Hydrotherapy

With the popularization of the use of facilities, such as spas or, the therapies or modalities offered by these types of establishments have also become more popular. We explain them one by one.

• Spas or spas no longer only provide a feeling of well-being but also have health benefits.
• Hydrotherapy is a technique that uses only water as a beneficial agent.
• The circular shower, the jet shower or the hydromassage bath are some of the hydrotherapy modalities.

Types of hydrotherapy

To try to clarify and help those who are not regulars or are unaware of this world, we will describe some of the techniques that are applied or that can be enjoyed in them. It is also important to distinguish techniques that only use water as a beneficial agent from those that use a derivative such as algotherapy or the mud / mud therapy, that use elements obtained from water, mixed with it and that, although they are beneficial, are not considered hydrotherapy but complementary therapies to this one.

• Circular shower: it projects water from different jets located around the body, so that it surrounds it in a circular way. The temperature and pressure are regulated from the outside and provides a pleasant massage. Benefits: tones, stimulates and activates circulation.
• Vichy shower: It combines the shower of water with manual therapy, so that the user receives a massage while several jets of water fall on the skin. It is therefore doubly beneficial and enjoyable. The person lies down on a stretcher while the jets, which can be regulated in terms of pressure, go through the entire body surface. Benefits: relaxing and, thanks to the massage, decontracting muscles that are usually more stiff.
• Underwater Shower: Although its name can be misleading, it is a pressure jet that is projected with the person into a bathtub. The therapist directs a jet of water along the body immersed in the bathtub and performs an intense but at the same time pleasant massage. Benefits: improves blood supply and tones the muscles.
• Pressure Jet (Jet Shower): the distance between therapist and client is 4-5 meters. The first directs a jet of water towards the body of the second totally or partially. Depending on the problem to be treated, a specific area will be applied with a deep massage and in the direction of return circulation. Benefits: it is indicated for circulatory problems, stress and muscle contractures. It is a technique that not suitable for the entire population, so it should be consulted in advance with the doctor / therapist.
• Hydromassage bathtub: bathtub that provides a massage to the body immersed in water at a temperature between 38º C and 40 ºC thanks to a system of pressure jets. The nozzles through which the water is projected are built into the walls of the bathtub and can be directed to the desired areas of the body. Nowadays, the use of essential oils has spread in these baths, which can be used according to the effect we want to enhance. For example, using almond essential oil improves skin hydration. Benefits: relaxation, well-being, muscle and muscle relief.
• Hydrojet: A special technique that incorporates the therapeutic action of water jet massage but without the person getting wet. It is a bathtub closed by a kind of mat on which the person lies. Underneath, jets of moving water "sweep" the entire body without wetting it. In this way, a beneficial massage is obtained. You can select the massage area, as well as its strength and water temperature to affect those muscles to be treated. Benefits: the sensation is similar to that of floating in water but without getting wet, which is very relaxing and produces well-being. It is especially beneficial for contractures in the back area.
• Maniluvio / Footbath: They are baths applied to the specific area of ​​the hands or feet. The water temperature is about 36-37 ºC. In some cases, footbaths are combined with the action of the person walking on small stones. In this way, the plant receptors are stimulated and a massage effect is achieved. Benefits: relaxing and sedative, especially effective for rheumatic and joint pain.
• Sprays and inhalations: Spraying is an inhalation technique of thermal water in which tiny drops of thermal water settle and bathe the upper respiratory tract, acting specifically in conditions of the throat, tonsils and pharynx. Inhalation, as its name suggests, is based on inhaling steam and thermal water aimed at treating respiratory conditions. Benefits: it is recommended especially in conditions of the upper respiratory tract, although they can work satisfactorily in the middle and lower airways. Inhalations also work on allergic processes and.

The spas where there are water springs for therapeutic purposes are well known. In these types of establishments, water can not only be used on the skin but also orally. In fact, in these establishments spring water is served as table water as well as that which can be consumed at home. We find different types of water depending on its composition.

Less known and practiced, at least in our country, is the consumption of seawater. It is during the 20th century, that many doctors from thalassotherapy centers recommended it, but this practice fell into disuse. In this field, the “Quinton Plasma” is well known, which is nothing more than sea water collected in controlled areas and mixed with water for human consumption.

Home hydrotherapy

Although a spa has all the necessary elements to make our experience with water as pleasant and beneficial as possible, we can also enjoy the benefits of water on our own.

It is as simple as go into a pool or the sea and walk. In water our body weighs up to seven times less and the m of moving in the water facilitates any movement that would be more expensive outside of it.

In addition to this, nowadays there are group-led classes in the water () where all muscle groups and joints are worked globally.

But if we are not prepared for it simply move in the water It will bring us great benefits, both at the articular, muscular and vascular level.