 |
Healing
Author: Gary Gordon  | Posted: 28-12-2007 | Comments: 0 | Views: 13 | Rating: (56)  (?) 
Water therapy has been used for healing, relaxation, pain management, and other medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Water therapy, also referred to as hydrotherapy, has been used to treat diseases and improve wound healing, circulation, digestion, and the immune system. Water therapy also has a soothing effect and calms the lungs, heart, stomach, and endocrine system by stimulating nerve reflexes on the spinal cord. Water therapy equipment is still in wide use today and we carry the most modern, scientifically tested and proven water therapy equipment on the market.
The use of water therapy can be traced all the way back to ancient China, Japan, India, Rome, Greece, the Middle East, and the Americas. There are even references to water therapy in the Old Testament of the Bible. By the 17th century, "taking the waters" at hot springs and spas became popular across Europe and eventually spread to the United States. However, it wasn't until the 19th century that modern relaxation water therapy evolved in Europe with the development of spas for "water cure" ailments, ranging from anxiety to pneumonia to back pain. A Dominican monk by the name of Father Sebastian Kneipp is credited with raising public awareness of the beneficial effects of hydrotherapy. In 1889 his book, My Water Cure, was published and subsequently translated into many languages, spreading the benefits of hydrotherapy throughout Europe. His methods were later adopted by Benedict Lust, who migrated from Germany to the United States in 1896. Lust established an American school of naturopathic medicine and claimed he had cured himself of tuberculosis with Father Kneipp's methods. He therefore made hydrotherapy a major component of naturopathic medicine. The recuperative and healing properties of hydrotherapy are commonly known today and the practice is widely used.
Modern water therapy is broadly defined as the external application of water in any form or temperature - hot, cold, steam, liquid, ice - for healing and therapeutic purposes. Healing water therapy may include immersion in a whirlpool or a Jacuzzi, the use of water jets, douches, or the application of wet towels to the skin. Such therapies have been used for the relief of various diseases and injuries as well as for stimulating a general sense of well-being. There are other therapies that include the use of water as part of a technique such as enemas, nasal irrigation, physical therapy in pools, nebulizers, humidifiers, drinking mineral water, aquatic yoga, aquatic massage, as well as aromatherapy baths.
Current research has proven that hydrotherapy can be highly beneficial and curative for a myriad of conditions. For patients who have undergone abdominal surgery, the use of a whirlpool can provide water therapy for pain management and alleviation. Whirlpool therapy can also enhance relaxation, promote pain relief, and assist in wound healing. Whirlpool therapy has also been recommended to aid venous circulation and alleviate symptoms for patients with varicose veins. Whirlpool therapy is also significantly beneficial for arthritis sufferers. Such patients have shown significant improvement in joint tenderness and in knee range of movement after whirlpool therapy. Hydrotherapy has also been recently shown to play a curative role in asthma treatment. Researchers discovered that decreased function of the adrenocortical glands, evidenced by low serum cortisol levels, improved after therapy. This was accompanied by the reduction in the dosage of glucocorticoids needed to control asthma attacks.
Rate this Article:
Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/healing--292060.html
|
Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free! |
|
Related Articles
Hot Tub Healing -- hydrotherapy health benefits
By: Louis Zhang | 10/06/2006 | Non-Fiction
Relaxing in a hot tub produces healing benefits for your body. How does this work? What are the steps to ensure you get the restorative benefits of hydrotherapy?
The Benefits of Using a Hot Tub, Spa or Whirlpool
By: Bryan Pilkington | 17/06/2008 | Wellness
One of the most effective forms of relaxation takes the form of a hot tub. After a busy and stressful day you can relax and de-stress in a hot tub, which is sometimes also referred to as a spa or a whirlpool.
Hydrotherapy
By: Douglas Adams | 28/06/2006 | Alternative Medicine
Hydrotherapy - water therapy - is the use of water to promote healing.
Can Colon Hydrotherapy Help Your Kidneys Function Better
By: Paul Fitzgerald | 12/08/2008 | Alternative Medicine
The right sort of colon hydrotherapy to help your kidneys function properly, and clear kidney stones.
Hot Tub Arthritis Pain Relief
By: Louis Zhang | 26/07/2006 | Health
If you have back pain, a hot tub can help you relieve the aches and pains you feel by loosening the muscles and massaging them.
Hot tubs are great tools to use for a variety of medical conditions. If you have back pain, this is especially true because the hot tub water will provide a soothing area to stretch and will also massage and loosen the muscles to help you be more flexible and pain free.
Water Therapy- A Source To Good Health
By: Kevin Pederson | 14/12/2005 | Health
Do you ever forget to breathe? Because, if we did, we might be six feet under. So how come we forget to drink water? There are many people who do forget to drink water, amazing? Just like how oxygen is vital for surviving, simply put, water plays an enorm
Colon Flush: Why We All Need to Do it
By: The Colon Cleansing & Constipation Resource Center | 09/01/2007 | Diseases and Conditions
Many factors work harmoniously in order to create optimal balance of every system within our bodies. However, many issues in our modern world negatively affect and alter the human body’s normal functioning. Learn the effects of an unclean colon, and why you NEED to clean it regularly.
Is Colon Cleansing Safe?
By: The Colon Cleansing & Constipation Resource Center | 21/02/2007 | Supplements and Vitamins
In recent years, more and more information is showing that Colon Cleansing can help evacuate the impacted fecal matter from your colon and help preserve your colon health. But, with all the techniques out there, which Colon Cleansing processes are safe?
