Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy history

The hydrotherapy is a complex of the cosmetology and medical procedures directed to the rehabilitation, preventive, esthetic and medical purposes. External use of river, lake, tap or rain water in the form of douches, wrappings, rubdowns, hot and cold bathtubs and flourishes concerns to them. Now wide popularity the internal hydrotherapy at which clear drinking water acts as shlakovyvodyashchy means, however received recognitions by orthodox medicine the internal hydrotherapy did not gain.

The hydrotherapy is the ancient medical and rejuvenating procedure which traces the roots back far to antiquity: in many beliefs and myths water was allocated with divine vivifying force.

The first hydrotherapist was the court doctor of Guy Julius Caesar, Anthony Muza who cured the prikhvoravshy Roman emperor in very unusual way - cold poultices.

However the hydrotherapy gained original distribution in the 18th century thanks to activity of physiotherapists Sebastian Knejp and Vincent Prisnitts who arranged the first balneary in Greffenberg. After them the works devoted to salutary properties of water were published by scientists Wilhelm Winterniz, Alexander Nikitin, B. M. Grzhimaylo, S. P. Botkin.

The hydrotherapy or balneotherapy is a physical therapy component.

Types of a hydrotherapy

The hydrotherapy differs from other methods of treatment in the simplicity, availability and plainness.

Balneotherapy is presented by such types of procedures as:

• Shower. The hydrotherapy essence by means of a shower consists in impact on a body of streams of water of a certain temperature and under a certain pressure. Physiological action of a shower depends on the volume of the water pumped for a unit of time, "rigidity" of a stream, and also degree of a deviation of its temperature from indifferent (34-36 degrees Celsius). Distinguish a rain, dust, circular, Scottish, needle-shaped douche, a Charcot's douche (in the form of a dense stream of the water directed to the person under pressure), the ascending shower, etc.;
• Simple bathtub and bathtub for a hydromassage (jacuzzi). Distinguish the general bathtub at which over a water surface there are a head and the patient's neck, and a local bathtub which essence consists in influence (temperature, vibration) on a certain part of a body (a leg, a hand, area of a basin);
• Hydrokinesitherapy. Represents swimming and remedial gymnastics in water;
• Thermal balneotherapy. The hydrotherapy underground waters concerns to him at a temperature of 37-42 degrees Celsius;
• Balneoterapiya. Treatment by mineral water.
• Douche. It is the tempering and fortifying procedure which mechanism of action consists in short-term impact on an organism low temperature;
• Saunas and steam rooms. The medical effect is reached by means of impact on an organism of steam of high temperature.

Depending on water temperature all hydrotherapeutic procedures are subdivided on:

• Cold (at a temperature below 20 degrees);
• Cool (21-33 degrees Celsius);
• Indifferent (34-36 degrees Celsius);
• Warm (37-39 degrees Celsius);
• Hot (40 degrees and above).

Mechanism of influence of a hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapies are the cornerstone mechanical, temperature and chemical influencing factors for an organism usual water.

During the session of a hydrotherapy there is an irritation of the nerve terminations located on skin that leads to emergence of the nervous impulse arriving on centripetal ways of an organism to a head and spinal cord. Nervous impulse on centrifugal ways to the body interfaced to the specific site of a spinal cord is returned. For example, cooling of a thorax causes vasoconstriction of lungs, and warming of a waist - vasodilatation of kidneys.

Thermal impacts on an organism raise a metabolism, improve metabolism, stimulate blood circulation, promote strengthening of secretory activity of a pancreas, stomach. Warm or hot water has sedative and analgeziruyushchy effect, reduces a tone of muscles, stimulates activity of endocrine system and "starts" immune processes.

The hydrotherapy cold water is followed by changes of vessels: in the first phase there is their narrowing, in the second - expansion, to the subsequent acceleration of a blood-groove. Under the influence of the cooled blood there is an initiation of responses of an organism in the form of the strengthened emission of hormones - adrenaline and thyroxine. Effect of hormones causes splitting of nitrogen-free substances, causing the clearing and strengthening effects.

The hydrotherapies which are a part contrast procedures, carrying out the direction of a blood-groove deep into an organism, back to skin, train microblood circulation processes, pressure contribute to normalization, exert positive impact on cardiovascular system, stimulate exchange processes.

The additional medical effect is born by a hydrotherapy water with addition of various ingredients: extracts of plants, turpentine, medicines.

Indications to a hydrotherapy

The hydrotherapy is used as healthy people for a hardening, removal of tension, fatigue, at sleep disorders, and patients in a condition of a predisease for the purpose of preventive impact on an organism.

Indications to a hydrotherapy are such diseases as:

• Coronary heart disease;
• Hypertension;
• Neurocirculatory dystonia;
• Diseases of veins, peripheral arteries;
• Musculoskeletal system diseases;
• Disorders of a digestive tract;
• Chronic diseases of lungs;
• Skin diseases;
• Disturbances of a menstrual cycle;
• The increased puffiness of extremities;
• Hemorrhoids;
• Cellulitis;
• Migraines;
• Sleeplessness, different neurosises and stresses.

As well as any other type of treatment, a hydrotherapy it has to be appointed the therapist and be carried out strictly under his observation.

Contraindications to a hydrotherapy

Despite simplicity, balneotherapy can conceal in itself health hazard. It is not recommended to apply a hydrotherapy to the people suffering:

• Bent to disturbance of coronary and cerebral circulation;
• Circulatory unefficiency above 1-B stages;
• Chronic thrombophlebitis;
• Hypertension in a stage 3-B;
• Inflammatory diseases in an aggravation stage;
• Heavy stenocardia.

The patients who had a stroke, a myocardial infarction and also diabetics, pregnant women and sick atherosclerosis before purpose of hydrotherapeutic procedures need to consult with the specialist.