HYDROTHERAPY
Importance of Drinking Sufficient Water
It is very important that we drink sufficient amount of water in a day to make up for the water lost. The benefits of drinking water is widely recognized. Drinking pure, fresh water is essential to our health and well-being. Our need for water increases as we grow older. As we age, our skin and mucus membranes become thinner and lose more water, and our kidneys function less efficiently. So our need for water increases. Feeling thirsty is a sign of dehydration. So, drink up!
Hydrotherapy is the therapeutic use of water, steam, and ice and has been used for centuries to effectively treat injuries, a wide range of illnesses, and within the last several years - also to give birth. Treatment techniques include baths (full body and specific body parts, such as foot baths), compresses, wraps, showers, sitz baths, steam baths, aquatic exercise and whirlpools.
Hospitals, clinics, and spas world wide use forms of hydrotherapy as safe and effective methods for treating such conditions as AIDS, back pain, bronchitis and other respiratory problems, cancer, hypertension (high blood pressure) or hypotension (low blood pressure), muscle and joint pain and inflammation, and rheumatoid arthritis. Hydrotherapy is also useful in treating the discomfort caused by spinal trauma, poor circulation fever, anemia, edema, menstrual problems, and insomnia.
Herbs and minerals may be added to baths and whirlpools to enhance the water's effects; water becomes the "delivery system" for their therapeutic properties. Temperature is a very important variable: Hot, cold and alternating temperature treatments have different effects. Pressure jets vary, depending on the problem.
Cold and heat directly affect blood vessels.
Cold makes vessels contract and Heat dilates them.
There are 3 categories of external hydrotherapy: hot water, cold water, and alternating hot and cold water.
Neutral Bath. This therapy, in which the body is submerged to the neck in warm water (92°F to 98°F). At this temperature, water feels neither warm nor cool. Lighting is dim to enhance soothing effects. It helps to soothe the body. Neutral baths are effective in calming nervousness and emotional upsets, relieving insomnia, anxiety, depression, hypertension, and peripheral edema, reducing joint swelling, and helping the body rid itself of toxins. The bath lasts 15 minutes to 1 hour, with up to 1 hour of rest afterward.
Alternating Bath. Alternating baths may be used as a foot bath. The feet are submerged, first in hot water at 100°F for 5 minutes; then in cold water at 50°F for 30 seconds. This is repeated twice. The footbaths alternately dilate and contract vessels, moving the blood and lymph through the body. They stimulate the immune system by raising white-blood-cell levels, improved circulation and foster elimination of wastes. They are used to reduce swelling in the feet or legs; they may offer relief to patients with congestive heart failure.
Sitz Bath. As a form of hydrotherapy - the use of hot and cold water, steam, and ice to restore and maintain health - the sitz bath increases blood flow to the pelvic and abdominal areas, and thus can help reduce inflammation and otherwise alleviate a variety of problems. Alternating sitz baths may combat urinary-tract infections. (Demonstration is posted in our Medical Missionary Training video on youtube)
Sitz baths can use hot or cold water only, or can alternate heat and cold. Hot sitz baths are particularly helpful for such disorders as hemorrhoids, muscular disorders, painful ovaries, and testicles, prostate problems, and uterine cramps. Cold sitz baths are helpful in the treatment of constipation, impotence, inflammation, muscle disorders, and vaginal discharge. Alternating hot and cold sitz baths can help relieve abdominal disorders, blood poisoning, congestion, foot infection, headaches, muscle disorders, neuralgia, and swollen ankle
Migraines -Hot and Cold -- Put your feet in a bucket of hot water for about 15 minutes while applying a ice pack to your head. You can also use a hot water bottle for your feet. This works well for some people or some types of headaches.
You can also put a cold compress on your forehead while putting something hot on the back of your neck. These techniques might not get rid of the headache but they almost always make them a lot more tolerable. You need the find the source of the headaches in order to totally illuminate them. What law was violated?
Take Care! - Hydrotherapy is not advised in cases of diabetes, acute asthma, heart disease, kidney disease, or hemorrhaging problems. Pregnant women should avoid the temperature extremes of hydrotherapy. If you have questions about whether or not hydrotherapy is a safe treatment for your particular condition,consult with your health care provider before using this any therapy.
Fomentation's
FOMENTATION PROCESS A fomentation is described as a local application of moist heat by means of cloth wrung from boiling water or from steam tank.
Effects:
1. Increases blood flow to the area.
2. Relaxes muscles.
3. Sedative effect, if applied on the spine.
4. Relaxes pain.
5. Relaxes spasm or cramps.
6. Relieves congestions.
7. Produces sweating.
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