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the best place in Israel to learn ...
By: NoName | 04-09-2006
Where is the best place in Israel to learn hydrotherapy (for children) ?
Q&A Powered by: 
Latest Medicine Articles
Acne Scar Effects and Resulting Acne Scar Treatment
By: Jeremy Thompson | 05/09/2008
How do deal with acne scars which my appear after acne treatment.
What is Back Ache?
By: Annette Badowski | 05/09/2008
A backache is a generalized medical term used to describe any number of back-related conditions that causes pain in that region. In the UK alone, over 80% of people have complained of backache at some point in their lives. It is an affliction that knows no boundaries of age, sex,...
Preventing Infections From Site Injections
By: Dane Fletcher | 05/09/2008
Taking something that is outside your own body and piercing the protective layer that separates two areas, one resistant to infection from bacteria, the other not, is a prospect not many can fathom until they actually take the plunge - with the needle that is.
Who Killed Heath Ledger? The Real Truth Behind the Drugs
By: Ann Marosy | 05/09/2008
The City of New York's Report concluded that Heath Ledger's cause of death was the result of acute intoxication by the lethal combination of prescription drugs such as narcotic analgesics and sleeping aids. However, the medical community have ignored the real underlying prescription drug class that often leads to habitual drug dependency with dangerous lethal consequences.
The Aloe Vera Plant Healing Ability
By: Daniel Millions | 05/09/2008
Aloe vera is medicinal plant that has many health benefits for its users. Consumers may buy aloe vera in different forms. It is possible to buy aloe vera as a gel, extract, powder, juice and a plant to grow in the home. Consumers can use aloe vera externally and internally.
There...
High Potency Cure For Joint Pain
By: Melvin Michael | 05/09/2008
Want to be as supple as a baby or as flexible as rubber?
More and more people are suffering from the hurting warning signs of joint related diseases, which include stiffness, pain inflammation redness swelling and redness. Join pain in the knees, elbows, wrists, and hips can be contributed to a...
Herbal Can Help Detoxify Your Body
By: Bardnurz Sham | 04/09/2008
The simplest detoxification therapy is to modify your daily diet. Although changing your diet is easier said than done, there are people who want to improve their health at any length and do not mind undergoing strict dietary changes. But there are also many others who do not want to...
Sleep Apnea Machine Can Cure Sleep Apnea
By: Andy West | 04/09/2008
Sleep apnea is a painful and arduous sleeping disorder that affects many adults. Not only does the sleeping disorder affect the amount of rejuvenating sleep a person receives, but it also affects their daytime activities and attitude. Many people who suffer from sleep apnea may not be aware of their...
More from Gary Gordon
Diabetic Footwear: For Your Feet
By: Gary Gordon | 14/05/2008 | Health
Why Diabetic Footwear Protects Your Feet and Your Health
When it comes to your health and diabetes, diabetic footwear probably is isn't the first thing on your mind. You're probably more concerned about your sugar levels and how those are affecting your body. And this is a good thing too. By...
Foot Care Rules For Diabetics
By: Gary Gordon | 14/05/2008 | Health
Do You Know the Foot Care Rules for Diabetics?
More and more patients like yourself are learning and implementing the foot care rules for diabetics in their life. While they almost seem too simple to be true, these easy lifestyle changes will protect your feet from infection and harm, while also...
Hydrotherapy Whirlpool Bathtubs Help Rehabilitate Patients
By: Gary Gordon | 14/05/2008 | Health
The idea of a hot bath at the end of the day is not just something that helps to soothe the soul, but physical therapists and physicians are finding that patients actual respond well to hydrotherapy whirlpool bath tubs and to their warm jets. By providing heat and pressure to...
Keeping Track Of Your Health With Fitness Heart Rate Monitor
By: Gary Gordon | 23/01/2008 | Health
When receiving one's medical degree, all doctors take a Hippocratic Oath to care for all patients to the best of their ability. This includes everyone from the youngest pre-mature infant to the oldest in geriatric care. During every stage of life, it is important for the physician to be able...
Physical Therapy Equipment
By: Gary Gordon | 11/01/2008 | Health
Physical therapy equipment was once thought to be exclusively for the use of injured professional athletes, but now, many people are entering into the exercise world. As more and older people begin to lead more active lives, injuries are sure to increase, as will the need for physical therapy, but...
Physical Therapy Equipment For Home
By: Gary Gordon | 11/01/2008 | Health
A patient who is undergoing rehabilitation is also likely to be conducting physical therapy at the same time. This requires the use of various pieces of physical therapy equipment both in the therapist's office and in the patient's home. Exercises will be recommended by the therapist which the patient can...
Tens Units - An Alternative Therapy For Pain Relief
By: Gary Gordon | 10/01/2008 | Medicine
Pain management is a growing and changing industry. A safe, effective, non-addictive treatment seems like the unreachable Holy Grail, but many patients feel they have found it through the use of TENS units. Treatments which were once thought to be quack medicine is now proving to be as effective and...
Massage Therapy Tables - Tips For Professionals
By: Gary Gordon | 10/01/2008 | Health
Massage therapy is a quickly growing industry, and it seems that everyone is signing up for massage school and buying their own massage therapy tables. They find the increasing popularity of the field as a reason to enter it. Returning patients and referrals comprise the bread and butter of a...
|
|
Health 
