hydrotherapy

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More about Hydrotherapy: Purpose Preparations Precautions Side effects Research and general acceptance Resources

Definition

Hydrotherapy, or water therapy, is the use of water (hot, cold, steam, or ice) to relieve discomfort and promote physical well-being.

Description

The therapeutic use of water has a long history. Ruins of an ancient bath were unearthed in Pakistan and date as far back as 4500 B.C. Bathhouses were an essential part of ancient Roman culture. The use of steam, baths, and aromatic massage to promote well being is documented since the first century. Roman physicians Galen and Celsus wrote of treating patients with warm and cold baths in order to prevent disease.

By the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, bath-houses were extremely popular with the public throughout Europe. Public bathhouses made their first American appearance in the mid 1700s.

In the early nineteenth century, Sebastien Kneipp, a Bavarian priest and proponent of water healing, began treating his parishioners with cold water applications after he himself was cured of tuberculosis through the same methods. Kneipp wrote extensively on the subject, and opened a series of hydrotherapy clinics known as the Kneipp clinics, which are still in operation today. Around the same time in Austria, Vincenz Priessnitz was treating patients with baths, packs, and showers of cold spring water. Priessnitz also opened a spa that treated over 1,500 patients in its first year of operation, and became a model for physicians and other specialists to learn the techniques of hydrotherapy.

Water can be used therapeutically in a number of ways. Common forms of hydrotherapy include:

• Whirlpools, jacuzzis, and hot tubs. These soaking tubs use jet streams to massage the body. They are frequently used by physical therapists to help injured patients regain muscle strength and to soothe joint and muscle pain. Some midwives and obstetricians also approve of the use of hot tubs to soothe the pain of labor.
• Pools and Hubbard tanks. Physical therapists and rehabilitation specialists may prescribe underwater pool exercises as a low-impact method of rebuilding muscle strength in injured patients. The buoyancy experienced during pool immersion also helps ease pain in conditions such as arthritis.
• Baths. Tepid baths are prescribed to reduce a fever. Baths are also one of the oldest forms of relaxation therapy. Aromatherapists often recommend adding essential oils of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) to a warm to hot bath to promote relaxation and stress reduction. Adding Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) or Dead Sea salts to a bath can also promote relaxation and soothe rheumatism and arthritis.
• Showers. Showers are often prescribed to stimulate the circulation. Water jets from a shower head are also used to massage sore muscles.
• Moist compresses. Cold, moist compresses can reduce swelling and inflammation of an injury. They can also be used to cool a fever and treat a headache. Hot or warm compresses are useful for soothing muscle aches and treating abscesses.
• Steam treatments and saunas. Steam rooms and saunas are recommended to open the skin pores and cleanse the body of toxins. Steam inhalation is prescribed to treat respiratory infections. Adding botanicals to the steam bath can increase its therapeutic value.
• Internal hydrotherapy. Colonic irrigation is an enema that is designed to cleanse the entire bowel. Proponents of the therapy say it can cure a number of digestive problems. Douching, another form of internal hydrotherapy, directs a stream of water into the vagina for cleansing purposes. The water may or may not contain medications or other substances. Douches can be self-administered with kits available at most drug stores.

— Paula Ford-Martin; J. Ricker Polsdorfer, MD

External use of water in the medical treatment of certain diseases.

Hydrotherapy, the use of water to treat disorders, has been popular since the time of the ancient Romans. It continues to be used to treat sprains, strains, and other muscle injuries. Injured athletes often rehabilitate by exercising in swimming pools. See also aquarobics and flotation therapy.

An empirical adjunct to oral physiotherapy where forced water irrigation is used to cleanse subgingival spaces, remove debris from interproximal spaces, and cleanse pockets.

Definition

Hydrotherapy, or water therapy, is the use of water (hot, cold, steam, or ice) to relieve discomfort and promote physical well-being.

