Hydrotherapy

History

Carlos Andreson 1943

 Using thermal water for therapeutic purposes: balneotherapy,

spa therapy, hydrotherapy
 Hippocrates (460-375BC) used hot and cold water immersion
to treat many diseases
 Romans used baths for hygiene
 19th-20th century: therapeutic & pleasure
Definition
 Hydrotherapy may be defined as the use of
water, in any of its forms, for the
maintenance of health or the treatment of
disease.
 hydrotherapy has been used to treat disease
and injury by many different peoples.
 Also called( Hydrothermal therapy)
additionally uses its temperature effects, as
in hot baths, saunas, wraps, etc.
 Benefits of hydrotherapy
The goal of hydrotherapy is to improve the circulation and quality of
blood.

This is important, since blood deliveries nutrient to and remove the

waste products from the tissues and organs.
 If circulation is poor or slow, healing nutrients could not be
delivered and toxins could not be removed, which causes
degeneration of tissues and organs.

 By improving the quality of blood, more nutrients are available

for cells to use and toxins are managed more efficiently
Physiological Effects
 Thermal effects: are produced by the application
of water at temperatures above or below that of
the body.
 The mechanical: effects are produced by the
impact of water upon the surface of the body in
the form of sprays, douches, frictions, whirlpools,
etc.
 The chemical: effects are produced when it is
taken by mouth or used to irrigate a body cavity,
such as the large colon.
Common techniques
 baths and showers, neutral baths, sitz baths,
contrast sitz baths, foot baths, cold mitten friction
rub, steam inhalation, hot compresses, cold
compresses, alternating hot and cold
compresses, heating compresses, body wrap,
wet sheet pack, and salt glow.
 
        
                                                       
        
                                                                 
        
                                                                      
 Therapeutic properties
of
water
 

Physical
properties chemical
prosperities
Physical properties of water
(Aquatic Physics )
These properties include
 High specific heat and thermal conductivity
 Bouyancy
 Resistance
 and hydrostatic pressure
 Physical properties
1-Specific heat and thermal
conductivity
 Water can transfer heat by conduction (stationary
water) and convection (moving water) and can
therefore be used as a superficial heating or cooling
agents.

 It is effective for this application because of its high

specific heat and thermal conductivity
Specific heat. Cont.,
 Cool water temps are best for long exercise
session,
 warm water is indicated for short-duration
exercises
Specific heat. Cont.,
 The specific heat of water is approximately
four times that of air and its thermal
conductivity is approximately 25 times that
of air.
 Thus it transfers the thermal energy 25
times more rapidly than air at the same
temperature.
Clinical benefits
 Clinically, during hydrotherapy, heat is generally
transferred from warm water to a patient by
placing the patient's limb in warm water.

 Heat may also be transferred from the patient to

cooler water by immersion of a limb or part of it
in cold or ice water.
 Physical properties
2-Bouyancy
 Buoyancy: upward force generated by
the volume of water displaced – force
opposing gravity
Archimede’s Principle: “the upward
thrust that a fully or partially
immersed body experiences is equal
to the weight of the water that it
displaces”
-The amount of the fluid it
displaces depends on the density of
the immersed body relative to the
density of the fluid.
 Physical properties
Buoyancy
 Density is proportional
 Water density change
to its depth
with temperature and
 Specific Gravity (SG):
atmospheric pressure
pure water at 4oC is
change
1.0
 The density of salt
SG>1.0 sink
water is greater than
fresh water SG<1.0 float
 Body SG ~ 0.974
Specific gravity
 Is the weight of a particular substance compared with
the weight of an equal volume of water
 Specific gravity of a person increases when there is
increased bone mass and muscle mass and decreases
when there are greater amounts of adipose tissue
 An object with low specific gravity (less than 1.0)
will float
 Objects with high specific gravity ( greater than 1.0)
will sink
 The human body has a specific gravity of 0.87 – 0.97
Center of Buoyancy
 TheCOB is a point or location on the
human body that needs to be maintained
within a base of support to establish &
maintain an upward & stable posture
Similar to center of gravity
 COB located in chest region
 Physical properties
Clinical benefits
 Buoyancy
Help exercise when weight
bearing is contraindication
(decrease stress and compression
on weight bearing joints,muscles
and connective tissues).
Can be used as assistive or
resistive force
Raise weakened body parts
against gravity.
Combination of Buoyancy and
Hydrostatic pressure help in
balance exercises
 Torque = F x L
Center of Buoyancy (CB)
of a body segment
immersed in water + Center
of Gravity (COG) of a body
segment out of water used
to analyze torque
 Buoyancy & Gravity
counteracting forces
Body stable: COG&CB
vertical
Body rotates: COG&CB
not vertical
Physical properties
3-Resistance
 Water at rest
Density: mass per unit
volume
ρ = m/V
m= mass; V=volume
Physical properties
3) Resistance
 Viscosity (internal friction between the molecules)
and cohesion (attractive force exerted by each
molecule on those surrounding) of the water provide
resistance to the motion of a body in water.
 Resistance occurs in the against direction of the
motion of the body and increase in proportional to
the relative speed of the body's motion and the
frontal area of the body part(s) in contact with water.

 
Clinical benefits
 -The velocity-dependant resistance provided by
water makes it a safe and effective strengthening
medium for many patients.

 -Variable resistance and pressure provided by

moving water can be beneficial for debriding and
cleansing wounds.
 
Hydromechanics of water
 Term used to refer to movement through
water
 The faster the movement, the greater the
resistance
 Physical properties
4-Hydrostatic pressure
 Hydrostatic pressure:
pressure exerted by water on
the immersed body
Pascal’s law: “when a body
part immersed in fluid is at
rest, the fluid will exert equal
pressure on all surface areas
at a given depth”
P = F/A
F= Force; A=Surface area
Clinical benefits
 Immersion in water can assist in promoting circulation or
alleviating peripheral edema due to venous or lymphatic
insufficiency.
 Facilitate cardiovascular function
 Support provided by hydrostatic pressure may help to brace
unstable joints or weak muscles.
 The greatest effect will occur with vertical positioning.
 The effect will be less pronounced if the patient is swimming
in more horizontal position close to the water surface.
 There are also no hydrostatic pressure effects when non-
immersion hydrotherapy techniques are used.
Physical properties
 Hydrostatic pressure
Patients with respiratory problems:
– exercises to improve lung expansion
– Difficulty breathing
Pressure  with density: more pressure in deeper
water (patients with circulatory problems)
Physical properties
 Other properties
Surface tension: water molecules
on the surface have greater
tendency to hold together

Adhesion: the tendency of water

molecule to adhere to other
substances

Cohesion: the tendency of water

molecules to adhere to each other
Physical properties
Water in motion
Flow motion
 
Laminar Turbulent
Physical properties
 Movement of objects in
water cause water movement
(whirlpools or Eddy
 Turbulence cause resistance
 The faster the movement the
greater the turbulence
 Underwater exercises vs
Land exercises
 Physical properties
 Bow wave: positive pressure in front of the moving object – caused by the
displaced water (stop moving forward)
 Wake (drag effect): forms behind moving object caused by water flowing
into the area immediately to the rear – negative pressure (hold object back)
Exercise in water
 Adjust resistance
Speed
Size and shape
– Change limb position – lever length
– Increase surface area – add apparatus