Hydrotherapy, or hydrotherapy is a complex of various cosmetic and medical procedures that use water. These procedures may have therapeutic, rehabilitation or prophylactic purposes. Usually hydrotherapy was applied only externally. But nowadays, internal hydrotherapy is also used for treatment. In this case, water is a cleansing substance that helps to remove toxins from the body.
History of water treatment
The healing benefits of both fresh and mineral water were known to people in ancient times, from the time of antiquity and Ancient Egypt, and maybe even earlier. Its life-giving benefits are mentioned in mythology. Ancient scholars such as Hippocrates, Pythagoras, Avicenna and many others used the healing properties of water in the treatment of many diseases.
In the Middle Ages, this knowledge was forgotten, it was remembered only in the XVIII century. The knowledge that the ancient peoples possessed was supplemented by new ones. The techniques have become more advanced, hydrotherapy as a treatment has been applied much more often.
Scientists from Europe and Russia began to study the benefits of hydrotherapy treatment, indications and contraindications at the beginning of the XIX century. In 1825, the Russian head physician Alexander Nikitin described the law of antagonism. It turns out that if a person takes a bath with cold water, then the vessels located in the skin begin to narrow, and those located in the abdominal cavity expand, but if the treatment is carried out with hot water, the opposite is true - the vessels of the abdominal cavity are narrowed, and those that are in the skin expand.
Mechanisms of action
Hydrotherapy is a treatment with water. Depending on the place of exposure, hydrotherapy can be general or local. During the general treatment of the entire surface of the body, the local procedure is done on certain areas and areas. The following types of hydrotherapy exist: chemical and mechanical, temperature. It depends on the method of exposure to the body.
Chemical exposure
If the receptors that are located in the respiratory system or on the skin are reflexively affected by chemical or temperature factors, then the nervous system gives a certain impulse, which is then transmitted to the internal organs, which in turn causes a vascular reaction.
In addition, if the patient takes mineral baths, then the medicinal substances in the water first act on the respiratory tract and skin, and then through the blood to the internal organs, causing positive changes in them.
Physical impact
The person feels the best intensity of this method of hydrotherapy at the time when he takes a bath in which the movement of water occurs. Such an example could be a hydromassage, a jacuzzi or other types of water therapeutic massage. During this procedure, the skin vessels dilate under the pressure of a stream of water.
If a person takes a bath or bathes in any body of water, his body feels hydrostatic pressure. It is impossible to determine the exact meaning of this pressure on the human body, since it depends on how much the body is immersed in water. If a person is completely immersed in a bath of water, then his limbs will experience a pressure of about 50 centimeters of water, while the chest - about 10 centimeters of water.
Acting on the vessels, such pressure narrows their gaps. Because of this, blood begins to move from the abdominal cavity and saphenous veins to the heart, increasing the load on it. To avoid this, for patients who have heart disease, baths are prescribed with a maximum immersion in water not higher than the level of the chest where this organ is located.
Temperature effect
Depending on what temperature the water is used for hydrotherapy, these may be such procedures:
- Cold The water temperature is less than 20 degrees.
- Cool. Water has 20-25 degrees.
- Warm. The water in the bath is heated to 33 degrees.
- Hot. Water temperature is about 40 degrees.
- Contrast
The use of cold water during hydrotherapeutic procedures leads to a spasm of the vessels in the skin of the patient, then they expand, and due to this the blood flow speed increases. In addition, there is an increase in the production of thyroxine in the thyroid gland and adrenaline in the adrenal glands. All this helps to strengthen the work of internal organs and tissue metabolism.
Warm water promotes better blood circulation and lymph circulation, stimulates metabolism, enhances the function of the endocrine system. Also, warm hydrotherapy can increase immunity, calm the nervous system, relieve pain, muscle spasm, it has a beneficial effect on the stomach, pancreas and intestines.
Contrast procedures have a pronounced stimulating effect. Thanks to them, the contractile activity of the myocardium improves, vascular training takes place, metabolic processes are stimulated.
Features of hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy means the therapeutic use of water.
- Procedures are carried out using both ordinary water and mineral springs. Mineral water treatment is called balneotherapy.
- Hydrotherapy is the external effect of water on the human body. For this purpose, souls, baths, wipes, dousing and other methods are used.
- Recently, internal hydrotherapy is sometimes used as a treatment for slag. But orthodox medicine does not consider such treatment effective.
- Most procedures can be performed not only in medical institutions, but also at home. But there are those that should be used only under the supervision of a specialist.
What diseases is hydrotherapy indicated for?
Water procedures can be prescribed to completely healthy people to strengthen immunity, relieve irritability, tension and fatigue, to temper the body, establish a healthy, sound sleep, restore the general tone of the body. Hydrotherapy can also help patients who suffer from various diseases or undergo a rehabilitation period after surgical interventions.
