I have chronic low back pain, neck pain and migraine headaches. I feel sure that most of the pain is due to a wreck in my thirties. I was stopped at a red light to make a left-hand turn when a drunk driver plowed into the back of my car. I did have on my seat belt, but it was before the days of air bags, so I suffered quite a jolt. My car was pushed through the light and into a parking lot on the other side of the street.
I wasn’t injured (at least not in a visual way), and I was so angry, I didn’t go to the hospital. I just wanted to get out and scream at the lady. Which I did. It helped me emotionally, but not so much my back and neck.
Last year my husband and I were talking to our doctor about physical therapy, and we came up with the idea of installing a hot tub for hydrotherapy. Let me tell you, I was all over that idea.
Well, my wonderful husband went and bought me one almost immediately. And we have both reaped the benefits. It has been great at relieving my back and neck pain. When I wake up with a backache and the beginning of a headache, it is the first place to go. The backache goes away and the headache usually calms down dramatically.
Here’s what the health specialists have to say about hot tubs and their benefits: Hydrotherapy, or warm water therapy in hot tub spas, consists of three main healing ingredients; heat, buoyancy, and massage. Hot tub hydrotherapy on a regular basis provides physical health benefits that go much deeper than just relaxation and pleasure.
Stress, headaches and sleep
As for stress, warm water massage stimulates the body to release endorphins that reduce stress. Also, a hot tub’s hydrotherapy jets dilate blood vessels to help prevent headaches. When it comes to nightie-night time, a 15-minute soak in a hot tub will have you sleeping like a baby. Soaking in hot water about 90 minutes before bedtime lowers your temperature, thus inducing sleep to occur faster and easier. This all-natural sleep aid can also be achieved by soaking in a tub of warm water – it doesn’t take a hot tub.
Muscles and joints
Hot tub and spa use by athletes has soared. Tennis Magazine said, “Your skin and muscles loosen and relax from the increased blood circulation” and if muscles are injured, “a soak in a hot tub or whirlpool increases blood flow to the injured area, bringing nutrients to help repair the damage.”
The Arthritis Foundation found that warm water yydrotherapy can help those with arthritis. According to the Arthritis Foundation, “The soothing warmth and buoyancy of hydrotherapy makes it a safe, ideal environment for relieving arthritis pain. Using a spa adds another component to the therapy – massage.”
Doctors and researchers have also found healing benefits for those suffering with diabetes. A Colorado study at the McKee Medical Center showed that patients who spent 30 minutes per day in a hot tub reported a 13 percent decrease in blood sugar levels, improved sleep, and a higher sense of well-being. A hot tub is successful in stress relief, blood pressure, headaches, and the acceleration of the healing process.
The muscle relaxing and joint loosening benefits of hot tubs help those with depression, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, tendonitis, scoliosis and bursitis. Thermo Spas hot tubs have even been known to provide significant help for those afflicted with diseases as serious as multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy.
So, the verdict is in: you can’t go wrong with a hot tub or jacuzzi if you are suffering from chronic pain, arthritis, insomnia – the list goes on. Hydrotherapy has been used for thousands of years. It’s a natural therapy, safely used by hospitals, physiotherapists and health spas around the world. And now it is used by me. I will be the first to sayit relieves back pain and headaches.
Caution: If you are pregnant, have high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, or any other medical condition, you must consult with your physician before beginning any hot water therapy program. Infants and children are more sensitive to the effects of heat, and experts recommend shorter soaking times. Always consult your doctor.