If you own a hot tub or are thinking about purchasing one, chances are you’ve heard the term hydrotherapy once or twice.
Hydrotherapy is just how it sounds; it’s a form of physical therapy performed in the water. Hydrotherapy has a bounty of wonderful benefits, ranging from mental and emotional, to physical too.
Let’s take a closer look at what hydrotherapy is, how it works and how it can benefit you and your loved ones.
What is Hydrotherapy?
Hydrotherapy utilizes the healing properties of hot tubs to heal the human body while promoting good health and wellness. Hydrotherapy has been used since the ancient Romans and Greeks for healing benefits. In the modern-day, hot tubs have been designed to offer all these wonderful benefits in a controlled form.
Hydrotherapy utilizes the combination of buoyancy, heat, and massage to promote health and wellness.
As you immerse your body into the water, the first thing you might notice is that the weight of the world has quite literally been lifted from your shoulders.
The buoyancy of the water lifts to 90% of your body weight while eliminating the toll that gravity can take on your sore muscles and joints.
As your body adapts to the freedom that the buoyancy has granted it, the heat has an almost immediate effect. The warmer temperature naturally helps your body to relax and let go of built-up tension.
Once you have entered a completely relaxed state, the powerful jets can begin to work their hydrotherapy magic. They are strategically placed throughout the spa to target your most stress-prone areas, including the neck, shoulders, and upper back.
Engaging in healing hydrotherapy sessions on a regular basis can have a truly amazing effect on your physical and mental state.
The Health Benefits of Water Therapy
Hydrotherapy can lead to many wonderful improvements in your health. Some of the physical and emotional health benefits include:
- Improved sleep
- Reduced stress
- Eased muscle tension
- Soothed joints
- Improved symptoms of arthritis
- Reduced feelings of anxiety
- Weight maintenance
According to WebMD, hydrotherapy is commonly used to treat illnesses and conditions like acne, arthritis, colds, depression, headaches, stomach issues, sleep disorders, anxiety, and joint, muscle and nerve problems[i].
One of the most unique benefits of hydrotherapy is how it can aid in recovery following an injury. Physiotherapists all around the world use hydrotherapy to help patients heal following a minor muscle or joint injury.
The benefits of the water can help lift pressure from the affected area, allowing the muscles and joints to relax. Engaging in hydrotherapy sessions on a regular basis can help speed along the healing process. By lifting pressure from the injured area, and the entire body as well, hydrotherapy helps to promote a better range of motion.
The patient may be able to move around more freely within the hot tub – and with less pain, too. This environment is perfect for many of the stretches and techniques used by physiotherapists to help the patient heal following their injuries.
The patient can benefit from a quality healing experience, all while maintaining regular exercise and movement, which can help reduce the risk of future injury.
Enjoy Hydrotherapy with Help From Ace Swim & Leisure
To learn more about the amazing health benefits of hydrotherapy or to find out how investing in a hot tub could benefit you, speak with one of our backyard living experts at Ace Swim & Leisure.
With 20+ years of experience and 4 convenient locations, we are more than happy to help you bring your home and backyard to life – while experiencing the joys of hydrotherapy!
[i] “Hydrotherapy – Topic Overview | WebMD” [Online]. Available: https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/tc/hydrotherapy-topic-overview. [Accessed: 2018-02-23].
