The MyBath.biz Blog

How does Hydrotherapy Affect Your Blood Flow?

Hydrotherapy is known for its affect on blood flow, which can ultimately help you with headaches, stiff joints, and other aches and pains. So how does Hydrotherapy affect your blood flow?

The answer to that question lies in understanding the principals of hot and cold water applications. Using hot water application causes your blood vessels to dilate increasing blood flow, which relaxes nerves and tissues. Whereas the use of cold water causes your blood vessels to constrict slowing blood flow and stimulating nerves and tissues.

Hydrotherapy’s affect on your blood flow is also determined by the techniques employed, which often include either full body submersion or a specific area(s) of the body. The type of Hydrotherapy technique and water temperature used ultimately determines the affect on your blood flow.

Some Hydrotherapy techniques manipulate blood flow through several hot/cold water techniques. For example, soaking your feet in hot water draws blood toward your feet while a cold head compression draws blood away from your head. This technique is often used in treating headaches by drawing blood away from the aching head reducing congestion and providing relief.

Improving blood flow at the source of your pain or discomfort brings more oxygen and nutrients and eliminates waste in the area being treated. Ultimately, using hydrotherapy can help you promote healing, relief pain, and increase mobility.

Hydrotherapy to promote healing and pain relief. New Vegetarian & Natural Health; Summer2001/2002, p62, 2p

How Does Your Body Respond to Hydrotherapy?

Your body responds to Hydrotherapy based on the application, technique, and area of body focus.

In this blog, I’ll explain how Hydrotherapy works, so you can use Hydrotherapy to treat a wide range of health issues from sore muscles to headaches. As always, check with your medical provider before beginning any new medical application. There are Hydrotherapy contradictions that need to be considered for various conditions such as diabetes, heart conditions, pregnancy, and so forth.

Hydrotherapy’s effects on your body are based on water temperature, length of use, and area of body focus. Your body reacts differently based on the type of Hydrotherapy Application used. According to Dr. Patrick Barron, there are 3 primary Hydrotherapy Applications:

1. Mechanical: Hydrotherapy using water friction, whirlpool bathtub, sprays, and so forth.
2. Chemical: Hydrotherapy using water through ingestion or washing out one of your body cavities.
3. Thermal: Hydrotherapy using water temperatures above or below your body/environment normal temperature. The effects of water temperature in Hydrotherapy are a key application of Hydrotherapy.

The effects/results of these 3 Hydrotherapy Applications for you may include:

1. Local: also referred to as thermal shock, these Hydrotherapy effects are rather immediate and include the use of heat or cold applications to the area of your body being treated. The result of using either heat or cold produces increased or decreased blood flow/ circulation, muscle relaxation, and/or pain relief.
2. Systemic:  are Hydrotherapy effects not limited to the area of Hydrotherapy application, but rather to a related group of parts or organs. These Hydrotherapy effects can include internal temperature shift, sweat, blood pressure/flow, heart and respiration rate, and/or metabolism.
3. Reflex: are more complex Hydrotherapy effects and “based anatomically on the segmental relationships of the skin and major organs.” Reflex effects are not immediate and involve the Autonomic Nervous System.

As you can see, your body’s response to Hydrotherapy is varied depending on the Hydrotherapy Application used. Due to the complexity of Hydrotherapy, we will continue to explore this topic together in additional blog entries.

Reference: Hydrotherapy Theory & Technique 3^rd Edition by Dr. Patrick Barron

10 Ways *Hydrotherapy Helps in Rehabilitation

You like to live life to the fullest. Who doesn’t? Of course, this can mean a few bumps, bruises, and an occasional break along the way. Ouch.

When this happens, you’ll likely find yourself in a rehabilitation program with many grueling activities. Although there is one activity you’ll probably look forward to each rehabilitation session. Hydrotherapy.

The warmth. The bubbling water. The pain relief. Hydrotherapy feels so good throughout your whole body, which of course relaxes your mind, and lifts your spirits. 

So how does Hydrotherapy work? How can it help your rehabilitation? Here it is.

