Hydrotherapy
Hot and cold water therapy – (for infected areas, painful areas)
Also called alternating hot and cold hydrotherapy (used for centuries)
1. Prepare two large, deep buckets.
2. Fill one with hot water and the other with ice water.
3. Try to put the affected limb into the hot water with your hand underneath it, so as to be sure the water is not too hot for your own hand.
4. If the injured limb is able to bear that temperature, keep it in the hot water for 3 minutes. (If the heat is too painful, reduce the temperature until it is bearable and then increase the temperature for the next hot treatment. Take care not to burn the injured area.
5. Put the limb into ice cold water for 30 seconds.
6. Repeat steps 1 & 2 twice more, making sure that the hot water is as hot as can be comfortably borne, but do not burn the limb or force it into water that feels too hot.
This treatment helps to reduce pain and inflammation as it produces a dramatic increase of blood flow into the injured area and pushes all the stale, congested blood out of the wound. The new blood brings nutrients, oxygen, white blood cells to the area, while the old blood is forced away along with the debris.
Caution:
You cannot do hot/cold water treatments on a diabetic as they can’t feel if they are getting burned. Use only warm and cool water instead of hot and cold.
If your feet are very cold, you can’t put them comfortably in hot water until they warm up, so start with warm water first.
Water Therapy
We have found water therapy to be very helpful.
Note - We never put ice directly on the skin or on the head as this is painful and might damage our tissues. We always wrap our ice in a cloth so there is something between our skin and the ice. The cold can still penetrate, but it is not damaging.
Headache
When struck down with migraine headaches, relief has been gained by taking a warm shower and then soaking the legs in very hot water, while a the same time, putting an ice-pack behind the neck. Sitting in this way for 40 mins has reduced the pain and induced relaxation so that sleep was possible.
The hot water pulls the blood into the extremities, while the ice-pack on the back of the neck shunts the blood away from the congested area of head. It is thought that this flow of blood from the head to the feet is what relieves the excess pressure in the head.
While the scientific research in this area is not great, this hot/cold water treatment has certainly helped up when we have been suffering from headaches.
Injury
Bruises and sprains respond well to being 'iced' - encompassed with an ice bandage. We don't use hot water on sprains until after the first 24 hours after the injury as hot water seems to draw more blood to the already swollen area and this sensation is painful.
We can also use a cold water treatment by immersing the injured part in cold water for up to 30 minutes to take away inflammation, swelling and pain. This remedy can be used to relieve the painful symptoms several times a day.
After 24 hours, we treat the sprain by using the warm/cold contrast immersion remedy.
NOTE:
If an open wound is present, use a disinfectant such as hydrogen peroxide in the water.
If swelling is a problem, this can be helped by adding table salt to the water.
If the circulation is poor, cayenne pepper or mustard powder can be added to the water.
Skin Infection
When we have had a boil trying to come to a head on our skin, we have found that submerging the affected limb in hot water seems to cause the boil to come to a head. We always follow this up with the application of some oregano and thyme essential oils and then a potato poultice.
Nasal Congestion, Bronchitis, Asthma, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Laryngitis, Tonsillitis
Chest Compress
The cold, wet T-shirt will warm up and dry out and while doing so it will encourage blood supply to the lungs and respiratory system.
Hyperventilation
We immerse both hands in cold water for 30 minutes (or less) to slow pulse and remedy hyperventilation.
DISCLAIMER
Information on this site and in this article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.
A decision to use/not use this information is the sole responsibility of the reader.
Please see your doctor or health care professional for medical evaluation.
Hot and cold water therapy – (for infected areas, painful areas)
Also called alternating hot and cold hydrotherapy (used for centuries)
1. Prepare two large, deep buckets.
2. Fill one with hot water and the other with ice water.
3. Try to put the affected limb into the hot water with your hand underneath it, so as to be sure the water is not too hot for your own hand.
4. If the injured limb is able to bear that temperature, keep it in the hot water for 3 minutes. (If the heat is too painful, reduce the temperature until it is bearable and then increase the temperature for the next hot treatment. Take care not to burn the injured area.
5. Put the limb into ice cold water for 30 seconds.
6. Repeat steps 1 & 2 twice more, making sure that the hot water is as hot as can be comfortably borne, but do not burn the limb or force it into water that feels too hot.
This treatment helps to reduce pain and inflammation as it produces a dramatic increase of blood flow into the injured area and pushes all the stale, congested blood out of the wound. The new blood brings nutrients, oxygen, white blood cells to the area, while the old blood is forced away along with the debris.
Caution:
You cannot do hot/cold water treatments on a diabetic as they can’t feel if they are getting burned. Use only warm and cool water instead of hot and cold.
If your feet are very cold, you can’t put them comfortably in hot water until they warm up, so start with warm water first.
Water Therapy
We have found water therapy to be very helpful.
Note - We never put ice directly on the skin or on the head as this is painful and might damage our tissues. We always wrap our ice in a cloth so there is something between our skin and the ice. The cold can still penetrate, but it is not damaging.
Headache
When struck down with migraine headaches, relief has been gained by taking a warm shower and then soaking the legs in very hot water, while a the same time, putting an ice-pack behind the neck. Sitting in this way for 40 mins has reduced the pain and induced relaxation so that sleep was possible.
The hot water pulls the blood into the extremities, while the ice-pack on the back of the neck shunts the blood away from the congested area of head. It is thought that this flow of blood from the head to the feet is what relieves the excess pressure in the head.
While the scientific research in this area is not great, this hot/cold water treatment has certainly helped up when we have been suffering from headaches.
Injury
Bruises and sprains respond well to being 'iced' - encompassed with an ice bandage. We don't use hot water on sprains until after the first 24 hours after the injury as hot water seems to draw more blood to the already swollen area and this sensation is painful.
We can also use a cold water treatment by immersing the injured part in cold water for up to 30 minutes to take away inflammation, swelling and pain. This remedy can be used to relieve the painful symptoms several times a day.
After 24 hours, we treat the sprain by using the warm/cold contrast immersion remedy.
- Have two buckets or other similar containers
- Fill one bucket with warm water (37 degrees celcius/100 fahrenheit)
- Fill one bucket with cold water (21 degrees celcius/70 fahrenheit)
- Immerse the swollen limb or sprained area into the warm water for 3 minutes.
- Take the limb out of the warm water and insert it straight away into the cool water.
- Leave limb in the cool water for 30 seconds.
- Repeat 3 times or more.
NOTE:
If an open wound is present, use a disinfectant such as hydrogen peroxide in the water.
If swelling is a problem, this can be helped by adding table salt to the water.
If the circulation is poor, cayenne pepper or mustard powder can be added to the water.
Skin Infection
When we have had a boil trying to come to a head on our skin, we have found that submerging the affected limb in hot water seems to cause the boil to come to a head. We always follow this up with the application of some oregano and thyme essential oils and then a potato poultice.
Nasal Congestion, Bronchitis, Asthma, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Laryngitis, Tonsillitis
Chest Compress
- Put sleeveless T-shirt into icey water.
- Wring water out of T-shirt
- Put on T-shirt.
- Wrap woollen cloth around chest, over shoulders and pin in place.
The cold, wet T-shirt will warm up and dry out and while doing so it will encourage blood supply to the lungs and respiratory system.
Hyperventilation
We immerse both hands in cold water for 30 minutes (or less) to slow pulse and remedy hyperventilation.
DISCLAIMER
Information on this site and in this article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.
A decision to use/not use this information is the sole responsibility of the reader.
Please see your doctor or health care professional for medical evaluation.