Origins

The therapeutic use of water has a long history. Ruins of an ancient bath were unearthed in Pakistan and date as far back as 4500 B.C. Bathhouses were an essential part of ancient Roman culture. The use of steam, baths, and aromatic massage to promote well being is documented since the first century. Roman physicians Galen and Celsus wrote of treating patients with warm and cold baths in order to prevent disease.

By the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, bath-houses were extremely popular with the public throughout Europe. Public bathhouses made their first American appearance in the mid 1700s.

In the early nineteenth century, Sebastien Kneipp, a Bavarian priest and proponent of water healing, began treating his parishioners with cold water applications after he himself was cured of tuberculosis through the same methods. Kneipp wrote extensively on the subject, and opened a series of hydrotherapy clinics known as the Kneipp clinics, which are still in operation today. Around the same time in Austria, Vincenz Priessnitz was treating patients with baths, packs, and showers of cold spring water. Priessnitz also opened a spa that treated over 1,500 patients in its first year of operation, and became a model for physicians and other specialists to learn the techniques of hydrotherapy.

Benefits

Hydrotherapy can soothe sore or inflamed muscles and joints, rehabilitate injured limbs, lower fevers, soothe headaches, promote relaxation, treat burns and frostbite, ease labor pains, and clear up skin problems. The temperature of water used affects the therapeutic properties of the treatment. Hot water is chosen for its relaxing properties. It is also thought to stimulate the immune system. Tepid water can also be used for stress reduction, and may be particularly relaxing in hot weather. Cold water is selected to reduce inflammation. Alternating hot and cold water can stimulate the circulatory system and improve the immune system. Adding herbs and essential oils to water can enhance its therapeutic value. Steam is frequently used as a carrier for essential oils that are inhaled to treat respiratory problems.

Since the late 1990s, hydrotherapy has been used in critical care units to treat a variety of serious conditions, including such disorders of the nervous system as Guil-lain-Barré syndrome.

Description

Water can be used therapeutically in a number of ways. Common forms of hydrotherapy include:

• Whirlpools, Jacuzzis, and hot tubs. These soaking tubs use jet streams to massage the body. They are frequently used by physical therapists to help injured patients regain muscle strength and to soothe joint and muscle pain. Some midwives and obstetricians also approve of the use of hot tubs to soothe the pain of labor.
• Pools and Hubbard tanks. Physical therapists and rehabilitation specialists may prescribe underwater pool exercises as a low-impact method of rebuilding muscle strength in injured patients. The buoyancy experienced during pool immersion also helps ease pain in such conditions as arthritis. The Arthritis Foundation has put together a set of Aquatic Program exercises that have been shown to improve isometric strength and range of motion in osteoarthritis patients.

• Baths. Tepid baths are prescribed to reduce a fever. Baths are also one of the oldest forms of relaxation therapy. Aromatherapists often recommend adding essential oils of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) to a warm to hot bath to promote relaxation and stress reduction. Adding Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) or Dead Sea salts to a bath can also promote relaxation and soothe rheumatism and arthritis.
• Showers. Showers are often prescribed to stimulate the circulation. Water jets from a shower head are also used to massage sore muscles. In addition, showering hydrotherapy has been shown to be preferable to immersion hydrotherapy for treating burn patients.
• Moist compresses. Cold, moist compresses can reduce swelling and inflammation of an injury. They can also be used to cool a fever and treat a headache. Hot or warm compresses are useful for soothing muscle aches and treating abscesses.
• Steam treatments and saunas. Steam rooms and saunas are recommended to open the skin pores and cleanse the body of toxins. Steam inhalation is prescribed to treat respiratory infections. Adding botanicals to the steam bath can increase its therapeutic value.
• Internal hydrotherapy. Colonic irrigation is an enema that is designed to cleanse the entire bowel. Proponents of the therapy say it can cure a number of digestive problems. Douching, another form of internal hydrotherapy, directs a stream of water into the vagina for cleansing purposes. The water may or may not contain medications or other substances. Douches can be self-administered with kits available at most drug stores.

