Hydrotherapy has been around for many years and is one of the oldest medical treatments for treating diseases such as arthritis. It consists of using water (usually warm) to help sooth pains. In ancient civilizations such as Egypt, Greek and Roman, they often bathed royalty with essential oils and flowers. Another version of this would be the use of Hot Springs, which has been known to improve health and circulation. Today there are different forms of hydrotherapy used for different ailments, but in this article we’re going to discuss those involving treatment for arthritis.
Many people suffering from Arthritis pain find this an enjoyable treatment and especially helps people with arthritis because the joints can be exercised while supported in the water thus relieving the weight on the joints. Hydrotherapy will include special exercises which take place in a warm-water pool. The water will be at a warmer temperature than normal swimming pools.
The hydrotherapy pool is usually located in the physiotherapy department of a hospital. However that doesn’t mean all physiotherapy departments will have a hydrotherapy pool – so you may need to travel to another hospital to seek this treatment.
How do people benefit from hydrotherapy? The warm water helps your muscles to relax and eases the pain in your joints, making it easier to exercise and the water supports your weight. By bringing relieve to painful joints it can help you to increase the range of movement of your joints. By pushing your arms and legs against the water you can also improve your muscle strength.
Most often people with arthritis in several joints seem to get the most benefit from hydrotherapy. This is due to the fact that all the joints can be exercised easily in the warm, supportive water. Hydrotherapy also has been shown to help people who feel
pain when walking, since the water provides extra support.
Don’t worry if you don’t know how to swim, as it’s not a requirement for hydrotherapy. The pool will be quite shallow so you can exercise well within your depth. There are also buoyancy aids available and there will always be a physiotherapist in the pool and an assistant on the side of the pool as well.
Even if you are nervous around water, you should try hydrotherapy, as almost all patients tend to find the warm water very soothing and an overall enjoyable experience. For more natural pain remedies check out our “Natural Arthritis Pain Remedies’ Guide.
