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Since immemorial time, water has been used as a valuable therapeutic agent.
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In the Indian, Greek and Roman civilizations, bathing was considered an
important measure for prevention of disease and it was also valued for its
remedial properties.
For instances, the ancient Vedic
literature inIndia
contains numerous references of the use of water for the treatment of disease.
In modern times, there are numerous spas in most European countries where hydrotherapy are used frequently.
Therapeutic bath has beneficial
effects on the human system. It improves circulation, tones up muscles and aids
digestion.
The common water temperaturechart is:
Cold =100C to180C,
Neutral =320C to360C
Hot =400C to450C.
Above450C, water loses its
therapeutic value and becomes destructive.
The main methods of water
treatment which can be employed in the healing of various diseases are
described below:
Cold compress
This is a local application which
uses a cloth which has been wrung out in cold water and it is generally applied
to the head, neck, abdomen, chest, and back.
The cold compress helps
control inflammatory conditions of the liver, spleen, stomach, kidneys,
intestines, and in cases of fever and heart disease. The cold compress soothes
skin irritations and inflammations of external parts of the eye.
Heating compress
A heating compress consistsof three folds of linen cloth wrung out in hot water which is then covered
completely with dry blanket to prevent the circulation of air and help
accumulation of body heat.
A heating compress can be
applied to the throat, chest, abdomen, and joints. A throat compress is helpful
in sore throat, tonsillitis and laryngitis. An abdominal compress helps to
relieve gastritis, hyperacidity, indigestion and jaundice. The chest compress
helps health problems such as bronchitis, pleurisy and pneumonia. The joints compress relieves inflamed joints,
rheumatism, rheumatic and sprains.
Hip baths
This treatment involves only
the hips and the abdominal region and a special type of tub is used for the
purpose. If the special tub is not
available, a common tub may be used. Usually, four to six gallons of water are
required. Hip bath could use cold, hot, neutral or alternate temperatures.
Cold hip bath
The cold hip bath relieves chronicuterine infections, indigestion, chronic congestion of the prostate gland,
seminal weakness, impotency, sterility, uterine and ovarian displacements,
dilation of the stomach and colon, dysentery, hemorrhage of the bladder and so
on. It should not be employed in acute
inflammations.
Hot hip bath
A hot hip bath helps to
relieve painful menstruation, painful urination, inflamed rectum or bladder and
painful piles.
Hot foot baths
In this method, the patient
should keep his or her legs in a tub filled with hot water. A glass of water should be taken before this
bath. The patient should take a cold
shower immediately after the bath.
The hot foot bath relieves
sprains and ankle joint pains, headaches caused by cerebral congestion and
colds and, in the cases of women, this method helps restore menstruation.
Cold foot bath
The cold foot bath therapy
requires the feet immerse completely in the water for one to five minutes.
Friction should be applied to the feet during this bath.
This type of bath relieves
cerebral congestion, strains and inflamed bunions. It should not be used in
cases of inflammatory conditions of the genito-urinary organs, liver and
kidneys.
Steam bath
Steam bath is a water treatment
which induces perspiration and the patient should drink two glasses of cold
water and protect the head with a cold towel.
The pregnant women, cardiac
patients and persons suffering from high blood pressure should avoid the steam
bath.
The steam bath improves
circulation of the blood and tissue activity and relieves rheumatism, gout,
neuralgias, chronic nephritis, infections and migraine.
Precaution
- Avoid full baths within
three hours after a meal and one hour before it.
- Avoid local baths (such as thehip bath and foot bath) within two hours after a meal and one hour before it
- Use clean and pure water forbaths.
- Observe strictly temperatureand duration of the bath. For that
purpose, use a thermometer.
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