Do you feel sluggish and stiff after the Thanksgiving holiday push? Try hydrotherapy to increase your energy, and ease your aches and pains. After a hydrotherapy session you will experience less bloating, better muscle performance, a clearer head, and improved circulation. You will feel ready for the moment, and up to the challenges in front of you.
Hydrotherapy can take many forms, including hot and cold contrasting temperatures, moist application of heat and cold to your body, sitz baths, foot soaks and the like. It is beneficial by flushing out toxins and ushering in fresh oxygenated blood. A cold treatment will result in a constriction of your muscles and vessels where as a hot treatment will result in an expansion. This constriction and expansion is useful for treating hangovers, migraines, indigestion, and muscle spasms to name a few. Use moist heat and cold on chronically sore muscles to hydrate and promote flexibility. A hot bath or foot soak with bath salts and a cold pack on the neck will clear the head, reduce sore muscles, and draw toxins out of the body.
Hydrotherapy is used to treat many illnesses and conditions including:
- acne
- arthritis
- colds
- depression
- headaches
- stomach problems
- joint, muscle, and nerve problems
- sleep disorders
- stress
It is also commonly used for relaxation and to maintain a person’s state of health. Hydrotherapy is also excellent for reducing or relieving sudden or long-lasting pain.
Generally speaking, heat is used to quiet and soothe the body, and to slow down the activity of internal organs. Cold is used to stimulate and invigorate, increasing internal activity within the body. If you are experiencing tense muscles or anxiety, heat is recommended in the shower or bath. For feeling tired and stressed out, it is recommended to take a warm shower or bath followed by a short cold shower to help stimulate the body and mind. The cold may feel too cold at first, but the more you engage in hydrotherapy, the easier, and better it will feel!
Try these quick methods when you don’t have much time:
Splash cold water on your wrists, alternating cold and hot water, increasing blood flow and circulation.
Alternating hot and cold towels to painful areas to reduce arthritic pain and muscle spasm.
Wash your face with cold water, follow with hot steamy wash cloths, then a cold rinse and repeat.
Use a washcloth soaked with rubbing alcohol to wash your body after work before heading out to the nights events. The scrubbing will get you energized in a few short minutes and the alcohol as it evaporates will dispel inflammation, the cold air will increase your energy.
Run your feet under alternating hot and cold water
Try these methods when you have more time to relax and enjoy the process:
Alternate between hot and cold shower temperatures to decrease headaches, indigestion and achy joints.
Use alternating hot and cold packs on the low back and abdomen for 45 minutes. Try a cold pack on the back and a heat pack on the belly. Or try the reverse!
Use moist heat on the neck to reduce swelling, inflammation, and shoulder pain.
Take a hot bath and finish with a cool/cold shower. If you have a separate shower, from your bath tub, get back in the tub and repeat the process. If you have a hot tub, you might want to add a cold rinse shower close by in order of convenience.
Get a Stone Massage from a massage practitioner. The heat from the stones will relax the muscles and soften any scar tissue that surrounds the muscles. Allowing your body greater blood flow to your muscles and organs. Hot stones, followed with cold stones, will help to flush out toxins, and improve your circulatory system.