10 Ways *Hydrotherapy Helps in Rehabilitation

1. Relaxation: The buoyancy and temperature of the water during hydrotherapy can relax your muscles and connective tissue, which is important in rehabilitation.
2. Pain Relief: The warm water temperature and bubbling water provide a weightless rehabilitation environment. In this instance, hydrotherapy reduces the muscle stress and strain at the point of injury and throughout your body.
3. Analgesic Effect: Hot water in hydrotherapy can override pain impulses producing an analgesic effect. Reliving pain. Which you need in Rehabilitation.
4. Improves Sleep: Hydrotherapy promotes sleep. (National Sleep Foundation)
5. Recovery Time: Some studies report hydrotherapy improves your rehabilitation time.
6. Improves Circulation: Hydrotherapy increases blood flow throughout your body, which can help relieve and heal injuries.
7. Relieves Muscle Spasms: The increase of blood and oxygen through your blood stream during hydrotherapy reduces and relieves muscle spasms.
8. Reduces Inflammation: As blood flow increases and the blood vessels contract, you’ll experience relief allowing inflammation to decrease.
9. Increases Range of Motion: During hydrotherapy, your muscles simply relax increasing your range of motion. This is usually done in conjunction with some rehabilitation exercises. You can increase your range of motion by about 20% in 113 degrees F water.
10. Tissue Healing: Studies report hydrotherapy in heated water increases your metabolism multiplying white blood cells which aid in healing tissue damage.

As you can see, Hydrotherapy can help your body recover in a multitude of ways.

So, if you find yourself in rehabilitation after a sport, work, or other physical injury, ask for “Hydrotherapy”.

You be glad you did. It feels so good throughout your whole body, which of course relaxes your mind, and lifts your spirits. 

Check out Hydrotherapy products you can own at home. Mybath.biz

*This article refers to Hydrotherapy in Rehabilitation using heat (warm/hot water).

Source: Hydrotherapy Theory & Technique 3^rd Edition by Patrick Barron, N MD

Do You Know Where Hydrotherapy Began?

                                    Roman Bath

This is kind of a trick question. Hydrotherapy is one of the earliest forms of healing with many unconnected roots.

You can find independent references to this healing practice from several ancient cultures. Some of the cultural traditions include: Rome, Greece, China, Japan, Persia, Hindus, Egyptians, Native Americans, and Europeans. I think that pretty much covers the world throughout time.

Each of these cultures holds their own methods, practices, and beliefs about this healing science, which continues to be practiced throughout the world.

The most documented practices include: steam/sweat bathing, cold water affusion, and contrast bathing. The beliefs driving this practice site hygienic, spiritual, physical and mental disease healing benefits.

Muscle Recovery and Contrast Bathing

 

Professional athletes, recreational athletes, and those of us with athletic aspirations often train rigorously resulting in muscle strains, bruises, and/or tears. When this occurs traditional rehabilitation programs work with athletes to heal and recover from their injury. Typically, muscle recovery techniques are administered during periods of injury.

       Yong Li reports in an article entitled Cutting Edge-Muscle Recovery that “injured skeletal muscle can repair itself via spontaneous regeneration, but extracellular matrix overgrowth and collagen deposition can lead to fibrosis, resulting in incomplete functional recovery and a propensity for injury recurrence” (Physician and Sports Medicine, 2005). So, what can athletes do to prevent injury, restore muscles, and avert mental fatigue which can affect their overall performance?

     The Australian Institute of Sports has developed a fatigue and recovery recommendations list for athletes to integrate into their training program ultimately boosting performance and warding off injury. Their program includes

·      Rest and sleep

·      Nutrition

·      Warm-down, stretch

·      Massage

·      Hydrotherapy

·      Psychological means

The idea is for athletes to include in their training program a segment focused on recovering from workouts and competition in order to return to their natural physiological and psychological condition. This routine can allow athletes to remain balanced, healthy, and maximize performance as well as not excessively compromising their performance.

