Discovering the benefits of hydrotherapy:

The therapeutic use of water

Hydrotherapy Uses Water to Achieve Therapeutic Benefits

Water can be used in a number of ways:

It can be applied to various areas of the body

The body, or parts of it, can be immersed in water

     ๏     Additives such as essential oils, clays or Epsom salts can be used to alter its effects

     ๏     It can be used for its buoyancy and resistance to facilitate exercise and movement

     ๏     Short, cold applications stimulate circulation

     ๏     Long cold applications (>1min) depress circulation and metabolism

     ๏     Long hot applications leave the area congested and require cold applications to restore normality

     ๏     Short, hot applications (>5mins) stimulate circulation but long, hot applications drastically depress both circulation and metabolism

•  Hot is defined as between 37 and 40ºC

     ๏     Cold is defined as 12 to 18ºC

     ๏     Ice has the effect of rapidly closing blood vessels and so helps reduce bruising

Cold Sprays

Finish your bath or shower with a cold shower for about 1 minute. 

This is a constitutional remedy, which guards against infections (Hanover Medical School, 1990).

Foot and Leg Sitz Sprays

At the end of your normal bath or shower, turn the shower to cold and spray from the soles of your feet up your legs in turn (as you reach your thighs use your hands to help accustom your thighs to the cold). Continue to let the cold water run down and over your legs for about a minute. Repeat daily, preferably at the end of each bath or shower. 

This has beneficial effects on the circulation of the legs and pelvis so helping with postural oedema, varicosities, pelvic congestion, atonic colon.

Cold Compress

Wring out a tea towel in cold water so that it is damp but not dripping wet and place directly onto the affected area. Immediately cover it with a towel and fasten snugly in place. Leave in place for at least one hour – the cloth should be dry when it is removed. Wash the cloth after use, as it will absorb waste from the skin. Repeat four times a day until relief, ideally leave on overnight.

N.B. If the cloth feels cold after about 10 minutes, remove and dry the skin briskly – your body is not responding vitally or the compress was too loose. 

Try again later.

A reflex stimulus takes place when the cold material first touches the skin, leading to a flushing away of “old” blood from the tissues and a return of fresh oxygenated blood. 

As the compress slowly warms there is a deeply relaxing effect and a reduction of pain. It is beneficial for painful joints, mastitis, sore throat, backache, bronchitis (see also chest pack).

Ice Pack

Use either a commercially available ice pack, frozen peas or crushed ice wrapped in a tea towel. 

Place on the affected area for up to half an hour as soon after injury as possible. 

Repeat after one hour and then move on to cold compresses. 

In emergencies, alternatives such as a cold bottle or canned drink can be placed on the injury, but if using a frozen surface cover the skin first to avoid burns. See R.I.C.E Protocol.

Cold compresses provide relief to injuries such as bruising, strains and sprains, bursitis, toothache, haemorrhoids, bites.

See my earlier post on How Your Body Heals for more information on why ice is so useful in limiting damage from injuries.

Hot Fomentation

Lightly wring out a hand towel in very hot water, fold and wrap in a large towel. 

Apply the insulated hot towels to the painful area and cover with another towel. 

Change to another fomentation after 5 minutes, placing a cold flannel briefly on the area between applications. 

Repeat 3 or 4 times. 

If you begin to sweat, place a cold flannel on your forehead. 

After the last fomentation is removed, rub the area briskly with a cold flannel and then rest for half an hour.

The heat of fomentations promotes sweating and elimination of toxic wastes. 

It also relaxes local spasm and relieves pain.

It is useful for muscle pain and spasm, lumbago, neuralgia, dysmenorrhoea and renal colic.

Body Packs

These are particularly useful for easing congestion and encouraging elimination in conditions such as chronic asthma, bronchitis, cough, sore throat, colitis, IBS, constipation, dysmenorrhoea, eczema, acne, cystitis, diverticulitis, hepatitis, urticaria, kidney or pelvic inflammation.

Chest Pack

You need: 

small sheet of cotton large enough to wrap round and cover your whole chest from armpits to lower ribs e.g. tea towel, pillow case

small thin towel (approx. size of sheet)

large thick towel

dressing gown

warm socks

Method:

Put on your warm socks.

Wring out the sheet in cold water and place flat on the thin towel. 

Wrap both layers round your chest with the damp sheet next to your skin and pin in place. Wrap the large towel over the top and then put on your dressing gown. 

Get into bed or otherwise relax in a warm room.

The cold, damp cotton should warm very rapidly next to your skin. 

Notes: If it fails to warm within 5 minutes, take it off and rub your skin rapidly with a dry towel; abandon the treatment for that day as your body is not responding vitally. Seek advice as to maybe trying a hot fomentation instead.

Otherwise keep the pack on for ideally 3 to 4 hours (or overnight) – the sheet should be dry when you take it off. 

Repeat the pack every 2 days (or as directed) but wash the sheet before reuse as it absorbs waste products from the skin.

Trunk Pack

You need: as for the chest pack but make sure the sheet will cover from at least your mid-chest to over your hips.

Follow directions as for the chest pack.