Preparations

Because of the expense of the equipment and the expertise required to administer effective treatment, hydrotherapy with pools, whirlpools, Hubbard tanks, and saunas is best taken in a professional healthcare facility, and/or under the supervision of a healthcare professional. However, baths, steam inhalation treatments, and compresses can be easily administered at home.

Bath Preparations

Warm to hot bath water should be used for relaxation purposes, and a tepid bath is recommended for reducing fevers. Herbs can greatly enhance the therapeutic value of the bath for a variety of illnesses and minor discomforts.

Herbs for the bath can be added to the bath in two ways—as essential oils or whole herbs and flowers. Whole herbs and flowers can be placed in a muslin or cheesecloth bag that is tied at the top to make an herbal bath bag. The herbal bath bag is then soaked in the warm tub, and can remain there throughout the bath. When using essential oils, add five to 10 drops of oil to a full tub. Oils can be combined to enhance their therapeutic value. Marjoram (Origanum marjorana) is good for relieving sore muscles; juniper (Juniperus communis) is recommended as a detoxifying agent for the treatment of arthritis; lavender, ylang ylang (Conanga odorata), and chamomile (Chamaemelum nobilis) are recommended for stress relief; cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), yarrow (Achillea millefolium), geranium (Pelargonium graveolens), clary sage (Salvia sclaria), and myrtle (Myrtus communis) can promote healing of hemorrhoids; and spike lavender and juniper (Juniperus communis) are recommended for rheumatism.

To prepare salts for the bath, add one or two handfuls of Epsom salts or Dead Sea salts to boiling water until they are dissolved, and then add them to the tub.

A sitz bath, or hip bath, can also be taken at home to treat hemorrhoids and promote healing of an episiotomy. There is an special apparatus available for taking a seated sitz bath, but it can also be taken in a regular tub partially filled with warm water.

Steam Inhalation

Steam inhalation treatments can be easily administered with a bowl of steaming water and a large towel. For colds and other conditions with nasal congestion, aromatherapists recommend adding five drops of an essential oil that has decongestant properties, such as peppermint (Mentha piperita) and eucalyptus blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus). Oils that act as expectorants, such as myrtle (Myrtus communis) or rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), can also be used. After the oil is added, the individual should lean over the bowl of water and place the towel over the head to trap the steam. After approximately three minutes of inhaling the steam with eyes closed, the towel can be removed.

Other herbs and essential oils that can be beneficial in steam inhalation include:

• Tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) for bronchitis and sinus infections.
• Sandalwood (Santalum album), virginian cedarwood (Juniperus virginiana), and frankincense (Boswellia carteri) for sore throat.
• Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris) for cough.

Compresses

A cold compress is prepared by soaking a cloth or cotton pad in cold water and then applying it to the area of injury or distress. When the cloth reaches room temperature, it should be resoaked and reapplied. Applying gentle pressure to the compress with the hand may be useful. Cold compresses are generally used to reduce swelling, minimize bruising, and to treat headaches and sprains.

Warm or hot compresses are used to treat abscesses and muscle aches. A warm compress is prepared in the same manner as a cold compress, except steaming water is used to wet the cloth instead of cold water. Warm compresses should be refreshed and reapplied after they cool to room temperature.

Essential oils may be added to moist compresses to increase the therapeutic value of the treatment. Peppermint, a cooling oil, is especially effective when added to cold compresses. To add oils to compresses, place five drops of the oil into the bowl of water the compress is to be soaked in. Never apply essential oils directly to a cloth, as they may irritate the skin in undiluted form.

Precautions

Individuals with paralysis, frostbite, or other conditions that impair the nerve endings and cause reduced sensation should take hydrotherapy treatments only under the guidance of a trained hydrotherapist, physical therapist, or other appropriate healthcare professional. Because these individuals cannot accurately sense temperature changes in the water, they run the risk of being seriously burned without proper supervision. Diabetics and people with hypertension should also consult their healthcare professional before using hot tubs or other heat hydrotherapies.