Hydrotherapy included in the fatigue and recovery recommendations list for athletes serves as a healing process and muscle recovery mechanism for their bodies. Heat, buoyancy, and motion are three elements working together providing a healing effect for the body according to an article published in Psychology Today entitled Soak Away Stress.

Other articles highlighting the benefits of hydrotherapy in muscle recovery discuss contrast bathing, which utilizes both cryotherapy and thermotherapy. Cryotherapy uses cold water to narrow blood vessels reducing swelling, inflammation, and pain sensation. Thermotherapy uses hot water widening blood vessels increasing blood flow as well as reducing joint stiffness and muscle spasms. Alternating between cryotherapy and thermotherapy is called contrast bathing and works to speed up the removal of lactic acid.

It’s important to note that while there are several articles on contrast bathing/therapy’s role in muscle recovery more research is requested by many field experts to understand this form of healing.  To review contrast bathing implementation guidelines please refer to Australian Institute of Sports contrast water therapy protocols by clicking here. As always, please consult with a physician for any medical concerns you may have to review benefits and risks of any treatment program.

Thank you for reading Mybath.biz’s free health information blog and check out our great products today!

Hypertension: The Silent Killer

Hypertension also known as high blood pressure is the heart laboriously working to pump blood throughout the body often leading to plaque buildup and hardening of the arteries. Ultimately, arterial build up can led to stroke, heart attack/failure, eye damage, and/or kidney failure. According to a featured article on Hypertension (Nov. 2001) published in Southern Medical Journal, hypertension seems to be a polygenic and multifactorial disorder with importance placed on the interplay of several genes and the environment. Further, blood pressure levels are correlated commonly with “genetic background, environment, or lifestyle habits."               

                                                                                       

Hypertension is a serious health problem in the United States and is often referred to as the “silent killer” according to the American Heart Association who reports approximately one in three Americans lives with hypertension. Unfortunately, one-third of those living with hypertension are unaware they have it and exacerbate this health condition by engaging in risk associated activities like smoking, excessive drinking, inactive lifestyles, weight gain, and eating too much salt. Other risk factors can include being African American, pregnancy, women taking oral birth control pills, stress, and some medications.

While many individuals are unaware of having hypertension there are some signs and symptoms to be alert to including headaches, blurred vision, nose bleeds, and dizziness according to the Mayo Clinic. Many of these symptoms present themselves when hypertension becomes potentially life threatening.

     There are several prevention and treatment methods and recommendations presented in Southern Medical Journal’s Hypertension article, which are lifelong processes and include:

• Maintaining weight for your height and gender
  • Loosing even 10 pounds of excess weight can reduce blood pressure in a significant number of overweight individuals with hypertension.
  • Weight loss lowering blood pressure can also reduce concurrent risk factor like diabetes and dyslipidemia

• Moderate alcohol intake
  • Alcohol intake needs to be less than one ounce of ethanol (e.g. 2-12 ounce beers) a day and less for those who weigh less.
  • Those withdrawing from heavy alcohol consumption may experience a substantial increase in blood pressure going down after about three days.

• Exercise
  • A regular exercise program will assist with weight loss, functional health, lower blood pressure, and reduce cardiovascular risks.
  • Inactive individuals run a 20-50% increased risk for hypertension and associated health problems.
  • Please make sure to consult with a Physician before starting an exercise program especially if you have a serious medical condition.

• Sodium Intake
  • Reducing sodium intake is favorable for a host of health conditions including hypertension.

• DASH-Diet
  • Web MD recommends the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)-Diet, which reportedly can reduce high blood pressure within two weeks. Click here to read more about the DASH-Diet

• Relaxation
  • Emotional distress often raises blood pressure and finding ways to relax while not scientifically proven to lower blood pressure is a helpful tool in dealing with daily concerns.

• Smoking/Tobacco Use
  • For the usual reminder why smoking is not good for your health click here.

• Prescriptions
  • In cases where lifestyle changes aren’t enough your doctor may prescribe one of many pharmaceutical prescriptions, which can be decreased or eliminated once lifestyle changes take hold.

