Hydrotherapy or
Water Therapy
Remember=As in the
Spiritual...so in the physical
If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is
that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou
wouldest have asked of him, and he would
have given thee living water.
Water is cleansing, inside and out
it Represents Life
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall
give him shall never thirst; but the water that I
shall give him shall be in him a well of water
springing up into everlasting life.
John 4:14
“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash
me, and I shall be whiter than snow”. Ps. 51:7
“Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of
your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do
evil”.
Is. 1:16
“And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be
baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the
name of the Lord”.
Acts 22:16
Understanding Hydrotherapy
1. Physiological responses
• Hot dilates capillaries—skin turns red
• Cold constricts capillaries—skin can
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become white
Underlying organs respond with either
relaxation or increased activity
Body temperature responds accordingly
Metabolism, or body chemistry is
accelerated/digestion improved
Blood becomes more alkaline
Benefits of Hydrotherapy
• The most effective therapy modality known to
fight disease, ageing, infections, pain
• Weight Loss!!!
• Hormones increase in quality and
effectiveness--balanced in conjunction with
herbs
• Improved digestive tract functions
• Sets the stage for Detoxification,
•Cleanses the body of morbid matter
from Detox
•Brain and nervous system toned and
calmed
•Heart rate is increased and
strengthened
•Long term helps prevent heart
attack and stroke--works in
conjunction with all other 8 laws of
health
•Mental clarity, increased emotional stability
•Immune system strengthened and enabled
•Lymph flow increased and activity increase
•White blood cells increase in numbers and
chemistry, lymphocytes increase in
numbers
• Increased ability and strength of
resistance to disease
• Quicker healing from trauma with minimal
tissue damage
• Less burn scaring, quicker healing due to
increased circulation in capillaries
Lists of various types of hydrotherapy
There are two kinds of hydrotherapy
1. Fever Therapies
• Hot fomentations
• Hot tub soaks-can be medicated
• Wet sheet pack
• Russian steam bath
• Hot foot bath
2. Contrast Therapies
• Shower or spray type
• Plunges or underwater therapy
There are several ways to apply contrast
Local treatments
 Hot &/or cold to extremities
 Local thermal applications
 Paraffin baths
 Cold mitten friction
Water Temperatures and their effect
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Painfully hot
Very hot
Hot
Neutral
Warm
Tepid
Cool
Cold
• Very Cold
110-120F
104-110
100-104
94-97
92-100
80-92
70-80
55-70
32-55
42.8-46 C constriction
40-42.8 extreme dilatation
38-40
dilatation
34.4-37 calming, relaxing
34-38
refreshing
27-34 wound cleansing
21-27
constricting
13-21 therapeutically
constricts
0-13
severe constriction
anesthetic
The effects of contrast shower & plunge
Toning to the whole body
Increases the mobility of cell membrane gate
openings and closings and the traffic of
nutrients/waste in and out
Strengthens and mobilizes the immune
system cells and their chemistry
Helps build muscle, including the heart
muscle
Aides in detoxing and cleansing the body
Helps body to shed unnecessary weight
Opens and activates the skin pores
Increases mental clarity, increases quality
of brain chemistry
Stimulates good hormone production and
utilization of such
Stimulates joints to lubricate and de-
mineralize crystal buildup, therefore aiding
in the rebuilding of joint cartilage, reduces
pain
Increases lymph circulation, increasing the
ability to fight infections
Enables the body to be more oxygenated
and utilize oxygen more effectively
Hot and cold contrast therapies
Shower or spray
•Skin brush—take at least 7-10
minutes
•Warm up in the shower then turn the
hot water up until it is as hot as you
can stand without it stinging or
burning your skin—time it for 3
minutes
•Direct the water flow to the back of
your head, neck, spine, and any
affected part of your body
•After 3 minutes turn the hot way down
to cold as cold as you can stand it, but
not freezing, numbing cold, just cold
enough to force you to breath deep and
dance a little—time this for 1 minute
•If your water is not so cold, you may
have to stay in the cold longer
•Return to the hot water for 3 minutes
then to the cold for 1 or more minutes,
this is a round.