Hot tubs, Jacuzzis, and pools can become breeding grounds for bacteria and other infectious organisms if they are not cleaned regularly, maintained properly, kept at the appropriate temperatures, and treated with the proper chemicals. Individuals should check with their healthcare provider to ensure that the hydrotherapy equipment they are using is sanitary. Those who are using hot tubs and other hydrotherapy equipment in their homes should follow the directions for use and maintenance provided by the original equipment manufacturer.

Certain essential oils should not be used by pregnant or nursing women or by people with specific illnesses or physical conditions. Individuals suffering from any chronic or acute health condition should inform their healthcare provider before starting treatment with any essential oil.

Such essential oils as cinnamon leaf, juniper, lemon, eucalyptus blue gum, peppermint, and thyme can be extremely irritating to the skin if applied in full concentration. Oils used in hydrotherapy should always be diluted in water before they are applied to the skin. Individuals should never apply essential oils directly to the skin unless directed to do so by a trained healthcare professional and/or aromatherapist.

Colonic irrigation should be performed only by a healthcare professional. Pregnant women should never douche, as the practice can introduce bacteria into the vagina and uterus. They should also avoid using hot tubs without the consent of their healthcare provider.

The vagina is self-cleansing, and douches have been known to upset the balance of vaginal pH and flora, promoting vaginitis and other infections. Some studies have linked excessive vaginal douching to increased incidence of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

Side Effects

Most forms of hydrotherapy are well tolerated. There is a risk of allergic reaction (also known as contact dermatitis) for some patients using essential oils and herbs in their bath water. These individuals may want to test for allergic sensitization to herbs by performing a skin patch test (i.e., rubbing a small amount of diluted herb on the inside of their elbow and observing the spot for redness and irritation). People who experience an allergic reaction to an essential oil should discontinue its use and contact their healthcare professional for further guidance.

The most serious possible side effect of hydrotherapy is overheating, which may occur when an individual spends too much time in a hot tub or Jacuzzi. However, when properly supervised, this is a minimal risk.

Research & General Acceptance

Hydrotherapy treatments are used by both allopathic and complementary medicine to treat a wide variety of discomforts and disorders. Not as well accepted are invasive hydrotherapy techniques, such as colonic irrigation, enemas, and douching. These internal cleansing techniques can actually harm an individual by upsetting the natural balance of the digestive tract and the vagina. Most conventional medical professionals agree that vaginal douches are not necessary to promote hygiene in most women, and can actually do more harm than good.

Training & Certification

Hydrotherapy is practiced by a number of physical therapists, medical doctors (especially those specializing in rehabilitation), nurses, and naturopathic physicians. Medical doctors, physical therapists, and nurses are licensed throughout the United States. Naturopaths are licensed in a number of states. Aromatherapists, who frequently recommend water-based treatments with herbs and essential oils, are not licensed, although there are certification programs available for practitioners.

Resources

Books

Chaitow, Leon. Hydrotherapy: Water Therapy for Health and Beauty. Boston: Element Books, 1999.

Lawless, Julia. The Complete Illustrated Guide to Aromatherapy. Boston: Element Books, 1997.

Pelletier, Dr. Kenneth R. The Best Alternative Medicine, Part I: Naturopathic Medicine. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2002.

Periodicals

Baird, Carol L. "First-Line Treatment for Osteoarthritis: Part 2: Nonpharmacologic Interventions and Evaluation." Orthopaedic Nursing 20 (November-December 2001): 13–20.

Barker, K. L., H. Dawes, P. Hansford, and D. Shamley. "Perceived and Measured Levels of Exertion of Patients with Chronic Back Pain Exercising in a Hydrotherapy Pool." Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 84 (September 2003): 1319–1323.

