It is also called Water Therapy. It is generally referred by a naturopathic or physical therapy professionals, as a complimentary or alternative treatment for pain management.
I call myself lucky that I grew up on an island, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. I started learning swimming since early high school and I am pretty comfortable in a pool. I used to do my regular laps in a local community pool before COVID hit in 2020. My family all enjoy the time in the water, especially where there are jet massage pool, Jacuzzi, steam zoom and sauna.
We may all heard of the benefit of hot springs to our body, especially the circulation. Even in modern Japan city life, you may find Onsen (Public Bath House) in every city or town, even in a hotel. Do you know that doing alternate immersion can help your skin and cardiovascular system? I have heard about the motivational coach Tony Robbins’s morning routine involves jumping into his cold water pool every morning, though he lives in California not the freezing Canada. After all, our body is made of 60% of water and 71% of the planet’s surface is water.
Here are some forms of hydrotherapy commonly practised.
Aquatic exercises for pain, arthritis, or even cardio purposes
In this article written by the Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, Washington University, there are various exercised targeting different parts of our body, such as shoulder, elbow, knee, ankle and toes.
SPA facility – Sauna, Steam Room and Jet Massages
Sauna is a dry heat room versus steam room is full of hot and wet air. Both dry and wet heat rooms are reported to be beneficial to the skin and help with stress relief. Sauna’s hot air can assist to open airway to relieve some asthma conditions. Whirlpool bath and jacuzzi are some forms of jet massages using water, instead of real masseuse’s hands. However, when practising these activities, please be aware of the time spent in the water and the slippery floor while walking.
At Home – Warm Bath, Cold Bath, and Water Circuit (hot-cold alternate)
I try to enjoy once a week ME time in my bathtub with some bath salt, epsom salt, or a bubble bath bomb. Hot bath helps on sleeping, skin condition, stress relief, and muscle relaxation. My to-go essential oils are lavender, eucalyptus, lemon, and geranium.
I am not a big fan of cold bath but there are still some benefits that we should not miss, namely reducing inflammation, pain relief, and lifting our mood. Mixing these two, hot and cold water, not necessarily in the form of immersion, just bring us the advantages mentioned above. In the summer, I would take a shower in the morning with warm water and alternatively mixing or ending with cold water. Trust me, it is more intriguing than a mug of hot coffee.
Best of all, ALWAYS drink a lot water to keep hydrated!
References
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