•Do 7 rounds of these daily, or multiple
times in a day, cannot do too much
Plunges
This treatment is the same as the contrast
showers, except it is more intense, and is
done in two tubs of water.
• One tub is hot 108-110F 38-42C
• The other tub is cold 55-70F 13-21C
• Spend 5 minutes in the hot water
• Spend 1-2 minutes in the cold waterlonger if you cannot get down to 55
degrees F, or 13 C
• Immerse your whole body except your
nose if possible
• Be sure to skin brush first
• Spend 33-5 min in hot then quickly go to
cold and spend 1-3 min. repeat this 7
times, finishing with cold for 10 seconds
• When finished dry off very briskly
• Dress warmly and rest for 30 minutes at
something quiet
• Work into this one with contrast showers
first for a few days
Fever Therapy
possible effects and their solution!
 Uncontrollable shivering . .
 Hypotension . . . . . . . . . .
 Vertigo . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 Palpitations of the heart . .
 Extreme skin sensitivity; .
Water too cold-increase
temperature-do hot foot bath
Pt dehydrated-give liquids
Too intense-lessen intensity
Same-give hawthorn, exercise
tickling, muscle guarding, Needs more skin brushing, Bowel
uncontrolled laughing
detoxing, ice to head
 Hyperventilation . . . . . . . Lobelia, coach deep breathing
 Faintness, muscle twitching Give cayenne, then lobelia, less
or jerking
intense hydro for a few times
 Nausea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dehydrated, cleanse stomach
Considerations
Always use ice pack over heart and or
head or neck with fever therapies
Keep cayenne and lobelia tinctures within
reach and drop droppers full directly into
mouth in emergencies
Take a measurement of body temperature
before the treatment; then every 10 min.
or less
Hydrate-drink lots of fluids before during
and after treatment such as hot lemon
aide, yarrow, peppermint, or other tea
Heart patients, diabetics, stroke, trauma,
and critically compromised disease
patients begin easy and work into more
intense
Be sure to do treatments in warm area-no
drafts.
Monitor your patient at all times, be
prepared to help
Rule of therapy for after all TX----always
rest one hour, covered, immediately
following treatment
Hot foot bath
This is local immersion bath covering the
feet, ankles, and lower legs at
temperatures from 100-115F or 38-41C
Local and reflex pathways increase the
blood flow through the feet and entire
skin surface producing decongestion in
internal organs and brain
Benefits of the Hot Foot Bath
Relieves congestive headache
Relieves chest congestion
Relieves pelvic congestion
Stops epitasis or nose bleeding
Aides in recovery from colds and infections
of lungs; this includes pneumonia all
respiratory diseases
And many more benefits
General Warming purposes
o This will prepare the patient for massage,
general application of heat, tonic procedures,
prevention of colds; or to abort one
o To aid in relaxation and comfort, and to detox
the body through herbs in the water
o To produce sweating—TX must be prolonged
Russian Steam Bath
Steam applied to skin while sitting in a chair
Effects and indications:
• To produce sweating
• For production of fever therapy-intense,
short duration
• Increases body temperature-100%
humidity-no heat loss
• Increases pulse rate, blood pressure, and
metabolism
• Marked peripheral vasodilatation
• Graduated hydrotherapy, for after other therapies
Uses:
Arthritis, gout, obesity, substance abuse recovery,
detoxification, infections, strengthening of immune
system, hypothyroid disease, and many others
Caution with use in:
Hypertension, diabetes, and cardiac impairment
initially;
Once a fever therapy has been experienced for 2-3
times you can graduate up to Russian Steam Chair.
Or if needed you can do the RSChair, but not as
hot or as long a time until the person is stronger.
