Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy in a whirlpool

Hydrotherapy, as the name suggests, is a therapy that uses water to treat disease and maintain health. The weightlessness of the human body in the water is combined with heat and massage.

Warm water is ideal for patients with rheumatic complaints and neurological disorders and is particularly beneficial for patients in wheelchairs.

The massage jets give a fine but deeply penetrating massage, allowing the body and soul to relax.

History of Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy has been used for health purposes for thousands of years. For example, it was used by the ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. It was well known that the hot springs and bathhouses have beneficial effects on the health of the body.

Vincent Priessnitz was the first person to turn hydrotherapy into a career. He is known for healing patients with hydrotherapy in 1829. Many people from all over the world wanted to see him, which was very unusual at that time.

How does hydrotherapy work

What are the principles behind the healing effects of hydrotherapy? The healing power of hydrotherapy is based on thermal and mechanical (water pressure) effects. The skin receives certain stimuli and the nerves transmit exactly this feeling to our brain. In response to the stimuli, the brain stimulates the immune system, reduces the production of stress hormones and decreases the body's sensitivity to pain.

Warm and cold currents can be used for hydrotherapy. Generally speaking, heat is used to soothe and relax muscles at the same time. Cold, on the other hand, is used to stimulate the body. The pressure of the water on the body can be precisely adjusted to the patient's discomfort. Working with water pressure is like a massage for the body. In addition, water gives the feeling of weightlessness, which can relieve muscle pain and allow you to train in a way that is particularly easy on the joints.

There are different techniques that can be used in hydrotherapy. If you suffer from rheumatic pains, small pools of warm water are often used for certain exercises. The warm water can relieve the pain in the joints, whereas cold water should not be used here under any circumstances! Compresses or smaller water basins can also be used. Good hydrotherapy is therefore precisely adapted to the patient's complaints.