So what is this “Hydrotherapy”?
What is hydrotherapy? It’s a question I hear from people who have seen my advertisements or checked out my business cards.
As taken directly from Wikipedia, “The term encompasses a broad range of approaches and therapeutic methods that take advantage of the physical properties of water, such as temperature and pressure, for therapeutic purposes, to stimulate blood circulation and treat the symptoms of certain diseases.”
Good job Wikipedia, but what does that actually mean?
As it mentions above, it is the physical properties of water that are used and manipulated with the intent of producing a therapeutic effect on the body. There are many different types of hydrotherapy but almost all of them use hot and cold to do their work on the body. One would think the term Thermal Therapy would have been more appropriate (spoiler – google says this is already a thing). The reason that water is most often used to apply the desired temperature is because water has a heightened ability to both retain a specific temperature (heat capacity) and transfer that temperature to another object (conductivity). It is the same reason why falling into +1C water is far more dangerous than being exposed to -25C air temperatures.
Hydrotherapy and Massage Therapy
In Massage Therapy, altering the temperature of the body in specific areas can produce reactions such as:
- Change in muscle tone (relaxation or tightening).
- Changes in the perception of pain.
- Changes in mobility to different structures.
Hydrotherapy is not exclusive to massage therapy however and can be used to obtain many different effects throughout the body as seen in this study. The effects of temperature change noted above are mostly due to the neurological signals between the brain and the body.
The most common way I use hydrotherapy in a clinic environment is through a Thermaphore (fancy heat pad) and gel ice packs. The most well known hydrotherapy technique associated with massage therapy is Hot Stone Massage. One of my favorite hydrotherapy techniques however, is an at home activity I regularly give my clients who are suffering from conditions similar to tendonitis, plantar fasciitis and delayed onset muscle soreness.
The technique is called “contrast hydro” or “contrast shower”. It involves the repeated immersion of comfortably hot water followed by very cold water. Each cycle of hot is 45 seconds long while the cold cycle is 10-15 seconds in length. This is repeated for 3-4 cycles each and then is ended with the cold cycle.
The theory is that this process forces the body to increase and decrease circulation is rapid succession which helps to encourage recovery to areas that may have dysfunctional circulation.
Photo by Jennifer Burk on Unsplash
I need more proof!
There is a lack of studies on this specific process however it has been used for hundreds of years and continues to have a great deal of positive anecdotal results. Here is a study that shows a decrease in blood lactate (waste products produced after activity) levels after performing a contrast hydro cycle for high level sprinters. Keep in mind the group they are compared to are doing active recovery which would, in theory, increase circulation as well and therefore a removal of the waste products of the blood. It would be interesting to see both of these methods directly compared to passive recovery and done on individuals who are not athletes with already superior functioning circulatory systems.
Photo by Tomasz Sroka on Unsplash
The beautiful thing about most hydrotherapy techniques is that they are generally safe, cost little compared to alternative options, and have minimal side effects. This fits in with our overall approach to health and wellness. Hydrotherapy is great in addition to any type of manual therapy including massage therapy.
The info above is to be used for educational purposes only. If you are interested in trying out any hydrotherapy techniques make sure you talk to your doctor, chiropractor, physiotherapist or registered massage therapist before doing so.