Cider, A., M. Schaufelberger, K. S. Sunnerhagen, and B. Andersson. "Hydrotherapy—A New Approach to Improve Function in the Older Patient with Chronic Heart Failure." European Journal of Heart Failure 5 (August 2003): 527–535.

Johnson, Kate. "Hydrotherapy Greatly Eases Delivery Stress, Pain." OB GYN News 34 (November 1999): 27.

Keegan, L. "Therapies to Reduce Stress and Anxiety." Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America 15 (September 2003): 321–327.

Mayhall, C. G. "The Epidemiology of Burn Wound Infections: Then and Now." Clinical Infectious Diseases 37 (August 15, 2003): 543–550.

Molter, N. C. "Creating a Healing Environment for Critical Care." Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America 15 (September 2003): 295–304.

Taylor, S. "The Ventilated Patient Undergoing Hydrotherapy: A Case Study." Australian Critical Care 16 (August 2003): 111–115.

Organizations

American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. 8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 300, McLean, Virginia 22102. (206) 298-0126. .

Canadian Naturopathic Association/Association canadienne de naturopathie. 1255 Sheppard Avenue East at Leslie, North York, ON M2K 1E2. (800) 551-4381 or (416) 496-8633. .

[Article by: Paula Ford-Martin; Rebecca J. Frey, PhD]

For more information on hydrotherapy, visit Britannica.com.

The use of water to treat disorders. Hydrotherapy has been used successfully to treat sprains, strains. contusions, tendinitis, and tenosynovitis. Water is also often used as an exercise medium after surgery, immobilization, or illness (e.g. chronic fatigue syndrome) to help athletes regain mobility and physical fitness. Because of the buoyancy provided by water, such exercises put less mechanical stress on the joints and bones than land-based exercises. Usually low temperatures (8-12 °C) are used in the initial hydrotherapy of sports injuries, because hot water may exacerbate bleeding.

The external use of water in the treatment of disease and injury.
Because of its physical properties related to the conduction of heat, buoyancy and cleansing action, water is an ideal agent for applications of heat (1) and cold (2) to obtain desired physiological effects, débridement of wounds that are extensive and not easily cleansed by other methods, and the implementation of programs of therapeutic exercise. See also whirlpool bath.

Hubbard Tub with wooden patient lift.

For hydrotherapy in dogs, see Canine hydrotherapy.

For the measure of how hydrophobic a molecule is in chemistry, see Hydropathy index.

Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy involves the use of water for soothing pains and treating diseases.

Its use has been recorded in ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations. Egyptian royalty bathed with essential oils and flowers, while Romans had communal public baths for their citizens. Hippocrates prescribed bathing in spring water for sickness. A Dominican monk, Sebastian Kneipp, again revived it during the 19th century. His book My Water Cure in 1886 was published and translated into many languages.

The use of water to treat rheumatic diseases has a long history. Today, hydrotherapy is used to treat musculoskeletal disorders such as arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, or spinal cord injuries and in patients suffering burns, spasticity, stroke or paralysis. It is also used to treat orthopedic and neurological conditions in dogs and horses and to improve fitness.

According to the International SPA Association (ISPA), hydrotherapy has long been a staple in European spas. It's the generic term for water therapies using jets, underwater massage and mineral baths (e.g. balneotherapy, Iodine-Grine therapy, Kneipp treatments, Scotch hose, Swiss shower, thalassotherapy) and others. It also can mean a whirlpool bath, hot Roman pool, hot tub, Jacuzzi, cold plunge and mineral bath. These treatments use physical water properties, such as temperature and pressure, for therapeutic purposes, to stimulate blood circulation and treat the symptoms of certain diseases.