Indications for hydrotherapy, a list of diseases that hydrotherapy helps to fight:
- some disturbances in the work of the heart;
- initial stages of hypertension;
- vascular disease;
- chronic ailments of the bronchi and lungs;
- some liver diseases;
- impaired kidney function;
- female diseases, such as menstrual irregularities;
- various musculoskeletal pathologies, joint diseases;
- skin diseases, including cellulite and wilting;
- various pathologies of the digestive tract;
- genitourinary stones;
- muscle cramps;
- swelling of the extremities;
- stressful conditions, neurosis, depression, sleep disturbances;
- headache, migraine;
- hemorrhoids;
- decreased sexual function.
When hydrotherapy is prohibited
Despite the fact that water favorably affects the human body, hydrotherapy has both indications and contraindications. There are many conditions and diseases in which hydrotherapy is not performed.
Hydrotherapy contraindications:
- chronic diseases in the acute stage;
- pathology of cerebral and coronary circulation;
- the presence of cancer or benign formations that increase;
- acute inflammatory processes;
- severe angina pectoris;
- II and III trimester of pregnancy;
- severe hypertension (stage 3 B).
Only with the permission of the doctor, hydrotherapy is carried out for patients with the following diseases:
- glaucoma (eye disease);
- tuberculosis;
- the presence of infection;
- diabetes;
- sharp weight loss;
- some blood diseases;
- inflammation of the skin, ulcers, boils.
In each individual case, indications and contraindications to hydrotherapy should be determined only by the attending physician. It depends on the individual characteristics of the patient and the diseases he has.
Hydrotherapy procedures
The main procedures that are used in the treatment of water are baths and showers. In this case, baths can be general (for the whole body) and local (for certain areas).
Shared baths:
- The patient is in a reclining position. His whole body is covered with water, except for his head, shoulders and neck. In some cases, the upper chest (heart region) is located above the surface of the water.
- The human body is affected by water pressure, as well as its temperature. Sometimes vibrational or vortex movements of water are also used.
- Contrast temperatures may be used.
- Thermal baths must be taken every day for 10-15 minutes. The recommended amount is 15-20 procedures.
Local baths:
- The purpose of this procedure is to treat a specific part of the body. For example, it can be the upper or lower limbs or the pelvic area.
- In this type of bath, a vibrational or vortex effect on the affected areas can also be used.
- In some cases, a gradual increase in water temperature is applied.
Shower Treatment
During the adoption of this water procedure, one or many jets of water act on the surface of the human body under a certain pressure and temperature.
Varieties of souls:
- Dusty. Very small droplets of water, almost like water dust, affect the body, almost without exerting any pressure on it.
- Rain. Water passes through a special grid fixed at a height of two meters. It acts on the human body by the force of its own gravity.
- Fan. The patient becomes at a distance of 3-4 meters, the hose through which the water passes is clamped with a special nozzle or finger. The body should be treated with water from all sides, for this there is a certain sequence. The pressure should be 1.5-3 atmospheres.
- Needle. In the grid through which water passes, special tubes of metal with tapering ends are inserted. On the narrow side, the diameter of the tube is about 1 millimeter. Water enters the body under pressure, which ranges from 1 to 1.5 atm. It seems to a person that his body is pricked with thin needles.
- Sharko's shower. One of the varieties of jet shower. The surface of the body is treated with a compact stream of water, which comes under a pressure of 1.5-3 atm. In this case, the patient is at a distance of 3-3.5 meters from the apparatus. If necessary, Charcot can also be used locally on certain parts of the body. Each procedure lasts 1-5 minutes, the recommended course is 15-25 procedures.
- Scottish shower. Like the previous version, applies to jet. It differs from Charcot in that in this form two jets of water are used alternately with different temperatures, but with the same pressure.
After the patient has taken a cold shower, a towel should be wiped off.
Water treatments for children
As already mentioned, water has a very beneficial effect on the human body, helping in the treatment of many diseases, and this applies not only to adults, but also to small patients. Hydrotherapy in children is used for the same diseases as in adults.
In addition, water treatment is recommended for children with cerebral palsy, autism, and other mental illnesses. Bathing and showering by children is also an excellent tempering moment, strengthens the immune system. For children who often have colds, doctors often recommend hydrotherapy.
Patient Reviews
A large number of people respond positively to this method of treatment. Hydrotherapy helps healthy people to improve the general condition of the body, relieves fatigue, strengthens the immune system, improves the digestive tract, activates the body's defenses.
People with sore joints after this treatment method note an improvement in motor function. Patients who were diagnosed with bronchitis, sinusitis, sinusitis, after a few procedures felt a significant improvement.
With the greatest gratitude about hydrotherapy, people who suffer from migraines, headaches and a variety of nervous disorders respond. After all, this is one of the most effective procedures for the treatment of the nervous system.