              Dr. Emily Kane, a graduate in both Naturopathic and Acupuncture/Oriental Medicine recommends and highlights hydrotherapy treatment process for hypertension. Her extensive list includes hot baths, peroxide baths, constitutional hydrotherapy, and alternating hot cold footbaths. To read Dr. Kane’s article click here. Please not that research also recommends against hydrotherapy in some hypertension cases because of the seriousness and progression of this condition. To find out if you have or are at risk for hypertension please check with you Physician and check your blood pressure regularly.

Thank you for reading Mybath.biz’s blog and check back soon!

Kneipp’s Water Healing History, Philosophy, & Tradition

As mentioned briefly in a previous blog, Father Sebastian Kneipp, a poor Bavarian with the dream of becoming a priest developed a popular water treatment program and tradition leading to healings, books, and an international association. As a child, Kneipp learned his father’s weaving trade, but his priestly aspirations led him to Munich University at the age of 27 to study theology.

After five wearing years of study he became too ill from pulmonary tuberculosis to carry on as treatment for this illness was not available and often met with certain death. In Kneipp’s desperate search to heal himself he came across an 18^th century book written by Sigmund Hahn entitled Cold Water Treatments. Kneipp became fascinated with the healing ideas presented in this book and began to develop a treatment system for himself.

Stationed in, Woerishofen (close to Munich), a small Bavarian village, Kneipp perfected his water treatment program and assisted thousands of poor individuals for free who had little if any access to medical care. Not much unlike today. Over the course of time he integrated various applications to his water cure including various water temperatures, herbs, steam, clay, wrappings, simple healthy foods, prayer, exercise, and so forth.

As he worked with more and more people, he astutely diagnosis medical problems and developed individualized treatment programs. Kneipp’s success drew the attention of medical professionals from all over and the once small town of Woerishofen is now the world’s première spa destination. Today, Germany’s medical insurance program recognizes and covers spa treatments up to 3 or 4 weeks when prescribed by Physicians for various ailments.

                Kneipp’s healing methodology has five principals to understand, perform, and benefit from. The central concept of Kneipp’s holistic approach is a balanced, synergistic, and harmonious emotional, spiritual, and physical lifestyle built on nature’s gifts.

1.    Hydrotherapy-the use of water applied in various fashions including hot baths, steam, cold/hot water alternating temperature treatments, wet bandages, foot bathes, water stepping, drinking water, and so on. Please refer below to the link with samples of Kneipp’s techniques.

2.    Kinesitherapy- the use of regular massage, movement, and preferable outdoor exercise.

3.    Phytotherapy – the use of herbs, essential oils, plants, tree, seaweed, and so on in massage, steam baths, teas, etc.

4.    Nutrition – a balanced whole foods diet crafted to your metabolisms needs.

5.    Lifestyle – an emotionally and spiritually balanced life incorporating these five principals as listed here.

For a more in-depth look at Kneipp’s 5 principals please click here.

Resources

·         The Healing Power of Water written by Dr. Reinhard Bergel provides you with a few of the water treatment processes. To access the article click here

·         To visit Woerishofen where Kneipp perfected his water cures click here for more information.

·         To visit the Kneipp Museum click here.

·         The International Kneipp Association started by Kneipp in 1894 click here.

·         My Water Cure (Published in 1894) by Sebastian Kneipp

·         The Natures Garden of Sebastian Kneipp by Dr. Hans Horst Frohlich

·         Healing with Water-Kneipp Hydrotherapy at Home by Giselle Roeder 

Thank you for choosing Mybath.biz for all your bathroom needs!

Hot Water Healing (Part 2)

The previous blog I wrote on cold water healing provided me a new technique to help with waking up in the morning, which is no easy task. For the past four mornings, I have started bathing in warm/hot water and ended with a cold shower, which is quit a shocker at 6:30 in the morning. I will say however that I have been much more alert and my muscles haven’t felt as weighted down as they normally do. It is like drinking a cup of coffee. Now let’s turn to hot/warm water bathing to explore its health and healing benefits.

