Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy is the use of water to treat a disease or to maintain health. The theory behind it is that water has many properties that give it the ability to heal: Water can store and carry heat and energy. Topical applications of cold or hot water packs, compresses, baths, pools, steams, sweats, showers, enemas, and colonics are all forms of hydrotherapy.
Therapeutic Benefits
- Encourage muscle relaxation, and reduces spasticity
- Pain management and reduction
- Buoyancy of water counters the effects of gravity
- Increased muscle strength and function
- Reduce swelling and edema
- Improved balance and coordination
- Improve stress tolerances and encouraging sleep
- Increase joint range of motion
- Improve cardiopulmary function
Conditions treated with hydrotherapy
- Back pain
- Osteoarthtritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Cerebral Palsy
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Pre-operative strengthening for joint replacement
- Post-operative rehabilitation for joint replacement, fractures or tendon repair
- Balance and coordination problems
- Shoulder pain
- Knee pain
- Sports injuries
- Spinal cord injury
- COPD
- Fibromyalgia
At home contrast shower
Start your shower on warm/hot for 2-3 minutes.
Change your water temperature to as cold as you can tolerate (we recommend 30 seconds in the beginning and building up to 1 min).
Repeat 2-3 times.
Finish with a cold shower, for a longer lasting energy boost.
Heat pad use directions
Heat pads come in different forms. Heat per the directions for your specific heat pad. Once heated, apply to affected area for 10-20 mins. Check with your health care professional for more details.
Cold pack use directions
Cold pack are usually ice or gel. Freeze cold pack as per directions for use. Once frozen apply to affected area for 10-15 mins. You skin should respond with a reaction called CBAN. Initially the skin will feel cold, then transition to a burning feeling, aching and finally the area should feel numb. Once a numbing affect has been reached, remove cold pack and gently move area to rewarm the tissue to room temperature. Fpr more details talk to your health care professional.
Moist heat vs. dry heat
Moist heat uses water, so it does not cause dehydration unlike dry heating methods. It also penetrates deeper into your tissues, making it far more effective than dry heat. When used in the same amount of time (30 minutes) moist heat therapy has a greater effect on pain reduction than dry heat therapy