hydrotherapy

HYDROTHERAPY OR AQUATHERAPY

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

Hydrotherapy also known as hydropathy or aquatherapy is quite an old form of treatment . The Dominican Monk Sebastian Kneipp described aquatherapy in his 1886 book as My water Cure ' Scientific knowledge is piling up on the study as more people acquire expertise . The treatment is two phased depending on the disease and or aim it is to achieve : applying both the mechanical and thermal aspects

Hydrotherapy , takes advantage of body the physiological response to temperature change (hot or cold influence .It exploits the body 's

response to continued exposure to heat , the resultant effect of the water pressure and the feeling that water render

Hydrotherapy is used in the treatment of rheumatoid complications multiple sclerosis , pelvic inflammations , and sciatica (back pains .Its however important to note that aquatherapy has been increasingly used as a way of relaxation of the body , in the form of saunas and steam baths Advanced systems of aquatherapy are applied in the treatment of the mentally challenged , with a view of achieving relaxation to the tension they might be exposed to

How hydrotherapy works

Heat reduces the activity of internal organs , hence soothing the body Cold however is a stimulant that increases the body 's internal activity The buoyancy effect of the water against the constant pull of gravity relieves the body and is the probable reason behind the function of hot baths . The hydrostatic effect of water is a massage system on the body As is common in whirlpools , the motion excites the sense receptors of the dermal layer causing increased circulation of body fluids and causes relaxation of tight muscles

CASE STUDY OF THE THORAX COMPLICATIONS

THE HYPOTHESIS

In this thesis we question the relevance of hydrotherapy . Using a model study of the immersion of patients having chest complications we try to prove the lingering question of the significance of hydrotherapy . Is aquatherapy a reliable regime in the treatment of chest complications

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Over a period of two years , May 2005 to May 2007 , the study focused on 69 individuals who had spinal cord complications . The average age of the patients was 23 and the approximate time of injury was within a span of 8 months as of the date of study . The control group was 63 individuals with an average age of 29 years subjected to identical parameters . Tests were carried out between two thirty pm and four forty five pm .A calibrated Spiro meter was used everyday before the tests and volumes noted on the flow of fluid . The measures that were acquired , before and 15-20 minutes after immersion of the body to the base of the neck level in aqua therapy fluid temperatures ranging between 320 C to 33 .50 C

7 minutes after withdrawal of the hydrotherapy fluid another measure was done . In the two sets of measures and tests patients sat upright in and out the hydrotherapy fluid which was water in this case

The values of distribution were within a normal...