Here’s how
Place patient on a wooden chair or one
that will not rust—plastic is ok
Under chair, place a hot plate/burner with
a kettle of water, heat to boiling, adjust
heat
Drape patient with plastic, then a sheet,
closing snugly around neck, and all around
Note the time--treatment is for 20-30
minutes or as tolerated
Be sure to have done the preliminaries:
• Temperature check, hydration, cayenne/
lobelia present, Ice bag ready, stay with
patient and monitor closely, time the
treatment.
• Be sure the steam is directed away from
the patient– burns easily. If necessary
drape the chair with a towel, so it is
hanging down in the direct pathway of the
steam
Hot Fomentations
These are hot towels
that are wet and heated in a microwave,
wool packs steamed etc, and applied to the
chest and back for fever therapy. They
can also be applied to other parts of the
body and alternated with cold packs for a
contrast local stimulation But for systemic TX
.
here are the
Steps to take in this treatment:
1. This can follow a contrast shower, or just
start the treatment, but skin brush first.
2. Be sure to hydrate well before, during
and after treatment
3. Remove clothing and sit or lye on a
prepared surface: to prepare the surface
place 1-2 natural fiber blankets, then a
plastic sheet, followed by a cotton
sheet.
4. Place feet in a hot water bath of at least
110F-42C—can even put a pinch of
cayenne pepper powder in the water,
note the time...
5. Place a dry towel on the chest because it is
tender skin, then wrap up in all of the wraps of
the prepared surface, making it snug at the
neck-do not allow any air to escape or flow in
6. Place heated towel (should be almost too hot
to handle) on chest towel and recover
7. Place heated towel to back and re-cover.
Towels should be folded in half and half again.
They will cover the spine and most of the back
as well as down the chest. The towel on the
back goes directly on the back as the skin is
tougher there.
8. Continue to change the towels as often
as the microwave heats them, at least
every 3-4 minutes. This can be done
with a kettle of water and steaming the
towels as well. Keep exchanging the
towels noting what time the person
begins to sweat. They will want to
sweat for at least 30 minutes
9. Monitor the body’s temperature every 7
minutes or so, keep watch for over heating,
using cayenne or lobelia if necessary for
faintness, spasms or twitching. Be sure to
use ice pack on head
10. Take patient out of pack when 30 minutes
of sweating has occurred or if not tolerating
the treatment
11. Apply cold right away either with cold
mitten friction rub or shower, or plunge.
Plunge is just a little more intense than h/c
12. Lastly be sure to lie down/sit covered
immediately after for 1 hour to allow the
body to return to normal
Hot and cold to local areas:
This will help relieve certain selected
headaches due to the passive congestion
of the common cold, nervous and
muscular tension, and certain headaches
due to trauma
1. Important considerations
--Explain procedure to patient
--Have the patient lying down
– Alternate hot/cold to the head should not be
used in headache due to hypertension and
only in carefully selected cases of trauma. It
would be better to do a Hot Foot Bath
– Protect the bed with plastic, can use a pillow
– Have the ice pack long and narrow and not
too bulky to fit the neck adequately
2.Begin placing the feet in a hot tub of water on
the bed at 105-115F 40-45C increase as needed
to keep temperature comfortable but hot.
