At-Home Hydrotherapy Applications to Support Your Body

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At-Home Hydrotherapy Applications to Support Your Body

HYDROTHERAPY:
“Water contains healing, it is the simplest, cheapest and – if used correctly – the safest remedy” – Sebastian Kneipp My Water Cure
What is hydrotherapy: the use of hot and cold water applications on the skin to move blood and influence cellular function in the body
Actions of hydrotherapy applied to COVID-19:

  • Stimulate the immune system
  • Alter body temperature
  • Reduce congestion pulsing blood
  • Improving vitality (pre-infection application)
Short COLD-initial response to short exposures to cold Long COLD-body’s response to long exposures to cold HOT
Blood vessels Constriction Dilation slovenska-lekaren.com Dilation

 
Proposed applications for COVID-19:
Contrast hot and cold therapies: alternating hot and cold water applications

  1. Contrast showers:

What is it:
Option A: Alternate hot and cold in the following method: 3 minutes hot, 30 seconds cold, 3 times, end with cold
Option B: end your shower with up to 30 seconds of cold
Applications for COVID-19:

  • Strengthens the immune system
  • Improves vitality
  • Best for use before becoming ill to support the body
  1. Constitutional Hydrotherapy:

What is it: hot moist compress to the chest for 5 minutes while the patient is wrapped in several layers of dry blankets and sheets. This is followed by a cold moist compress. The patient rests wrapped up until he/she warms the compress. This is repeated on the back. In some methods a tens unit is used during the cold compress.
Applications for COVID-19:

  • Pulsing blood flow in and out of the lungs to reduce congestion of fluid in the lungs
  • Stimulate immune cells to travel to the lungs and activate
  1. Heating Compress:

What is it: cold moist compress applied to the chest. Patient is wrapped by several layers of dry blankets and sheets. The patient rests until he/she warms the compress.
Applications for COVID-19: cold initially vasoconstricts the superficial circulation and shunts blood toward the lungs. The secondary effect is due to the body’s response to warm the towel pulsing blood out of the lungs, reducing congestion.
Hyperthermic therapies: application of moist heat to raise the core temperature
Applications for COVID-19:

  • Drives blood to the surface of the chest to decrease congestion in the lungs
  • Increases the core temperature improving viral fighting
  1. Hot Fomentation:

What is it: prolonged application of moist heat to the chest and a hot foot bath followed by cold friction rubbing of the chest. Repeated 3 times, ending with full body cold friction.

  1. Peat therapeutics and balneotherapy:

What is peat mud: sediment from decomposing plant materials of mineral spring beds that has the following properties:

  • Antiviral
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Hyperthermic

What does it do:

  • Local vasodilation
  • Contains humic and fulvic acid, minerals and sulfur.
  • Proliferation of white blood cells
  • Raises the body temperature leading to increased heat shock proteins, antioxidant defenses and endorphins

Applications in COVID-19:

  • In a hyperthermic bath
  • As a poultice over the chest

Contraindications to hydrotherapy:

  • Cardiac disease
  • Diabetes, MS or other conditions that influence pain sensation
  • Pregnancy and breast feeding

All hydrotherapy techniques MUST be done under the advice and supervision of your personal doctor with close monitoring of vital signs. Do not attempt any of these therapies without supervision as serious injury can occur.
References:

  • Wade B, Saine A saber mais.Lectures in Naturopathic Hydrotherapy. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications; 1988.
  • Robert Barry, ND. Textbook of Natural Medicine. Chapter 40 rankhaya.com.