Contents 1 Historical background 1.1 Cold water bathing and drinking 1.2 The use of heat 1.3 State of the field at the beginning of the 1900s 1.3.1 Forms of hydrotherapy 1.3.1.1 Packings 1.3.1.2 Hot air baths 1.3.1.3 General baths 1.3.1.4 Local baths 1.3.1.5 Compresses 1.3.1.6 Other 2 Effects of modern medicine 3 Submersive hydrotherapy 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading

Historical background

Hydrotherapy in general dates back to ancient cultures from China, Japan (onsen), and most recently to the Roman thermae. After an oblivion during the Middle Ages, hydrotherapy was rediscovered during the 18th and 19th centuries by J.S.Hahn (1696-1773), MD, Vincent Priessnitz, Oertel (1764-1850), and Rausse (1805-1848). In Woerrishofen (south Germany) Sebastian Kneipp developed the systematic and controlled application of hydrotherapy for the support of medical treatment that was delivered only by doctors at that time.

Cold water bathing and drinking

Hydrotherapy as a formal medical tool dates from about 1829 when Vincent Priessnitz, a farmer of Gräfenberg in Silesia, Austrian Empire, began his public career in the paternal homestead, extended so as to accommodate the increasing numbers attracted by the fame of his cures. Two English works, however, on the medical uses of water had been translated into German in the century preceding the rise of the movement under Priessnitz. One of these was by Sir John Floyer, a physician of Lichfield, who, struck by the remedial use of certain springs by the neighboring peasantry, investigated the history of cold bathing and published in 1702 his IvxpoXovoLa, or the History of Cold Bathing, both Ancient and Modern. The book ran through six editions within a few years and the translation was largely drawn upon by Dr J. S. Hahn of Silesia in a work published in 1738 On the Healing Virtues of Cold Water, Inwardly and Outwardly applied, as proved by Experience. The other work was that of Dr James Currie of Liverpool entitled Medical Reports on the Effects of Water, Cold and Warm, as a remedy in Fevers and other Diseases published in 1797 and soon after translated into German by Michaelis (1801) and Hegewisch (1807). It was highly popular and first placed the subject on a scientific basis. Hahn's writings had meanwhile created much enthusiasm among his countrymen, societies having been everywhere formed to promote the medicinal and dietetic use of water; and in 1804 Professor Ortel of Ansbach republished them and quickened the popular movement by unqualified commendation of water drinking as a remedy for all diseases. In him the rising Priessnitz found a zealous advocate, and doubtless an instructor also.

At Gräfenberg, to which the fame of Priessnitz drew people of every rank and many countries, medical men were conspicuous by their numbers, some being attracted by curiosity, others by the desire of knowledge, but the majority by the hope of cure for ailments which had as yet proved incurable. Many records of experiences at Gräfenberg were published, all more or less favorable to the claims of Priessnitz, and some enthusiastic in their estimate of his genius and penetration; Captain Claridge introduced hydropathy into England in 1840, his writings and lectures, and later those of Sir W. Erasmus Wilson (1809–1884), James Manby Gully and Edward Johnson, making numerous converts, and filling the establishments opened soon after at Islalvern and elsewhere. In Germany, France and America hydropathic establishments multiplied with great rapidity. Antagonism ran high between the old practice and the new. Unsparing condemnation was heaped by each on the other; and a legal prosecution, leading to a royal commission of inquiry, served but to make Priessnitz and his system stand higher in public estimation.

Increasing popularity soon diminished caution whether the new method would help minor ailments and be of benefit to the more seriously injured. Hydropathists to occupied themselves mainly with studying chronic invalids well able to bear a rigorous regimen and the severities of unrestricted crisis. The need of a radical adaptation to the former class was first adequately recognized by John Smedley, a manufacturer of Derbyshire, who, impressed in his own person with the severities as well as the benefits of the cold water cure, practised among his workpeople a milder form of hydropathy, and began about 1852 a new era in its history, founding at Matlock a counterpart of the establishment at Gräfenberg.

