This reaction is thought to lessen pain sensitivity, stimulate the immune system, aid lymphatic drainage and increase blood circulation. So, whether you're taking a long, languorous bath, standing under an icy-cold shower, or spending two hours in a saline flotation tank, you are in effect harnessing the healing power of water.

What is hydrotherapy?

The benefits of “water healing,” or hydrotherapy have been recognized for thousands of years.
Water healing is one of the oldest, cheapest and safest methods for treating many common ailments. We know from personal experience that water is not just for cleansing, but for making us feel better. When you settle into that tub of hot water, after a strenuous day, you know you’ll feel much better when you’re done, for hot water relieves fatigue and prevents stiffness.

Water healing at home couldn’t be simpler. Walk-in baths are good for whole body treatments. In the whole body treatment, the water has to come to shoulder level. You will also be treating your bottom, hips, and lower abdomen. Then there is the foot bath, the vapor bath, and various others concentrating on specific parts of the body. Adding various healing herbs to the water increases the value of the bath.

The Full Bath should be about 90 to 95F (32 to 35C) and shoulder deep. A warm bath is soothing to the nerves and helpful for bladder and urinary problems, mild colds, and low fevers. Adding herbs helps to soften and moisturize, and can stimulate or relax. The hot bath should last at least 20 minutes.

Hydrotherapy is especially beneficial for ailments affecting the abdomen and the reproductive system, inflammations, pelvic congestion, cramps, hemorrhoids, menstrual problems, and kidney and intestinal pains.

For tired feet, a warm Hydrotherapy foot-bath is recommended. While an alternating hot and cold foot-bath is said to promote circulation in the legs, help varicose veins, insomnia, headache and high blood pressure.

Remember that the application of heat is soothing, easing muscle tension and relieving pain. Heat also improves circulation by causing blood vessels to dilate. Cold can either be stimulating or soothing.

Water healing is helpful in maintaining metabolic function, and in making us feel much better, and is easily accomplished right in our own homes.

You can use baths to either immerse the entire body or simply the affected body part. Hot full-immersion baths can help with arthritic discomfort and conditions where muscles are in painful spasm, such as fibromyalgia. For a neutral (or tepid) bath the temperature should be neither too hot nor too cold. These are mainly used for relaxation purposes and to treat stress-related ailments such as insomnia, anxiety, and nervous exhaustion. Cool baths can relieve irritation and itching caused by hives or other skin disorders.

Fibromyalgia - Exercise in warm water is good start, study says

by medical journalist Evra Taylor Levy and emergency physician Eddy

In the world of medicine, many diseases and conditions are clear-cut and relatively easy to diagnose and treat. Unfortunately, fibromyalgia isn't one of these, but the ambiguity of the symptoms doesn't diminish the very real pain its sufferers experience. This week's HealthWatch takes a closer look at this debilitating illness and some recent research that suggests relief might be found at the pool.

What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is an increasingly common chronic condition that has stricken roughly 3% of world population. It afflicts women at least four times more often than men and often occurs after the age of 50, sometimes worsening with age.
It affects the muscles and tendons and ligaments, which connect muscles to bones. Its main symptoms are fatigue, muscle spasms, weakness, stiffness, and pain in the joints and muscles in areas of the body known as trigger points or tender points. Some of these are located in the neck, shoulder, back and thighs and can be extremely sensitive to even light touch. Rheumatologists, who are the doctors specialized in the care of this condition, make the diagnosis in part by probing these points: a painful reaction is often a sign of fibromyalgia.
There isn't one definitive cause of fibromyalgia, but physical trauma, like a car accident, can trigger it.

Hydrotherapy and Exercise for Pulmonary Disease

Researchers at the Division of Rehabilitation, Kusatsu Branch Hospital, Gunma University Hospital, Japan have found that exercise in hot spring water may be a useful aid to patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Respiratory function and arterial blood gas were examined before and after a two-month exercise program performed in a pool filled with hot spring water.

Twenty two patients (average age 71 years old) with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (12 cases of bronchial asthma and 10 cases of pulmonary emphysema) were treated between 1991 and 1994.

Breathing was significantly improved after the exercise combined with hydrotherapy program

Kurabayashi H; Kubota K; Machida I; Tamura K; Take H; Shirakura T Effective physical therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Pilot study of exercise in hot spring water. Am J Phys Med Rehabil (UNITED STATES) May-Jun 1997, 76 (3) p204-7

Hydrotherapy Improve Walking For Primary Varicose Veins

Many naturopaths have traditionally recommended hydrotherapy to aid venous circulation and alleviate symptoms for patients suffering with varicose veins. A research study conducted at the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Vienna has found that the traditional wisdom of naturopaths is correct in that hydrotherapy can play an important role in the treatment of primary varicose veins.

In the study, sixty-one patients suffering from primary varicosity were divided into 2 groups, one receiving regular hydrotherapy, the other no such treatment for 3 1/2 weeks.

Objective evaluation of the competence of the venous valves showed an apparent benefit in the control group in respect to light reflex rheographic venous filling time. The leg volume changes, however, indicated a stronger and more persistent reduction in the treatment group. The same improvements were found for ankle and calf circumferences, which were reduced significantly only in patients treated with hydrotherapy. Furthermore some (although not all) of the subjective symptoms were found to be more improved in the treatment group.

In conclusion, the researchers stated that their findings suggest that primary varicose veins can be helped significantly by hydrotherapy and should be considered as an adjunct to other forms of treatment.

Ernst F; Saradeth T; Resch KL. A single blind randomised, controlled trial of hydrotherapy for varicose veins. Vasa (SWITZERLAND) 1991, 20 (2) p147-52

A Randomized and Controlled Trial of Hydrotherapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Hall J, Skevington SM, Maddison PJ, Chapman K.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of hydrotherapy which combines elements of warm water immersion and exercise.

It was predicted that hydrotherapy would result in a greater therapeutic benefit than either of these components separately. METHODS: One hundred thirty-nine patients with chronic rheumatoid arthritis were randomly assigned to hydrotherapy, seated immersion, land exercise, or progressive relaxation. Patients attended 30-minute sessions twice weekly for 4 weeks. Physical and psychological measures were completed before and after intervention, and at a 3-month followup.

RESULTS: All patients improved physically and emotionally, as assessed by the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales 2 questionnaire. Belief that pain was controlled by chance happenings decreased, signifying improvement. In addition, hydrotherapy patients showed significantly greater improvement in joint tenderness and in knee range of movement (women only). At followup, hydrotherapy patients maintained the improvement in emotional and psychological state.

CONCLUSIONS: Although all patients experienced some benefit, hydrotherapy produced the greatest improvements. This study, therefore, provides some justification for the continued use of hydrotherapy.