Ancient civilizations recognized the numerous health benefits of bathing. The father of medicine, Hippocrates, a fourth century BC Greek Physician recommended bathing for its therapeutic benefits and treatment of various illnesses. Rome, Greece, Japan, and other great cultures built extensive bath facilities utilizing them up to three times a day. Roman bath houses were central to daily life and the gathering place for community news updates. Have we become too busy, bought in to marketed medicine, or simply just uninformed that we have fallen away from historically effective healing practices? Let’s take a look at the therapeutic benefits of hot water therapy. Hot baths are calming, relaxing, and eases a myriad of health concerns from muscular pain to healing wounds.

There are a number of groups, organizations, and societies who recommend and treat those suffering from various illnesses with hot water bathing. The chief function of hot water bathing is to stimulate blood circulation nourishing and healing tissue as well as removing harmful toxins from the body. The following are reports on illnesses aided with hot water therapy.

Pressure Ulcers

An article written by Teresa Miller published in Physical Therapy reports on a collaborative hospital research project finding “daily use of whirlpool treatment along with conservative treatment improved the healing rate of pressure ulcers.”

Child Birth & Labor: Researchers with the University of Pennsylvania Health System reviewed the use of hydrotherapy during labor and reported its effectiveness to low risk women as a safe nonpharmacological alternative to cope with labor pains. Their findings reveal several other benefits including “increased relaxation, increased satisfaction, lower blood pressure, and increased diuresis with women who bathe during labor.”-Marilyn Stringer PhD, CRNP, RDMS, Lisa Hanes RN, MSN, CNM (1999) Hydrotherapy Use During Labor: An Integrative Review Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing e6 (1), 3–9. doi:10.1111/j.1524-475X.1999.00003.x

Lower back pain: A website for Spine Professional reports heat therapy like taking a hot bath is an effective and inexpensive treatment for those suffering from lower back pain. Check out their treatment recommendations by clicking here.

Menstruation: An article published by the Mayo Clinic on menstruation recommends hot water baths for easing discomfort.

Night Leg Cramps: Ohio Health recommends several treatment options for those who experience leg cramps at night including taking a hot bath. For more information on what causes leg cramps and how you can prevent them click here

Other Ailments: Muscle strain/spasms; hemorrhoids; arthritis; chronic rheumatic manifestations in joints, fibrous tissue, and muscles; colic in the gastric, intestinal, gall bladder, or urinary tracts; slight increase in metabolism; colds/flu; anxiety/stress; and so on click below

·         Women’s Health Care Topic Article

·         50plus Article

·         Readers Digest Article

That wraps up today's hot water blog. For a good deal on Hydrotherapy products please check out Mybath.biz for all your needs.

Burr: Cold Water Healing (Part 1)

As mentioned briefly in an earlier blog, Having Trouble Sleeping, hydrotherapy can help with sleep. Today were going to explore how water temperatures can help your body with various other conditions. Many of us shower or bath rather quickly either in the morning or in the evening just for the simple task of cleaning ourselves. However, water can be used for so much more and with a little information we can all take advantage of the healing, soothing, and healthy properties of water.

Water is an instrument stimulating chemical and mechanical reactions in our body. Water temperatures can affect the flow of blood and thereby affect our blood pressure and circulation. Knowing how to use water’s capabilities effectively can help with muscle stiffness, hot flashes, wake/sleep cycles, and various other concerns. Let’s first take a look at the application of cold water.

If you’re having trouble staying wake in a company meeting or listening to a rambling friend try taking a break and putting your wrists under or submerging you arms up to your elbows in cold water for a few minutes. This simple process can reinvigorate you and is as effective as drinking a cup of coffee according to Giselle Roeder writer for Alive Magazine. Roeder also recommends filling the bath tub with cold water and lifting each leg in and out of the water for several minutes to help with hot flashes, muscle soreness, and sleep.

