Water procedures are very popular among both healthy and sick people. Hydromassage is no exception. The action of a directed water stream can improve mood, relieve accumulated fatigue, and relax tense muscles. One of the most popular types of such procedures is an underwater shower massage. Usually this massage is carried out using a hose through which water is supplied under pressure. Pressure can be reduced or increased as desired.
When conducting this type of massage, the person should be in a prone position, as this contributes to a more complete relaxation of the muscles. A jet of water can be directed either directly to the body or through a layer of water at some distance from it. The masseur should ensure that the direction of the water stream always coincides with the direction of the lymph flow.
An underwater shower massage is usually carried out at a water temperature comfortable for a person - about 37 degrees. The patient at the beginning of the procedure should first immerse in warm water and relax for 2-3 minutes. And only after the body gets used to it, you can begin an underwater shower massage. The reviews of people who went through this procedure indicate that at first the impact of the jet seems unusual to a person. Often the patient strains, trying to keep the body in the water at a certain level and in a occupied position. But it is worth remembering that during an underwater massage session, a person should relax as much as possible. Muscle tension does not contribute to their better massage and can even reduce the positive effect of the procedure.
When an underwater shower massage is carried out in a regular bath, the patient can hold his hands in front of him and with their help regulate the position of the body in the bath.
In medical institutions, this type of hydromassage is carried out using a special design. A mesh hammock is pulled at the bottom of the bathtub or 3-4 fixed belts are fixed. This allows you to keep the body massaged in a certain position at the desired depth. In some cases, a folding bed is placed in the bathtub, lying on which the patient can relax as much as possible.
Underwater shower massage, the contraindications to which are not so numerous, can be successfully carried out independently at home. Before that, of course, you should consult a doctor to make sure that you do not have an exacerbation of diseases at the moment, there are no hemorrhages, inflammations and infections on the skin, no tumors, severe ischemia and hypertension. At home, the whole body can be massaged using a flexible shower hose, increasing the pressure of the stream to a maximum and immersing yourself in your bath with warm water.
As well as in manual therapy, during such hydromassage, stroking, squeezing, rubbing and kneading are performed.
When stroking, the shower head is removed from the massaged area at a sufficient distance. The jet of water weakly touches the skin, and therefore its effect is not so intense.
When squeezing it, it is necessary to bring it closer to the body and move it from bottom to top all the time.
When kneading, the direction of the jet should be varied. The hose tip can be driven at a certain distance from the skin in zigzag, circular and spiral movements.
When rubbing, a stream of water is directed perpendicular to the massaged joint.
An underwater shower massage performed in accordance with all the rules is an ideal means of relaxation with constant mental and physical stress. This type of massage improves blood supply to various organs, activates metabolic processes, relaxes neuromuscular tone, reduces a person’s excitability and helps to quickly restore his strength.