What is hydrotherapy?
Hydrotherapy is the use of water in the treatment of different conditions, including arthritis and related rheumatic complaints. Hydrotherapy differs from swimming because it involves special exercises that you do in a warm-water pool. The water temperature is usually 33–36ºC, which is warmer than a typical swimming pool.
You’ll normally have hydrotherapy treatment within a hospital’s physiotherapy department. Usually a physiotherapist or a Healer with specialist training will show you how to do the exercises. The focus of the exercises can be adjusted to help your range of movement or strength, depending on your symptoms.
Hydrotherapy tends to be different to aquarobics, which can be quite strenuous, as it’s generally more focused on slow, controlled movements and relaxation.
The active principle of water healing
With short cold water applications (one second to one minute), temperature stimuli are conveyed via the skin, which trigger positive reactions in the body: The temporary constriction of the blood vessels with subsequent vasodilatation promotes blood circulation throughout the body. This strengthens the body's defences, stimulates the circulation, nervous system and metabolism and revitalises the body.
Warm water is also common in hydrotherapy - especially for alternating applications (cold/warm). These are preferred especially by untrained people, as they are gentler. Depending on the constitution, an increase in stimulation can then be achieved through cold water applications.
How does hydrotherapy help?
Hydrotherapy can help you in a number of different ways:
- The warmth of the water allows your muscles to relax and eases the pain in your joints, helping you to exercise.
- The water supports your weight, which helps to relieve pain and increase the range of movement of your joints.
- The water can be used to provide resistance to moving your joints. By pushing your arms and legs against the water, you can also improve your muscle strength.
How effective is hydrotherapy?
Scientific studies have shown that hydrotherapy can improve strength and general fitness in people with various types of arthritis. The exercises can be tailored to your individual needs, so you can start to slowly and gradually build up your strength and flexibility.
The extra support that the water provides may make you feel like you can do more exercise than normal, so be careful not to overdo it. The exercise and the warmth of the water may make you feel tired after treatment, but this is quite normal. In general, hydrotherapy is one of the safest treatments for arthritis and back pain.