Cold water has been used throughout the centuries to help boost immune system functioning. One well known example is Father Sebastian Kneipp, a promoter of hydrotherapy in the 1800’s, who suffered from Tuberculosis which went into remission when he began taking dips several times a week in the icy Danube River. Cold water bathing has also been found helpful for itchy skin, sunburn, asthma, stimulating metabolism, and increasing sperm counts. Cold water stimulates your body, boosts your immune system, and invigorates your whole being.

Part 2 will explore the benefits of warm/hot water bathing.

Thank you for choosing Mybath.biz for all your bathroom needs!

Do You Having Trouble Sleeping?

Ah, sleep the cherished prize at the end of a hard day of work and play. This mentally and physically restful state refreshes our minds and rejuvenates our bodies to begin anew. The importance of this seemingly innocent endeavor is paramount when we discuss its affects on health and well-being. Some of us tend to have no problem falling asleep at the end of the day while others of us struggle night after night, which can lead to some serious health conditions like obesity, depression, heart disease, and diabetes to name a few.

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) reports while insomnia is linked to health, mood, cognitive performance, and memory problems, sleeplessness is under-recognized and therefore not often discussed by physicians and patients alike. This is not cool as there are more than 40 million people suffering with chronic sleep disorders as well as 30 million more with occasional sleep problems in the United States according to NSF.

Why is this a concern? Well, the NSF reports sleeplessness costs us around 16 billion dollars a year in medical expenses and billions more in driving accidents, work problems, and social activities. The NSF conducted a 2005 poll of American adult drivers finding 168 million people drove while feeling drowsy in the last year with 103 million reporting they actually feel asleep. Pretty scary when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports, “drowsy driving causes more than 100,000 crashes a year, resulting in 40,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths.” The NHTSA believes the numbers are much higher as driving drowsy is frequently underreported. So what can those of us with insomnia and other sleeping disorders do?

Take action by first consulting with a Sleeping Disorder Physician as there are a few severe sleeping disorders like sleep apnea which may need medical intervention. Several treatment approaches to managing sleep disorders are available which include some life style modifications. A few changes, tweaks, and adjustments to your daily life can aid tremendously in your sleep state. The following suggestions are ways you can help your body, mind, and spirit get the rest it needs to live your best life.

·         Establish a routine daily exercise program, which ends no later than 2-3 hours before bedtime.

·         Eat a wide variety of fresh whole foods including fruits, veggies, fiber, dairy, and meat. Make sure to finish eating approximately 3 hours and drinking liquids 2 hours before bedtime.

·         Reduce/avoid caffeine and alcohol especially close to bedtime. For some individuals, caffeine stays in the body for up to 12 hours.

·         Stop smoking especially close to bedtime as nicotine is a stimulant.

·         Maintain a bedtime and awake time routine as your body’s internal clock functions better.

·         Create a cozy bedroom favorable to sleep which is comfortable, cool, noiseless, and dark. I find a fan blowing in the background helps with periodic noises from outside.

·         Association Technique: If you awake easily during the night or have trouble falling asleep, try getting out of bed and sitting in the other room doing nothing until you become drowse. Also, avoid using your bedroom for watching television, reading, and eating so your mind associates your bedroom with sleep.

·         Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique: This works well for me and is simply lying in bed, focusing on your breathing, progressively tightening and releasing each muscle group starting with your feet ending with your scalp, and repeating until you drift to sleep. You can also focus on each muscle group going loose and limp as you relax the muscle group.

·         Aromatherapy: Use essential oils as part of your bedtime routine like rubbing on lavender to assist with relaxing.

·         Hydrotherapy: Soaking in hot water an hour or two before bedtime can also help with sleep as hot water can raise the body’s temperature increasing circulation. Taking a hot bath too close to bedtime can actually keep you awake, so make sure to fit in this relaxing activity early in the evening. Check out the new 2008 HydrOasis Hot Tub with 103 Jets available to you from Mybath.biz!

Many of the above suggestions can be found on the NSF’s website by clicking here. Hopefully, these techniques can aid you in getting the sleep your body needs. Thank you for reading the MyBath.biz blog and please send in your questions and comments on this article or topics you would like more information on.