Ernst Brand (1826–1897) of Berlin, Raljen and Theodor von Jürgensen of Kiel, and Karl Liebermeister of Basel, between 1860 and 1870, employed the cooling bath in abdominal typhus with striking results, and led to its introduction to England by Dr Wilson Fox. In the Franco-German War the cooling bath was largely employed, in conjunction frequently with quinine; and it was used in the treatment of hyperpyrexia.

The use of heat

The Turkish bath, introduced by David Urquhart into England on his return from the East, and ardently adopted by Richard Barter, became a public institution, and, with the morning tub and the general practice of water drinking, is the most noteworthy of the many contributions by hydropathy to public health.

Until around 1840, hydropathy was not common in the United States although it was popular in Europe in the 19th century. But in "Nature's Cures", Michael Castleman wrote that hundreds of 'water-cures' were located on the countryside during the Civil War.^[1]

State of the field at the beginning of the 1900s

The following material is from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica and thus represents the state of the field at the beginning of the 1900s.

Forms of hydrotherapy

Packings

The full pack consists of a wet sheet enveloping the body, with a number of dry blankets packed tightly over it, including a macintosh covering or not. In an hour or less these are removed and a general bath administered. The pack is a derivative, sedative, sudorific and stimulator of cutaneous excretion. The trapped body heat causes the patient to be warmed. There are numerous modifications of it, notably the cooling pack, where the wrappings are loose and scanty, permitting evaporation, and the application of indefinite duration, the sheet being rewetted as it dries; this was used to deal with fever. There are also local packs, to trunk, limbs or head separately, which are derivative, soothing or stimulating, according to circumstance and detail.

Hot air baths

Hot air baths or saunas, the chief of which is the Turkish (properly, the Roman) bath, consisting of two or more chambers ranging in temperature from 50°C to 100°C or higher, but mainly used at 66°C for curative purposes. Exposure is from twenty minutes up to two hours according to the effect sought, and is followed by a general bath, and occasionally by soaping and shampooing. It is stimulating, derivative, depurative, sudorific and alternative, powerfully promoting tissue change by increase of the natural waste and repair. It determines the blood to the surface, reducing internal congestions, is a potent diaphoretic, and, through the extremes of heat and cold, is an effective nervous and vascular stimulant and tonic. Morbid growths and secretions, as also the uraemic, gouty and rheumatic diathesis, were believed to be beneficially influenced by it. The full pack and Turkish bath for a while seemed to be replacing the once familiar hot bath.

General baths

General baths comprise the rain (or needle), spray (or rose), shower, shallow, plunge, douche, wave and common morning sponge baths, with the dripping sheet, and hot and cold spongings, and are combinations, as a rule, of hot and cold water.

Local baths

Local baths comprise the sitz, douche (or spouting), spinal, foot and head baths, of hot or cold water, singly or in combination, successive or alternate. The sitz, head and foot baths are used flowing on occasion. The application of cold by Leiters tubes was believed to be effective for reducing inflammation (e.g. in meningitis and in sunstroke); in these a network of metal or indiarubber tubing is fitted to the part affected, and cold water kept continuously flowing through them. Rapid alternations of hot and cold water was believed to have a powerful effect in vascular stasis and lethargy of the nervous system and absorbents, benefitting local congestions and chronic inflammations.

Compresses

Bandages (or compresses) are of two kinds,cooling, of wet material left exposed for evaporation, used in local infiammations and fevers; and heating, of the same, covered with waterproof material, used in congestion, external or internal, for short or long periods. Poultices, warm, of bread, linseed, bran, &c., changed but twice in twenty-four hours, are identical in action with the heating bandage, and superior only in the greater warmth and consequent vital activity their closer application to the skin ensures.

Other

Fomentations and poultices, hot or cold, sinapisms, stupes, rubefacients, irritants, frictions, kneadings, calisthenics, gymnastics, electricity, &c., are adjuncts largely employed.

Effects of modern medicine

Modern medicine's successes, particularly with drug therapy, removed or replaced many water-related therapies during the mid-20th century. Water is now used mostly in physical therapy, as a cleansing agent, and a medium for delivery of heat and cold to the body.

