Hydro Therapy

In an age when alternative therapies and medications are catching up, people are looking for non-invasive healing techniques. Among the trending and popular alternative therapies, Hydrotherapy is quite a famous one. As the name specifies, this therapy makes use of water, at different temperatures, commonly available at saunas for restoring health. It includes hot and cold showers, steam baths, foot baths etc.
hydrotherapy
Origin of Hydrotherapy
There has been a history of using water for treatment. Roman baths and Turkish hammams are quite famous; and so are hot mineral springs. Several civilizations and cultures around the world have had a history of using water for several health benefits. However, a 19th-century Bavarian monk, Father Sebastian Kneipp is considered the Father of Modern Hydrotherapy. His technique of using hot and cold water alternately (contrast hydrotherapy) is still popular today. Hydrotherapy is extremely popular in Europe as well as Asia, with people preferring hot mineral springs for their therapeutic properties.
How Does Hydrotherapy Work?
Varying water temperature can be used to treat various ailments including different types of arthritis, pain etc. When cold water is used, it causes the superficial blood vessels to shrink resulting in the movement of blood away from the body surface to organs. Hot water, on the other hand, causes dilation of blood vessels and activates the sweat glands. This results in the removal of toxins and wastes from the body. Using alternating hot and cold water can result in the reduction of inflammation apart from stimulating circulation and lymphatic drainage.