Health Benefits of Hydrotherapy

After a few minutes, the warm blood causes the blood vessels to dilate, lessening the resistance to blood flow and dropping the blood pressure. As the body goes through this process, several benefits are enjoyed, most of which are enhanced further by the jet action:

Muscular relaxation -  this occurs when the warm blood reaches deeper and deeper into the muscles, causing the vessels to expand. The muscle relaxation effects of hot water also help deaden muscle pain by easing any pinching of nerves or blood vessels and by helping the muscle rid itself of lactic acid and other metabolic wastes.

Temporary pain relief - as the body tries to register temperature change, the central nervous system becomes depressed, contributing to muscle relaxation and temporarily relieving or at least lessening pain. This can happen with any drastic change in temperature, hot or cold, but most people are more comfortable sitting in warm water than holding an ice pack. Although there are times this is more suitable.

Bodily cleansing - in trying to regain its normal temperature, the body will begin sweating so that moisture on the skin will evaporate and cool the body. This process also helps rid the body of toxins.

Priming of the muscles - by relaxing muscles, hot water helps increase their range of motion to allow for gentle exercise and stretching in the tub.

Promotion of healing - the jet action found in hottubs can promote healing by providing even more oxygen than is provided by warm water alone. The heat and pressure from the jets can also raise the level of antibodies and white blood cells delivered to the area, promoting the destruction of bad cells and stimulating the formation of new tissue.

Help for insomnia - it has been found that sleep deepens as the body temperature falls. As a result some medical experts recommend that anyone wanting to induce sleep - especially those being kept up by pain - soak in water approximately 103°F about two hours before bedtime.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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   Hydrotherapy | The Science of Hydrtherapy |  The Aquatic Fitness System | What is Aquatic Fitness?