3. Place a hot towel under the cervical
spine and to sides of the neck; two hot
water bags may be used, or rice packs
heated in the microwave
• Place a compress wrung from ice water
on the face, covering the top of the
head and ears. Press down firmly over
the forehead and the temporal arteries;
renew every minute three times
• Replace the fomentation to the neck
with covered long, narrow ice bag or
two covered ice bags one on each side
of the neck
6. Replace the cold compress to the face
with a hot towel; cover the ears and
forehead but do not cover the nose,
allowing breathing of cool air. Protect
the eyes from excessive heat and do
not press down on this one
7. Continue the alternations for 3
complete sets of heat and cold
8. Holding the feet above the foot tub,
pour cold water over feet and dry
thoroughly
9. Cool face by sponging with a cold
compress
10. Dry thoroughly, especially the hair
11. Have the patient rest at least 30
minutes after treatment, avoid chilling
Hot Tub Soak
Use this as often as you need to for soaking
away aches, pains, tiredness, mental anxiety,
sluggishness, onset of colds, flu, boosting the
immune system
Begin with hydration—Hot lemon aide or
favorite tea, Echinacea is a good one
Gather ice bag, drink and anything else for
comfort
Run water into tub at 104-106F 40-41C
Can add charcoal, Epsom salts, sea salt,
herbs get creative, lavender oil is nice
Soak for as long as you need to for reliefJapan does it for 11 hours at a time. Just
be sure to keep hydrated
Finish off with a cold shower and lie down
for 1 hour afterwards, covered, allowing
body to balance out, if doing this for sleep
do not finish with cold
Can be done during the night for sleep,
just before bedtime or any time during the
night
This is a drawing
Wet Sheet Pack
therapy. It will draw
off extra fluid build up, toxic waste, drugs
poisons, infection throw off, abnormal labs.
It is a procedure in which the patient is
wrapped in a wet sheet, then in enough dry
blanket coverings to regulate evaporation
and to control the temperature.
The effects of a wet sheet pack depend upon its
duration and number of blankets applied to
control evaporation. According to the
degree of heat generated within the pack, it
passes through three stages as follows
1. COOLING/EVAPORATION.....Antipyretic in
Fevers, so if your goal is lowering fever, then
you will need one hour plus
2. NEUTRAL...Insomnia, mania, delirium,
restlessness
This will require at least two hours plus
3. HEATING/SWEATING.......Alcoholism, nicotine
poisoning, chronic nephritis, and gout, may also
be used for fevers of infants and children,
bronchitis, colds, flu, cancer, and many others
4. Generally the goal is to be in this for 4 hours
minimum or all night
Procedure
Heat the body with some form of fever therapy
Hot tub soak is easiest; adding 1/3 cup
cayenne and ginger powder to a sock and
squeezing it in the bath water is quite
opening to the pores of the skin and
enhancing to the circulation, therefore
detoxing to the entire body
Be sure to Vaseline all tender areas first.
Goal: Fever needs to be 102……..20 minutes
103……..15 minutes
104……..10 minutes
30-45 minutes is adequate time for this
warming. After 45 minutes remove the
patient in this manner.
Have a large sheet soaking in ice water and
slightly wring it out when ready to drape
patient. Have them slowly stand up
outside the tub, urinate, then wrap the
sheet across their back and bring it up
over their outstretched arms, leaving
enough to cover the feet well when lying
down. Bring the arms in to cover the body
The key to comfort is to wrap the wet sheet
loosely around the body so movement of
the arms and legs is non restricting
Walk to the bed prepared with a plastic
sheet over the mattress and pillow, and
one under the blankets over the patient.
After the blankets are all in place, tuck a
towel around their neck, under their head
between them and the plastic. The towel
adds insulation for the ice pack you must
have in place under the head while in the
pack.
Keep the blankets folded in around the neck
to keep any cold air out, do not leave
anything but the head out.
The wet sheet must come in contact with all
of the skin at all times and once in the
pack it must not be broken until ready to
come out.
If done during the daytime, a good video or
some form of entertainment is quite
helpful
Sponging their face of the sweat periodically
is essential for comfort, they can expect to
feel their skin hot with the cayenne for
about 30 minutes and it slowly dissipates
Keep enough blankets on to keep them sweating
Keep a urinal inside the pack for usage during the
treatment, or at least a folded towel. Keep
them drinking every 15 minutes while awake
For little children the bath need not be so hot or so
long, but must be in the pack until they sweat
for at least 30 minutes (at least one full hour
inside the pack). This will break a fever and
speed the healing
When ready to break the pack, just unwrap, and
walk directly to the shower and finish with a few
rounds of hot/cold, dry off briskly, dress with
warm clothing
Lie down for about one hour covered to normalize.