Various forms of hydrotherapy were used to treat alcoholism before World War II ^{[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]} and is used today in alternative medicine. ^[7] For instance, the basic text of the Alcoholics Anonymous fellowship, Alcoholics Anonymous, reports that A.A. co-founder Bill Wilson was treated by hydrotherapy for his alcoholism in the early 1930s. ^[8]

The appliances and arrangements by means of which heat and cold are brought to bear are (a) packings, hot and cold, general and local, sweating and cooling; (b) hot air and steam baths; (c) general baths, of hot water and cold; (d) sitz, spinal, head and foot baths; (e) bandages (or compresses), wet and dry; also (f) fomentations and poultices, hot and cold, sinapisms, stupes, rubbings and water potations, hot and cold.

Submersive hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy which involves submerging all or part of the body in water can involve several types of equipment:

• Full body immersion tanks (a "Hubbard tank" is a large size)
• Arm, hip, and leg whirlpool

Whirling water movement, provided by mechanical pumps, has been used in water tanks since at least the 1940s. Similar technologies have been marketed for recreational use under the terms "hot tub" or "spa".

See also

• balneotherapy or "Bath Therapy"
• Finnish sauna
• hot tub
• Hydropathic establishment
• Sebastian Kneipp
• spa bath
• steam shower
• thalassotherapy
• Spa
• water therapy

References

1. ^ ["The Healing Bath"] Karyn Siegel-Maier - Better Nutrition Magazine
2. ^ Stedman, T.L. Twentieth Century Practice: An Inrternational Encyclopedia of Medical Science, NY: William Wood & Co., 1895-1903
3. ^ Baruch, S. The Principles and Practices of Hydrotherapy, NY: William Wood & Co., 1908
4. ^ Hinsdale, G. Hydrotherapy: A Work on Hydrotherapy in General, Philadelphia, PA: Saunders, 1910
5. ^ Abbott, G.K. Hydrotherapy for Students and Practioners of Medicine. Loma Linda, CA: College Press, 1911
6. ^ Urse, V.G. Alcoholic mental disorders, American Journal of Nursing, 1937, 37(3), 225-243
7. ^ Trivieri, L, & Anderson, J. W. Alernative Medicine: The Definitive Guide Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts, 2002
8. ^ Alcoholics Anonymous. Alcoholics Anonymous, New York City: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 2001, p.7

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

Further reading

• Landewé, Rb; Peeters, R; Verreussel, Rl; Masek, Ba; Goei, The, Hs (Jan 1992). "No difference in effectiveness measured between treatment in a thermal bath and in an exercise bath in patients with rheumatoid arthritis" (Free full text). Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde 136 (4): 173–6. ISSN 0028-2162. PMID 1736128. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/jointdisorders.html. 
• Grüber, C; Riesberg, A; Mansmann, U; Knipschild, P; Wahn, U; Bühring, M (Mar 2003). "The effect of hydrotherapy on the incidence of common cold episodes in children: a randomised clinical trial". European journal of pediatrics 162 (3): 168–76. doi:10.1007/s00431-002-1138-y. PMID 12655421. 

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - vandkur, hydroterapi

Nederlands (Dutch)
hydrotherapie, onderwater- geneeskunde

Français (French)
n. - hydrothérapie

Deutsch (German)
n. - Störungsbehandlung durch Wasseranwendung

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (ιατρ.) υδροθεραπεία

Italiano (Italian)
idroterapia

Português (Portuguese)
n. - hidroterapia (f) (Terap.)

Русский (Russian)
гидротерапия

Español (Spanish)
n. - hidroterapia

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - hydroterapi, vattenkur

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
水治疗法

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 水治療法

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 수치요법

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 水治療法

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) المعالجه المائيه العلميه, معالجه الامراض بالماء بطريقه علميه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮ריפוי במים‬

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